User Interface Overview¶
Cute Plot features an intuitive, modern interface designed for efficient time-series data analysis and visualization.
Main Interface Layout¶
The application is organized into distinct areas, each optimized for specific tasks:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Menu Bar License Status │
├──────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ Plot Tabs │
│ Sidebar ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ │
│ - Files │ Main Plot Area │
│ - Search │ (Subplots Grid) │
│ - Series │ │
│ │ │
│ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ Plot Controls (Rows/Cols, Screenshot, Templates) │
└──────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Menu Bar¶
File Menu¶
- New: Create new plot session
- Open: Load data files (supports multiple selection)
- Save: Save current session
- Save As: Save session with new name
Settings Menu¶
Development Tools¶
- Show Metrics: Performance and memory usage
- Show Style Editor: UI customization tools
- Show Debug: Development debugging tools
- Logger: View application logs
Query Options¶
Configure which statistics are calculated during data analysis:
Basic Statistics: - Min, Max, Mean, Standard Deviation, Count
Advanced Calculations: - Window Width, Frequency, Ramp Rate - RMS (Root Mean Square) - Rise Time, Recovery Time, Settling Time - Damping Ratio, FFT Analysis
Theme Options¶
- Dark Theme: Default dark interface
- Light Theme: Light color scheme
- Custom Theme: Advanced customization
Preferences¶
General application settings and preferences.
About Menu¶
- Application version and system information
- License Information: Current license status and details
Feedback¶
- Leave Feedback: Built-in feedback form with categories:
- General Feedback
- Feature Request
- Bug Report
- Performance Issue
- UI/UX Issue
- Documentation
- Support Request
Sidebar¶
The left sidebar is your primary tool for managing data files and series.
File Search Bar¶
- Real-time search with debouncing (300ms delay)
- Filters files and series by name
- Case-insensitive matching
File Area¶
- File Widgets: Represent loaded data files
- Series Widgets: Individual data columns within files
- Expandable hierarchy: Files expand to show contained series
Selection Controls¶
- Selection Counter: Shows number of selected series
- Select All: Select all visible series
- Clear: Deselect all series
Main Plot Area¶
Plot Tabs¶
- Multiple plots: Each tab represents a separate plot
- Reorderable tabs: Drag to reorder
- Add plots: Click "+" button to create new plots
- Right-click menu: Additional plot options
Subplot Grid¶
Each plot can contain multiple subplots arranged in a grid: - Configurable layout: 1x1 up to 3x3 grid - Synchronized axes: X-axes automatically synchronized - Independent Y-axes: Each subplot has independent Y scaling
Plot Controls¶
Grid Configuration¶
- Rows: Slider to set subplot rows (1-3)
- Columns: Slider to set subplot columns (1-3)
Screenshot Tool¶
- Take Screenshot: Capture current plot view
- Auto-save: Screenshots saved with timestamp
Template System¶
- Template Dropdown: Quick access to saved templates
- Apply templates: Automatically distribute series based on patterns
License Status Display¶
Top-right corner shows current licensing information: - Licensed User: Shows company or email - Unlicensed: Trial or unlicensed version - License Error: Issues with license validation
Mouse and Keyboard Interactions¶
File Area¶
- Single click: Select file or series
- Ctrl+click: Multi-select series
- Right-click: File context menu (rename, close)
- Drag & drop: Move series to plots
Plot Area¶
- Mouse wheel: Zoom in/out
- Middle drag: Pan view
- Hover axes: Lock opposite axis during zoom
- Right-click: Context menu
- Ctrl+click: Create query rectangle
- Left-click: Dismiss popups
Series Management¶
- Drag from sidebar: Add series to plots
- Drag between plots: Move series between subplots
- 200ms hold: Enable legend dragging
- Legend interactions: Rename, delete, transform
Context Menus¶
Plot Right-Click Menu¶
- Add Annotations:
- Horizontal line
- Vertical line
- Linked vertical line (synchronized across plots)
- Draggable text annotation
- Modify Plot Labels:
- Edit plot title
- Edit Y-axis label
File Right-Click Menu¶
- Rename File: Change display name
- Close File: Remove file from session
Visual Feedback¶
Loading Indicators¶
- File Loading: Progress indication during file loading
- Processing Status: Real-time feedback during data processing
Notifications¶
- Success: Green notifications for successful operations
- Warnings: Yellow notifications for non-critical issues
- Errors: Red notifications for errors
- Information: Blue notifications for general information
Color Coding¶
- Series Lines: Automatic color assignment from predefined palette
- Annotations: Color-coded annotations for easy identification
- Selection: Visual feedback for selected items
Responsive Design¶
The interface adapts to different screen sizes and DPI settings: - Resizable panels: Sidebar can be resized - Scalable UI: Automatic DPI scaling - Minimum sizes: Enforced minimum window dimensions
Accessibility Features¶
- Keyboard navigation: Full keyboard support
- Clear visual hierarchy: Consistent styling and layout
- Tooltip information: Contextual help where needed
- Error messaging: Clear, actionable error messages
Performance Indicators¶
Monitor application performance through: - FPS counter: Real-time frame rate (when enabled) - Memory usage: Available through metrics window - Loading times: Console output for development
Next Steps¶
Now that you understand the interface layout:
- Learn about File Loading
- Explore Series Management
- Try the Quick Start Guide
Interface tips: Hover over UI elements for tooltips and additional information