Best way to plot gradually?

[William Pietri]

I am working on an art project that will involve ongoing plots of data that comes in gradually. From the plotter’s perspective, think of it like a multi-line graph where the various curving lines get extended over the course of days.

I think what I’m looking for is something between the two existing APIs: https://axidraw.com/doc/py_api/

That has a whole-file-at-once mode for SVG, and an interactive mode for (x,y) points. For my needs, curves are important, so the latter doesn’t sound like what I need. But I want to extend various curves a few times a minute, so the whole-file-at-once mode isn’t quite it either.

Is there some other API I should be looking at? Since I’m a developer, can I dig into the code to do something in between? Or should I just look at it as sending a variety of very tiny SVG files that happen to end up rendered on the same sheet of paper?

(I should say that I already have this rendering into SVG for the web, but am happy to write code to output in whatever way needed to get the plots working.)

Thanks!

[Windell Oskay]

From what you’re describing, it sounds like both the SVG-plotting or interactive modes would work well.

Yes, plotting many tiny SVG files is fine — just expect the plotter to return to the home corner between files.

And, plotting individual segments would work as well. All of the complex curves are ultimately made up of little straight segments. (Since you’re comfortable as a developer, you should be able to subdivide curves into little segments, or look into our code for how it’s handled there.)

For slow plotting (which may be more natural for this environment), plotting with the interactive API and short movement commands at constant velocity ought to work quite well.

[William Pietri]

Perfect. Thanks!

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