uncomfortable default plotting range

Posted on 2008-05-18 05:38 By Thomas Unger (

72)

Categories:

Product Suggestions

Hi,

whenever i want to plot a function without specifying an initial plotting range, for example by rightclicking on an expression and select plot, i get an y-range from 0 to 10^9 or worse. It happens mostly when the expression contains poles, for example 1/x^3. A better heuristic would be nice.

Default plotting range

Comment on 2008-05-18 14:03 from Robert Israel ( Maple Rating 4

1460)

The default is to show whatever y values are computed. If your expression goes to infinity at some points in the interval being plotted, you can expect some very large values. If you don't like those large values, you can specify an interval for y. I don't know what would be a "better heuristic". What would you suggest?

yes, it is possible to

Comment on 2008-05-18 15:23 from Thomas Unger (

72)

yes, it is possible to change the axis range manually. But what purpose is this scaling philosophy in the first place ? You can't see anything if your plot has a stellar range, and if someone really need it one would do a logplot right from the start. To my experience, for most plots a default y range from -10..10 would be a good start, which you can easily adapt to your plot with the scale manipulator tool to make it perfect. Of course it doesn't fit to all plotting needs, but is the currently implemented way of plot range Ai really the best possible ? In my opinion, functions containing singularities should be y-limited somehow.

I came up with this because i watched one of those new Maple12 demo videos, where clickable calculus is praised. They just right-click on an expression, select plot and have immediately a perfectly formatted plot area. Of course, they use well behaving functions without singularities, oscillations...

:-)