Chart Object Datasheet

Integrated 2D and 3D Charting Library

ChartObject is a OSF/Motif compliant widget for providing comprehensive 2D and 3D charting capabilities.

When used with EditTable, ChartObject can be used to provide dynamically linked tabular and graphical views of data. Both products are highly configurable, enabling the developer to generate virtually any kind of chart or table within their application.

ChartObject provides comprehensive 2D and 3D charting functionality in one package, including combination plots and multiple views. Chart appearance can be changed interactively using built-in resource editors, and any graphic design, logos or text can be overlaid on charts using graphic objects. Dynamically linking tables and charts is simple with EditTable and ChartObject - users can visualize tables of data simply by selecting the data, and dragging and dropping it onto a chart!

Benefits

ChartObject is a powerful object-oriented library of 2D and 3D graphing components that provide developers with performance, flexibility and editing functionality unavailable in any other charting package. It has won numerous competitive evaluations for use in many application areas, and is an indispensable part of any serious developer’s toolkit.

Pick a chart, any chart!
Unlike other charting widgets, ChartObject combines the full range of 2D and 3D chart types in a single library, without the need to buy a separate 3D package. All the plot types you need are included, from basic XY plots, area graphs, bar charts and pie charts, to high-low plots, candlestick plots, scatter plots, 3D surface displays and many more. All aspects of chart appearance are controllable so that you can modify the style to match the rest of your GUI.

And if that’s not enough, you can even create your own unique chart types using the graphic object library. Chart types are highly configurable, with all aspects of appearance controllable, and unlimited axes per plot. End users can also change the display attributes of any chart element through built-in or custom control panels, simply by double clicking on any chart element.

Combine charts or overlay graphics to show more
Combination plots are a piece of cake with ChartObject. It’s often important to show different types of data on the same display, for example share prices as a high-low plot together with volume traded as a histogram. Combining plots on the same chart conveys more information and makes for better user interfaces.

Another common requirement is to overlay graphic designs, text or logos on plots, again simplicity using the INT graphic object library with ChartObject. Areas of charts can be painted with a variety of patterns to highlight features, or images can be used as a background to plots.

Flexible data handling
Thanks to its Model View Controller (MVC) architecture, data objects are logically separate from views of the data in ChartObject, making it simple to generate multiple data views, to change chart types interactively, or to establish live links between charts and tables, all without changing the underlying data. Live links can be established by the developer, or at runtime by the user, and may even be linked with real-time data feeds.

Users can interact with data simply by grabbing a point and moving it, or editing a data value in an associated table or chart. Or double click on a chart component, and change its display attributes using its built-in editor. Once a chart layout has been customized for an application, it may be saved as a template and used again elsewhere.

Features

• 2D chart types
  Options include:
  
• XY-plots
• area graphs
• bar charts
• pie charts
• high-low plots
• candlestick plots
• stacked bar charts
• 2D cell-arrays
• scatter plots
• Pie and bar charts with 3D perspective
• 3D chart types
  Options include:
  
• surface plots
• contour plots
• bar charts
• all with real-time rotation and perspective views
• Combination charts
  Multiple charts and different chart types can be combined on the same chart to produce composite graphs, e.g. share price ranges as a high/low plot and volume traded as a histogram.
  
• Configurable chart appearance
  All aspects of chart appearance are fully controllable through built-in resources and functions, including axis color, background color, line style, thickness and color, marker symbol, style and color, legend placement, font, color and orientation; etc.
  
• Smart defaults
  All ChartObject components have sensible defaults for quick, attractive displays. A complete set of resources and manipulators is provided for fine control of every Chartobject component.
  
• Built-in editors
  End users can change the display attributes of any chart element through built-in or custom control panels, simply by double clicking on any chart element.
  
• Chart annotation
  INT graphic objects and the ObjectEditor library can be used to add labels, lines, arrows, boxes, symbols, images and other annotations to graphs, charts and tables.
  
• Graphic overlays
  Text and any graphic design, including images, can be added to any chart. All graphic objects are scalable and rotatable, and a built-in symbol editor enables the user to create report quality on-screen and hardcopy presentations.
  
• Data selection and picking
  Click on any point on a 2D plot and the corresponding data object and value can be returned.
  
• Curve editing
  Point and curves can be edited, and the corresponding data tables updated.
  
• Data Objects
  Data is encapsulated as simple objects which serve as models in the Model View Controller paradigm. Several data formats are supported through ChartObject subclasses.
  
• Drag and Drop
  Full support of Motif 1.2 drag and drop. Charts can be created by selecting a range of cells in EditTable (or another chart) and dropping them on a ChartObject. Chart elements can be moved, copied and linked via drag and drop.
  
• Dynamic live links
  Data displayed in a ChartObject can be linked dynamically to views in other charts or tables. ChartObject supports live links to real-time data.
  
• Double precision accuracy
  32-bit numerical accuracy is standard, and 64-bit accuracy is an option.
  
• ASCII input
  ChartObject descriptions can be saved to and retrieved from ASCII files. Data Objects can be input through ASCII file import methods.
  
• Layout templates
  Methods are provided for saving the chart layout independently of the data.
  
• GUI builder integration
  Integration with all major GUI builders, including Builder Xcessory, X Designer, UIM/X, TeleUSE, etc.
  
• Portability
  ChartObject is available on major Unix workstations including Sun (SunOS and Solaris), HP, IBM, Digital Alpha, and SGI, and on PCs running Linux, and also on Windows NT via DataFocus NuTCRACKER libraries.
  
• Online HTML documentation
  All documentation available as HTML files for easy access, in addition to hardcopies.
  
• Hardcopy output
  Encapsulated PostScript hardcopy output is standard, and CGM is an option for ChartObject.
  
• No complicated license manager
  Products are licensed by number of users, not tied to hostids or specific machines.
  
• No runtime fees, no royalties
  You can distribute end-user applications that use ChartObject free of any royalties or runtime fees.
  
• Full support service
  Free support for 30 days. Renewable annual support and upgrades. FTP site available for patches, and website for current information on new releases, FAQ, documentation, etc.