Plot Points/Plot as (x, y)/Plot as (r, θ)

Navigation:  Menus > Graph Menu >

Plot Points/Plot as (x, y)/Plot as (r, θ)

Previous pageReturn to chapter overviewNext page
Show/Hide Hidden Text

This Graph menu command plots one or more points on the marked coordinate system at the specified coordinate location. If there is no marked coordinate system, Sketchpad creates a default coordinate system. Depending on the selected objects in your sketch, the command can appear as Plot as (x,y), Plot as (r, θ), or Plot Points.

Plot as (x,y) / Plot as (r, θ)

Selection prerequisites: Two values

If you have two selected parameters, measurements or calculations, the command appears as Plot as (x, y) or (if there’s a marked polar coordinate system) as Plot as (r, θ).

Use this command to graph measurements or calculations that change over time.

When you choose the command, Sketchpad plots the point determined by the two selected values, with the first measurement used as the x or r coordinate and the second as the y or θ coordinate. As the measurements change, the position of the plotted point changes to match.

Plot Points

If you don’t have two selected values, the command is Plot Points.

This command displays a dialog box that allows you to plot one or more points on the marked coordinate system by entering the coordinates of each point to plot.

In the dialog box:

Choose Rectangular to plot points using (x, y) values or choose Polar to plot them using (r, θ) values.

Click in either entry field and type numbers with decimal points, or type expressions such as 2+3 and π/4.

Click in either entry field and then click in the sketch on a value (or a Hot Text link to a value) to enter that value into the field.

When you use a value from the sketch, the plotted point will move accordingly when the value changes.

Click Plot to plot the current values; the dialog box remains open to allow you to plot additional points.

After plotting your last point, click Done to close the dialog box.