### 12.2 Plotting Formats

Maxima can use either Gnuplot, Xmaxima or Geomview as graphics program. Gnuplot and Geomview are external programs which must be installed separately, while Xmaxima is distributed with Maxima. There are various different formats for those programs, which can be selected with the option `plot_format` (see also the `Plotting Options` section).

The plotting formats are the following:

- gnuplot (default on Windows)

  Used to launch the external program gnuplot, which must be installed in your system. All plotting commands and data are saved into the file `maxout_xxx.gnuplot`.

- gnuplot_pipes (default on non-Windows platforms)

  This format is not available in Windows platforms. It is similar to the `gnuplot` format except that the commands are sent to gnuplot through a pipe, while the data are saved into the file `maxout_xxx.gnuplot_pipes`. A single gnuplot process is kept open and subsequent plot commands will be sent to the same process, replacing previous plots, unless the gnuplot pipe is closed with the function `gnuplot_close`. When this format is used, the function `gnuplot_replot` can be used to modify a plot that has already displayed on the screen.

  This format is only used to plot to the screen; whenever graphic files are created, the format is silently switched to `gnuplot` and the commands needed to create the graphic file are saved with the data in file `maxout_xxx.gnuplot`.

- mgnuplot

  Mgnuplot is a Tk-based wrapper around gnuplot. It is included in the Maxima distribution. Mgnuplot offers a rudimentary GUI for gnuplot, but has fewer overall features than the plain gnuplot interface. Mgnuplot requires an external gnuplot installation and, in Unix systems, the Tcl/Tk system.

- xmaxima

  Xmaxima is a Tcl/Tk graphical interface for Maxima that can also be used to display plots created when Maxima is run from the console or from other graphical interfaces. To use this format, the xmaxima program, which is distributed together with Maxima, must be installed. If Maxima is being run from the Xmaxima console, the data and commands are passed to xmaxima through the same socket used for the communication between Maxima and the Xmaxima console. When used from a terminal or from graphical interfaces different from Xmaxima, the commands and data are saved in the file `maxout_xxx.xmaxima` and xmaxima is run with the name of that file as argument.

  In previous versions this format used to be called `openmath`; that old name still works as a synonym for `xmaxima`.

- geomview

  Geomview, a Motif based interactive 3D viewing program for Unix, can also be used to display plots created by Maxima. To use this format, the geomview program must be installed.

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Categories: Plotting