FAQ
Q: What
are the system requirements of the program?
A: Graph requires
32 bit Windows. It has been tested
under Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows
Vista. If
the system is able to run Windows, it should be able to run the
program, though
Windows 95 is no longer supported.
Q: Will Graph
run under Linux?
A: Graph is a native
Windows
application and not tested under Linux, but several users have informed
me that Graph runs without problems under Linux with Wine.
Q: Will
Graph run on a
Macintosh?
A: As with the above,
you cannot run Graph directly on a Mac. But it should be possible with
some
kind of Windows emulator.
Q: When will the
next version be released?
A: When it is ready.
I try to release a new
version every 3 months, but sometimes it takes more time to release a
version, and sometimes a new version can be made faster. It depends on
how difficult it is to implement the new features and how much time I
have available to do the implementation.
Q:
How can I move the
coordinate system?
A: When you hold down the Ctrl key
you can use the arrow keys to move the coordinate system. You can also
use Zoom|Move system and drag the coordinate
system around with the mouse.
Q:
How can I easily zoom
in and out?
A: When you hold down the
Ctrl key you
can use the + and - keys to zoom in and out. The scroll wheel on the
mouse can be used for zooming at the cursor position. When you move the
scroll wheel up the program will zoom into the coordinate system and
center the window at the position of the mouse cursor. When you move
the scroll wheel down the program zooms out.
Q:
How do I save default
settings?
A: Set the desired default
settings in the Edit axes dialog, and put a mark
in Save as default before pressing the OK
button. Next time you create a new coordinate system, the saved default
settings will be used.
Q:
Why does the program not accept a comma as decimals
separator?
A: I know a lot of
countries uses
comma to separate the decimal part from the integer part, but Graph
uses comma for separating function arguments. The program always uses a
period to separate decimals from the integer value, no matter your
local settings.
Q:
How do I plot a vertical line?
A:
A vertical line can be drawn as a parametric function. Select Parametric
function as function type
when adding the function. You can when add the vertical line x=5 as
x(t)=5, y(t)=t. Alternatively you can add x=5 as a relation.
Q:
How do I plot a function x=f(y)?
A: To draw a function with
y as the independent variable, you need to use a parametric function.
Select Parametric function as function
type
when adding the function. If you want to draw the function x=sin(y),
you can now enter the function as x(t)=sin(t), y(t)=t. Alternatively
you can draw it as a relation where you can enter x=sin(y) directly.
Q:
How do I plot a circle?
A: You need to use a
parametric function to draw a circle. When inserting the function,
select Parametric function as Function
type. You can now add a circle with radius 5 and center in
(2,3) as x(t)=5cos(t)+2, y(t)=5sin(t)+3. You may need to use Zoom|Square
to make the axes equally scaled. Else the circle may look like an
ellipse. A circle can also be added as a polar function, but only with
center in (0,0). A circle with radius 5 may be added as the polar
function r(t)=5. Alternatively you can use a relation and add the
circle as (x-2)^2+(y-3)^2=5^2.
Q: How do I
calculate the area between two functions?
A: If you want to
find the area between two functions f1(x)=3x and f2(x)= x^2, the
easiest way is to create a new function that is the difference between
thetwo functions: f(x)= f1(x)-f2(x)=3x-x^2. You can then use Calc|Area
to calculate the area for a given interval.
Q:
Can I copy a function,
shade or point series from one instance of the program to another?
A: Yes, you can select a
function or point series and use the Edit menu to
place a copy of the selected item in the clipboard. You can then paste
the item into another coordinate system.
Q: How can I
draw the negative part of f(x)=sqrt(x+2) ?
A: For each value x, f(x) will
evaluate to
at most one value. f(x)=sqrt(x+2) will therefore only have positive
values of f(x). To plot it for negative f(x) too, you will have to
create two separate functions: f(x)=sqrt(x+2) and f(x)=-sqrt(x+2).
Alternatively you can plot it as the relation: y^2=x+2.
Q: How do I
plot a complex function like f(t)=e^(i*t) ?
A: You probably want to show the
real part on
the x-axis and the imaginary part on the y-axis. In that case you can
draw the function as the parametric function x(t)=re(e^(i*t)),
y(t)=im(e^(i*t))
Q: How can I
make Graph plot functions with vertical asymptotes correctly?
A: Functions like f(x)=tan(x) with
vertical
asymptotes may not always be shown correctly. As default Graph will
evaluate the function for each pixel on the x-axis. But if the graph
has a steep slope that goes against infinite and back between two
pixels, Graph will not notice it. To plot the function correctly you
can tell Graph how many evaluations to perform. This may be entered in
the Steps field in the Function|Insert
function dialog. A number around 100000 will usually show
the function correctly.
Q: How to
create a PDF file from Graph?
A: You can choose to save
as PDF in the File|Save as image dialog.
Q: Should I make a
donation?
A: Sure, donate
early and often.
Seriously, it is completely up to you. The program is free of charge,
but if you want to support the development and the expenses involved, I
appreciate any kind of donation.
Q: Has the
previous question really been asked frequently?
A: Would I joke about something like that?
Q: Why
will the program not start under Windows 95?
A: Graph no longer
supports Windows 95. The last
version to run under Windows 95 was Graph 4.2.
