In the next article we are going to take a look at AlphaPlot. This is a scientific data visualization and analysis application, which is open source, free and is available for Gnu / Linux, Windows and Mac OS X. With it we can generate different types of 2D and 3D graphics from the data that we indicate. The application can also generate graphs using ASCII files, entered by hand or calculated using formulas. In it we will also find a console for scripting, curve adjustment, multi-peak adjustment and more.
The development of this program started in 2016 as a fork of SciDAVis 1.D009. AlphaPlot aims to be a tool for the analysis and graphical representation of data, allowing a powerful mathematical treatment and visualization of the data., while offering an easy-to-use graphical user interface and ECMAScript-like scripting interface for advanced users.
The data generated with this program is saved in spreadsheets, which are based on columns (typically X and Y values for 2D graphics) or matrices (for 3D graphics). Spreadsheets, charts, and note windows are collected into a project and can be organized using folders.
General characteristics of AlphaPlot
- The application GUI uses the Qt toolkit. This is only available in English.
- We can work with Advanced 2D plots and OpenGL-based 3D plots.
- It will allow us to use muParser macros.
- Can be done ASCII file import.
- We will have FFT filters.
- The program will allow us work with graphics, and it will give us the possibility to export them easily to various image formats (PDF, SVG, BMP, JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc …)
- With this software we can perform a advanced statistical analysis thanks to its characteristics.
- We will have the possibility to work with linear and non-linear curve fitting, with weighting and estimation of statistical errors adjustment parameters.
- It will also allow us to work with multiple peak adjustment, with different peak profiles.
- It has QtScripts for manipulation and handling of spreadsheet data.
- The program is multi platform. Works natively on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux / Unix systems.
- We can integrate the customization to property editor.
These are just some of the features of this program. All of them can be consulted in detail from the project’s Sourceforge page.
Install AlphaPlot on Ubuntu
Through PPA
In Ubuntu we will have the possibility to install this program through its PPA. For add the required repository, in a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) it will only be necessary to write:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:devacom/science
After adding the PPA and update available software from repositories that we have enabled in our system, we can now proceed to the installation of the program. We will do this by writing in the same terminal:
sudo apt install alphaplot
When the installation is complete, only start the program looking for your pitcher on our team. We can also start it by typing in the terminal:
alphaplot
Uninstall
For delete repository that we use for the installation, in a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) it is only necessary to write:
sudo add-apt-repository -r ppa:devacom/science
Now, to eliminate the program, in the same terminal we are going to write:
sudo apt remove alphaplot; sudo apt autoremove
Via Flatpak
If you use Ubuntu 20.04, and you still do not have this technology enabled on your computer, you can follow the guide that a colleague wrote about it on this blog a while ago.
When you can install packages Flatpak on your system, in a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) you just have to execute the install command:
flatpak install flathub io.github.narunlifescience.AlphaPlot
When the installation is complete, the launcher can now be found on the system. You can also run the following command in the terminal to start the program:
flatpak run io.github.narunlifescience.AlphaPlot
Uninstall
If you are interested uninstall AlphaPlot Flatpak package, it is only necessary to open a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and execute in it:
sudo flatpak uninstall io.github.narunlifescience.AlphaPlot
As AppImage
In addition to the above methods, users will also have the possibility of download AlphaPlot in .AppImage file format from the releases page of the project. In addition to using the browser, we can also get the latest version published today, opening a terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and executing in it wget as follows:
wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/alphaplot/files/1.011/AlphaPlot-1.011-alpha-release-glibc2.29-x86_64.AppImage
After finishing the download, it is necessary that we move to the folder in which we have saved the file, and from there give you the necessary permissions with the command:
sudo chmod +x AlphaPlot-1.011-alpha-release-glibc2.29-x86_64.AppImage
At this point, we can start the program by double clicking on the file or typing in terminal:
./AlphaPlot-1.011-alpha-release-glibc2.29-x86_64.AppImage
To obtain information about this program or about its use, users can go to his website, to the Project Wiki, to his GitHub repository or his page of Sourceforge.
