NTGraph

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Download source files - 381 Kb

Download demo projects - 200 Kb

Download control binaries - 72 Kb

Introduction

This is a simple OCX control, which allows you to plot two-dimensional data. Despite

the large set of controls that comes with VC++, there is no out-of-the-box control

that provides a simple and straightforward 2D data visualization. The

ActiveX

control tutorial

by Kapil Chaturvedi inspired me to write my own control, mostly

because I wanted to customize the source code when needed. Over time, the

functionality of the ActiveX control became more elaborate, and finally I made

decision to publish what I have in hand.

What Can It Do?

The control is able to plot a large number of points and updating one or more plots

on the graph with new data, replacing the old plot with the new plot. Multiple plots

with individual properties such as name, line and point style, width, could be

customized at runtime. At runtime, the control is capable of displaying its own

property pages (double click on the control area or by invoking the ShowProperties

method) and showing short help as a result of the user pressing

F1

while the control

has the focus. By setting the TrackMode property you should be able to switch

between a different modes such as tracking cursor coordinates while moving (left

mouse button pressed), zooming, XY-, X-, and Y-panning. Finally the control

snapshot could be copied to the clipboard, printed, or saved as a bitmap file.

What doesn't it do?

You cannot plot 3D data, but you can use the

NTGraph3D ATL/STL/OpenGL

activeX control

to do that :-)!

What's New?

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The Log Axes Mode works now, showing the log10 grid, and appropriated

labels, it also converts the graph element's data

The control's snapshot could be now saved as a bitmap file, many thanks to

Robert Harber

for providing the code!

Added abilities to dynamically creating annotation labels, that can be on

different colors, orientations, and also could be hidden or visible.

Added

annotation list in the real/design mode.

Added abilities to dynamically drawing of multiply cursors, with a different

colors, crosshair styles, floating/fixed, or snapped to the currently selected

element!

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Added

the real/design mode.

Added axis formatting, that allows a customization of the bottom and left

axis labels.

Added

properties, and a templates for of commonly used data formats such a:

Numbers, Exponential, Symbolic, Date, and Time!

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Added Time format for the graph axes. To use it, you should set the

XTime/YTime

property to

True

.

You also have to convert the date/time data to

double

format. The

Date/Time format is implemented as a as a floating-point value, measuring

days from midnight, 30 December 1899. So, midnight, 31 December 1899 is

represented by 1.0. Similarly, 6 AM, 1 January 1900 is represented by 2.25,

and midnight, 29 December 1899 is 1.0. However, 6 AM, 29 December 1899

is 1.25.

For more info refer to MSDN for the class:

COleDateTime

!

How to test the control

You can use the ActiveX Control Test Container, and load the macro from

the menu ToolsMacros... You can write your own routines to test the control

behavior (look at macro)

How to use the control

To use this OCX control, embed it in an application that supports the use of OCX

controls. Microsoft Visual Basic applications, Office applications and applications

created with the Micro

soft Developer Studio’s AppWizard can support the use of

OCX controls. There are two files required to use this control. They are:

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-The help file for this control.

-The NTGraph controls code and data.

Before the ActiveX control can be used in your application, it must be registered as

a COM Component in the system registry. This is a self registering control. This

means that to register the control in the system registry you only need to have an

application load the control and ca

ll the control’s exported function

DllRegisterServer. You can use the REGSVR32 utility or have your setup program do

this.

How to use the REGSVR32 utility?

Copy

to your directory and type:

regsvr32

regsvr32 /u

(Unregister server)

Customizing The Control

You can change the properties of this control during design time, or in run time to

affect how the control will plot the data.

Use the new control property pages:

Graph Property Page

Elements Property Page

Annotations Property Page

Cursors Property Page

Format Property Page

You can include the control in your project by following the standard steps for

ActiveX controls:

1.

Create MFC Dialog project or MDI/SDI project with View class derived from

CFormView

2.

Choose menu Project|Add To Project|Components and Controls...

3.

Open the Registered ActiveX Control gallery

4.

Choose the

NTGraph

Control and click Insert

5.

Visual C++ will generate the class

CNTGraph

6.

Then you can define variable of the type as

CNTGraph.

The control's customization options are straightforward:

// Customize Graph Properties

m_kColor (RGB(< /p>

0

,

0

,

0

));

m_sColor (RGB(< /p>

0

,

255

,< /p>

0

));

m_elColor (RG B(

128

,

255

< br>,

255

));

// Control's Frame and Plot area options

m_meColor((RGB(

0

,

0

,

0

));

m_tAreaColor(RGB(

21 2

,

222

,

200

));

m_meStyle(

2

)

// (1) - Flat

//

(2) -

Scope

(raised

frame

and

sunken

plot

area

borders)

// (3) - 3DFrame (a bitmap frame picture)

m_dColor(RGB(< /p>

192

,

192

,

192

));

m_wGrid (TRUE);

m_sorColor (RGB(

255

,

0

,

0

));

m_ckMode (

1

);

m_phTitle(

);

m_bel (

);

m_bel(

);

< br>m_ge(

0

.,

10

,-

1

,

1

You don't need to call the control

Invalidate()

function every time you change a

Graph property. The changes are automatically reflected on the control appearance.

To load the data into the control...

Collapse

//

//

// Customize Graph Elements

//

//

// The Graph elements are dynamically allocated!

// Element 0 is allocated by default

// Even after a call to the ClearGraph method,

// the Element-0 is automaticaly allocated.

m_mentLineColor(RGB(

255

,

0

,

0

));

m_mentLinetype(

0

);

m_mentWidth(

1

);

m_mentPointColor(RGB(

0

,

0

,

255

);

m_mentPointSymbol(

3

);

m_mentSolidPoint(TRUE);

// Allocate a new element: Element-1

m_ment();

m_mentColor (RGB(

0

,

255

,

0

));

m_mentLinewidth(

1

);

m_mentLinetype(

2

);

// Allocate a new element: Element-2

m_ment();