www.neuron.yale.edu

Hi!

I want to print several graphs and until now I have used idraw for merging the figures and then print them.
I have done this clicking Window/Print & File Window Manager, make the selection and then Print/Idraw
then I open the file writing >idraw filename and clicking on File/Import Graphic... I add more figures and make the whole picture.
But now I would like to import some graphs made on python to idraw and it is not able to open this kind of graph.
What formats can idraw import? I thought encapsulated postscripts files (.eps) will work, but it doesn't. Seems to be a difference between DSC levels.
Python generates .eps files DSC level 3.0 and NEURON .eps files DSC level 2.0.

Is there a way to do this?
If not, how can I edit NEURON's graphs? using for example Illustrator?

Thanks in advance,
Luciana.

A PostScript file is just a file that contains statements in a programming language called PostScript. An Encapsulated PostScript file is just a PostScript file that follows a handful of rules. An idraw file is a very special type of Encapsulated PostScript file--it satisfies the minimal requirements to be called Encapsulated PostScript, but it also contains a great deal more. The difference between idraw files and other kinds of Encapsulated Postscript files has nothing to do with Document Structuring Conventions.

You may find it helpful to read parts of Weingartner's "First guide to PostScript" http://www.tailrecursive.org/postscript/postscript.html

now I would like to import some graphs made on python to idraw

Unless the Python code wrote idraw-compatible eps files, you're out of luck.

how can I edit NEURON's graphs?

If you're running NEURON under Linux, you already have idraw--why not use that? CorelDraw can read idraw files, and so can Adobe Illustrator, but CorelDraw is much less expensive and can do everything you're likely to want to do for figures that are to be published in a scientific journal. I don't know if CorelDraw or Illustrator will be able to import the eps files you created with Python.

Alternatively, you could write out the numerical results of your simulations to files, then plot the contents of those files with some other software such as Excel, SigmaPlot, Origin, or R.

Thank you Ted!

Idraw seems work nice for me! I will use it.
When I have to mix NEURON's figures with python's plots, I will save the NEURON's figures using:
Window/Print & File Window Manager, Print/PostScript and then open them with Illustrator and make the merge with Python's plots (.pdf, .jpg, etc)

luciana wrote:When I have to mix NEURON's figures with python's plots, I will save the NEURON's figures using:
Window/Print & File Window Manager, Print/PostScript

That's OK if you want to show all of the graphical interface's widgets (buttons etc.) and background shading.

and then open them with Illustrator and make the merge with Python's plots (.pdf, .jpg, etc)

jpg is a poor format for scientific graphs. It can't draw clean lines--everything that should have an edge is instead surrounded by a cloud of little dots. Also, because it's a bitmap format, rescaling operations degrade image resolution.