USB-5100 Series Software Help
Reading Out, Plotting, and Analyzing Data
33
Zooming, Panning, and Smart Scaling Plots
You can adjust the viewing area of the plot by zooming, panning, and smart scaling.
Zooming
There are two ways to zoom: either by using the zoom tool
(or pressing <Z>) or by selecting Zoom In
or Zoom Out
from the toolbar or the View menu. Use the zoom tool to zoom anywhere on the plot that you
select, clicking the right-mouse button to zoom in or out. Use the Zoom In/Zoom Out icons to keep the plot
centered as you zoom.
When zooming:
Right-click to toggle between zoom in and zoom out.
Check the symbol inside the zoom tool to determine the direction you are zooming. A plus sign (+) or
arrows pointing outward does zoom in, while a minus sign (-) or arrows pointing in does zoom out.
Click an area on the graph inside the axes to zoom one level (a factor of two). Continue clicking to zoom
multiple levels.
Hold down the left mouse button in one location to zoom continuously. Release the mouse button to stop
zooming.
Hold down the left mouse button while drawing a rectangle around the area you wish to zoom in on, then
click inside the rectangle. The area inside the rectangle expands to fill the whole graph.
To constrain the zoom to horizontal or vertical zooming, place the cursor over the axis you want to zoom
and click the mouse button. Hold the mouse button down to continue to zoom. Or, press <X> while
zooming to restrict motion horizontally and press <Y> while zooming to restrict motion vertically.
If you are currently working with the crosshair, arrow, or hand tool, you can click the Zoom In/Out icons
on the toolbar to quickly zoom into and out of the middle of the display without changing tools.
Zooming does not work on an axis that is locked. To unlock an axis, double-click the axis with the arrow
tool and clear the
Lock Axis Scaling and Tick Marks
checkbox in the
Axis Properties
dialog box.
Panning
Use the hand drag tool
or press <H> to pan the graph. Panning is especially useful when you are zoomed
into a detailed plot and want to focus on a different area without zooming out. Click-and hold within the graph
to pan a different section of the graph into view. The graph follows the movement of the mouse, and the axes
are continuously updated in response to the movement. To stop dragging, release the left mouse button.
To limit dragging to horizontal or vertical panning:
place the cursor over the axis you want to drag, hold down the mouse button, and drag in the direction you
want the plot to move,
or
press <X> while dragging to restrict motion horizontally, and press <Y> while dragging to restrict motion
vertically.
Use the hand drag tool to move different areas of the graph into view or adjust the position of one series so it
can be viewed more easily. This is particularly useful when you are zoomed into the graph and want to see
another section of the graph without zooming out and then zooming back in on the new location.
Panning does not work on an axis that is locked. To unlock an axis, double-click the axis with the arrow tool
and clear the
Lock Axis Scaling and Tick Marks
checkbox in the
Axis Properties
dialog box.
Smart Scaling
When you first display a graph, the numerical bounds of the axes are on tick marks. After you have panned or
zoomed, this may no longer be the case. Use smart scaling to correct that. With the hand drag, arrow, or
crosshair tool, right-click anywhere on the graph and select
SmartScale Graph
from the context menu. This
automatically adjusts the axes to end on tick marks.
To return to the original plot view, click Show Graph at Full Scale
from the toolbar or select
View»View
Full Scale
.
