Gnuplot command to matplotlib

Question

I'm editing some old software that runs on Fortran and uses gnuplot. I'm trying to port some parts over to python and I'm a bit confused.

I have a matrix file of Hurricane data and it plots with the command:

plot 'file.txt' matrix with image 1:999:1:480 w l t       ""

I don't fully understand the gnuplot command so when I use the plot function with matplotlib I get something totally different.

Anyone have an idea how I can plot this the same way in python?

Answer 1

I agree with Christoph: your probable gnuplot command line is close to:

plot 'file.txt' matrix with image every 1:999:1:480  t  ""

The plot specifications with image and with line are in conflict.
Gnuplot is a lover of lazines. Or you hate it or you love it :-)

You can always find shortened the commands:

plot  ---> pl  
with  ---> w  
lines ---> l  
title ---> t  
and so on...

In Python you can try with something like (it remains to filter data if it misses the every word in your command line...)

#!/usr/bin/python
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

# Read in data from an ASCII data table
data = np.genfromtxt('data.txt')

ax.imshow(data, cmap=plt.cm.gray, interpolation='nearest')
#ax.imshow(data, cmap=plt.cm.gray)
ax.set_title('My Title')
plt.show()

It reproduces the effect of the gnuplot example for help image
In data.txt file I put the same data of the example

5 4 3 1 0
2 2 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 0
0 1 2 4 3