Just some comments below as requested
Isn't this debatable? Might someone want to see the errorbar range in
front of or behind a large marker with transparency? Why do you say
this with certainty?
You're right John. Personally, I think the default order should be for markers to be in front of errorbars, but on occasions I've wanted it the other way (the current implementation). I like your bouyancy idea. If you're after a different name, how about the more conventional "z-order".
It's so easy to do that I could implement it faster than I can
describe it, but I think buoyancy is a bad name (too hard to spell),
and I wanted to get some feedback on the idea. Should large numbers
be drawn last or first (last is my instinct, like list indexing, and
more efficient since you won't have to reverse the sort).
No preference.
What is a
good attribute name? I think a method like scale_buoyancy would be
useful too so users wouldn't have to know the default values.
zorder or layer
regards,
Gary
···
----- Original Message -----
From: John Hunter <jdhunter@...4...>
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Hi,
I think this ordering is an excellent idea! In fact, I also prefer
zorder, or maybe height, or simply z: This can be seen as a
z-coordinate, whose only effect would be to change ordering for a 2D
plot, but could leads to 3D plots in the future 
> Should large numbers
> be drawn last or first (last is my instinct, like list indexing, and
> more efficient since you won't have to reverse the sort).
No preference.
Large number printed last, consistent with the zorder = 3rd coordinate
idea if one look the plot from above.
> What is a
> good attribute name? I think a method like scale_buoyancy would be
> useful too so users wouldn't have to know the default values.
zorder or layer
or height...
Best regards,
Greg.
Gregory Lielens wrote:
I think this ordering is an excellent idea! In fact, I also prefer
zorder, or maybe height, or simply z: This can be seen as a
z-coordinate, whose only effect would be to change ordering for a 2D
plot, but could leads to 3D plots in the future
Except that z-order and a z coordinate really are different, so we shouldn't use z, it will make it harder, not easier to add 3-plots in the future!
-Chris
···
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Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer
NOAA/OR&R/HAZMAT (206) 526-6959 voice
7600 Sand Point Way NE (206) 526-6329 fax
Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 526-6317 main reception
Chris.Barker@...259...
Are they? I think not, cause in 3D you can not control the order of
"painting", this is done so that elements which are in the background
are hidden by elements which are more close to the observer...
Having both a layer info and a z info in 3D would not be consistent
imho, painting at the end an element which should normally be hidden by
others seems like a hack for bypassing normal 3D rendering to me...
And if you use no perspective (infinite focal? ), a 3D plot watched from
above (Z=+inf) would be the same as a 2D plot with z=layer...In fact,
the painting from lower z to higher z is the basic 3D rendering
technique as far as I know...hum, except that the convention used in 3D
is z increasing means further away from the observer, so highest z =
first to be painted, which destroy my argument for "Large number printed
last", oups 
···
On Mon, 2004-08-30 at 18:13, Chris Barker wrote:
Gregory Lielens wrote:
> I think this ordering is an excellent idea! In fact, I also prefer
> zorder, or maybe height, or simply z: This can be seen as a
> z-coordinate, whose only effect would be to change ordering for a 2D
> plot, but could leads to 3D plots in the future
Except that z-order and a z coordinate really are different, so we
shouldn't use z, it will make it harder, not easier to add 3-plots in
the future!
> > What is a
> > good attribute name? I think a method like scale_buoyancy would be
> > useful too so users wouldn't have to know the default values.
>
> zorder or layer
or height...
This is an excellent idea, but I'd suggest using the term 'depth'.
Then attributes with larger depth would be drawn below those with
smaller depth.
--Matt Newville <newville at cars.uchicago.edu>
Gregory Lielens wrote:
Except that z-order and a z coordinate really are different, so we shouldn't use z, it will make it harder, not easier to add 3-plots in the future!
Are they? I think not, cause in 3D you can not control the order of
"painting", this is done so that elements which are in the background
are hidden by elements which are more close to the observer...
sure, for data elements, but what about legends, error bars, etc?
-Chris
···
--
Christopher Barker, Ph.D.
Oceanographer
NOAA/OR&R/HAZMAT (206) 526-6959 voice
7600 Sand Point Way NE (206) 526-6329 fax
Seattle, WA 98115 (206) 526-6317 main reception
Chris.Barker@...259...