Bubble graphs - how to use?

Question

Is it possible to combinate "normal points" and "bubble points"? I have two sets of data - file1.txt and file2.txt and for one of them (file2.txt) I would like to use points like http://gnuplot-tricks.blogspot.com/2009/06/

How to compose this into code please? When I use the code from that webpage how to plot another data. I tried this:

f(x) = A*exp(-x*x/B/B)
rx=0.107071; ry=0.057876; A = 1; B = 0.2; C=0.5*rx; D=-0.4*ry
g(u,v) = (2*cos(u)*v*rx+C)*(2*cos(u)*v*rx+C)+(3.5*sin(u)*v*ry+D)*(3.5*sin(u)*v*ry+D)             
unset key; unset colorbox; set view map
set xrange [-0.15:5.2]; set yrange [-0.7:0.95]
set parametric; set urange [0:2*pi]; set vrange [0:1]                         
set isosamples 20, 20; set samples 30                                         
set palette model HSV functions 1, 1-f(gray), 1+2*f(gray)                     
splot cos(u)*rx*v-0.13335347,sin(u)*ry*v+2.7730389, g(u,v) w pm3d, \
cos(u)*rx*v-0.11625481,sin(u)*ry*v+3.5312312, g(u,v) w pm3d, \
cos(u)*rx*v-0.14454222,sin(u)*ry*v+3.6412394, g(u,v) w pm3d, \
cos(u)*rx*v-0.070272446,sin(u)*ry*v+3.8070912, g(u,v) w pm3d, \
cos(u)*rx*v-0.10077238,sin(u)*ry*v+4.090774, g(u,v) w pm3d, \
'file1.txt' using 2:1:(0.0):2 with points pt 7 ps 1 palette

but file2 is not splot. Thank you very much

Answer 1

Here is a variant of the "trick" shown in your second link. I have extracted the customized point styles into a pre-defined set of linetypes. This makes the plot command itself simpler, and it is easier to reuse the definitions in multiple plots.

set linetype 101   ps 3.0 pt 7 lc rgb "#ff0000"
set linetype 102   ps 2.6 pt 7 lc rgb "#ff2222"
set linetype 103   ps 2.2 pt 7 lc rgb "#ff4444"
set linetype 104   ps 1.8 pt 7 lc rgb "#ff6666"
set linetype 105   ps 1.4 pt 7 lc rgb "#ff8888"
set linetype 106   ps 1.0 pt 7 lc rgb "#ffaaaa"
set linetype 107   ps 0.6 pt 7 lc rgb "#ffcccc"
set linetype 108   ps 0.2 pt 7 lc rgb "#ffeeee"

set border back
plot for [LT=101:108] 'silver.dat' using 1:2 with point lt LT notitle

Answer 2

Please clarify what exactly what properties your plot needs to have.

(1) The term "bubble plot" usually refers to a plot in which each point is drawn as a circle with additional properties encoded by changing the size, color, or other property of the circle. Gnuplot can do that quite well. A good example can be found in the online demo collection: Hypertext bubble chart In this case the size of the circle is used to indicate relative population and additional information is encoded as hypertext (pop-up text box) attached to that point. Variable color could easily be added as well. The png version below does not include the hypertext.

(2) The example you link in the query does not appear to encode any additional information into the shape or color of the point but it does use a fancy glyph for each point rather than a simple dot or cross. Gnuplot can do that also. It depends on exactly what set of symbols or glyphs you want to use. If you can find a font providing appropriate glyphs then one way is shown here:

shape(i) = (i%4 == 0) ? "⊕" : (i%4 == 1) ? "⊙" : (i%4 == 2) ? "⊚" : "⦾" 
set grid x y z vertical
splot 'silver.dat' using 1:2:3:(shape(int(column(0))) with labels textcolor "forest-green"

More complicated options are also possible but may depend on exactly what you need and what output format (gnuplot "terminal type") is acceptable.