A CLI to draw your data on top of millimeter paper
pappe enables you to plot data (including error bars) on top of a given sheet of millimeter paper. It manages everything for you — including the axis scaling. This way, you can use the tool's output as a template for your own diagram on millimeter paper.
Currently, pappe includes one type of millimeter paper in two orientations (portrait and landscape). However, you can also add your own millimeter paper (see advanced documentation).
You need to have Python 3.11 installed, so that the TOML parser is available.
Install the necessary python package used to annotate the PDF: pip3 install pdf_annotate
Sample usage
python3 pappe.py ./data/data.csv ./data/out.pdf
See the CLI help for more information. Alter the config.toml file to change the appearance.
To use pappe, specify the path to a CSV file holding the data as well as the desired output path for the PDF file.
python3 pappe.py <path to CSV> <PDF output path>
File paths are relative (see also Sample usage above).
CSV file
The supplied CSV file should have 2 to 4 columns and it must not have a header row. Each row represents one data point. This is what the columns are for:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| x-value | y-value | lower error of y-value* | upper error of y-value* |
*Note: If only three columns are supplied, the third column's content is interpreted as a symmetrical error of the y-value.
See the data/data.csv file as an example.
Changing settings
To change basic settings, change the config.toml file. The following parameters can be set:
| Parameter | Type | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
grid_variant |
1 or 2 |
1 |
1 for portrait paper and 2 for landscape paper (you can also add your own paper; see advanced documentation). |
factors/x, factors/y |
List<int> |
[1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9] |
The tool first tries to scale the data by the largest possible power of ten (so that your data still fits on the grid). It then chooses one of the supplied factors to further scale up the data; here again, it uses the largest possible factor. Change this array in order to obtain the desired scaling of the data in x- and y-direction. |
origins/x, origins/y |
bool |
false |
If you want the x- or y-axis to include the value 0, set this to true. |
See the config.toml file.
As stated above, you can easily add your own millimeter paper by following these steps:
- Add the pdf file of your millimeter paper to the
gridsfolder. - Add a new config file called
grid{n}.tomlto thegridsfolder. Populate it with the parameters mentioned below.
Grid config file
Adding your own millimeter paper requires you to "measure" it. Read the following table chronologically for instructions:
| Parameter | Meaning / Instructions |
|---|---|
paper/file |
Relative path of your grid pdf file (relative from the project's entry point). |
paper/width, paper/height |
Export your millimeter paper pdf file as a jpg image (e. g. with 300 ppi). Input this image's pixel dimensions here. |
grid/width, grid/height |
Use a suitable image viewing application to determine the pixel dimensions of the actual grid on your millimeter paper. |
grid/x, grid/y |
Use a suitable image viewing application to determine the pixel position of the lower left corner of the actual grid on your millimeter paper. (This position should be measured from the lower left corner of your image.) |
grid/num_x_blocks, grid/num_y_blocks |
The number of big blocks on your millimeter paper. For example 18 x 27. |
grid/num_x_tiny_blocks_per_block, grid/num_y_tiny_blocks_per_block |
Number of tiny blocks per big block. Usually, this number should be 10. |
drawing/cross_size |
Pixel size of the displayed data points. |
drawing/axis_tick_size |
Pixel size of the axis ticks. |
See the grids/grid1.toml file as an example.