GNUPLOT – 3d plot surface

Oct 26, 2008 by damiles    8 Comments    Posted under: Linux/Unix, other, Tutorials

For 3d plot gnuplot use command splot.

splot sin(sqrt((x*x+y*y)))/sqrt(x*x+y*y) t “weaves”

Gnuplot surface wireframe

We can add the style pm3d to add a gradient surface texture

splot sin(sqrt((x*x+y*y)))/sqrt(x*x+y*y) with pm3d t “weaves”

Gnuplot surface 3d pm3d

But you can see we need more resolution, then we must set more isosamples:

set isosamples 75,75

Gnuplot surface with pm3d and isosample 75,75

For more info go to gnuplot page

Tags: featured, gnuplot, linux

8 Comments + Add Comment

• 
  Martin December 20, 2009 at 7:33 pm

  In case you would be interested to do the same in Java easily, just try this nice library: http://code.google.com/p/jzy3d/

  Ok, that’s kind of advert
• 
  piponazo February 4, 2010 at 1:53 pm

  Hi! I want to plot a surface with gnuplot but instead of having a function I have a data file with point coordinates in the two first colums and values of in the third column. Is it possible to plot the surface with my data file ?
• 
  damiles February 4, 2010 at 2:25 pm

  Hi! piponazo, it’s simply and it’s possible.

  The file must have this format:

  x1 y1 val
  x1 y2 val
  x1 … val
  x1 yn val

  x2 y1 val
  x2 y2 val
  x2 … val
  x2 yn val

  …

  xm y1 val
  xm y2 val
  xm … val
  xm yn val

  You must keep care separating each block of x

  This is a example

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

  2 1 1
  2 2 4
  2 3 6
  2 4 1

  3 1 0
  3 2 2
  3 3 7
  3 4 1

  4 1 1
  4 2 5
  4 3 4
  4 4 7

  And you can plot with:

  splot ‘data.dat’ with lines

  or

  splot ‘data.dat’ with pm3d

  or any permited by gnuplot.
• 
  masdel June 11, 2010 at 10:56 am

  hi, nice article, i wanna ask something, is it possible to have splot in pm3d mode and wireframe at once in the same surface?

  if it yes, how to do that?

  thank you
• 
  damiles June 11, 2010 at 11:21 am

  Hi, you can use

  set pm3d hidden3d

  for example:

  set style line 1 lt 6 lw 3
  set pm3d hidden3d 1
  splot sin(sqrt((x*x+y*y)))/sqrt(x*x+y*y) with pm3d t “weaves”

  Regards.
• 
  Wavemeala August 18, 2010 at 2:18 am

  Hello
  I’m a computer engineer, 33, and fan of 3d technology, nothing more to say, just thanks for this website !
• 
  Keely July 13, 2012 at 12:32 am

  Hi!

  What if my data is such that I don’t have the same number of y elements for each x value. Is there a way to produce 3d graphs with that sort of data set?

  thanks!
• 
  DaveD July 18, 2012 at 6:00 pm

  Hi
  Thank you for your contribution!
  It’s been a big help!