Parallel Coordinate Plot

You can make a parallel coordinate (PC) plot of any numeric data in your project. A PC plot is a multivariate view of the data, with parallel axes for several datasets. A line, like the one highlighted in orange in the image below, connect observations on a single object.  The vertical value axes are standardized such that they represent the total range of values for that dataset over time.  As a result, the range for each variable can be different, and the position of a line on one axis relative to an axis for another variable can not typically be used to compare values.  To illustrate this, we show the PC plot together with a map view, below, in which we have queried the state of Nevada.  Note that the views are automatically linked, in that selecting Nevada on the map highlights the line for Nevada in the PC plot.  

In the PC plot, you can see that Nevada in 1990 represents a peak value (these are for lung cancer rates) for the dataset "RWF", rate for white females.  However, looking at the query results in the map window shows that this peak cancer rate for white females in Nevada is 47.5, but values for both white (RWM) and black (RBM) males are much higher for this state and time, even though they appear lower on their respective "value" axes in the PC plot.

Like most views in SpaceStat, the PC plot can be animated; use the animation toolbar to play through your temporal data.  Note that if you want to change the time step of the animation, this option is available from the Animation pull-down menu.  You can also time synchronize this plot so that it animates in conjunction with another view.   

When any dataset is missing in a time period, then PC plot shows all datasets as missing. Otherwise, the plot would be misleading (with lines crossing an empty axis). To see the subset of variables with data at that time, make a new PC plot with only those non-missing datasets.

Graph menu options

Options on the "Graph" pull-down menu and toolbar (hidden by default; you can show it by selecting it from the toolbar pull-down menu) include:

• Change the text or font of your window title for the PC plot by clicking on the properties option.

• Print the PC plot by choosing "Print", or by typing Ctrl+P.

• Export a PC plot animation as .avi file.

• Copy a PC plot to the clipboard as an image file so that you can use it in other programs.

Most of these options are also available from a menu that appears if you right click within the PC plot boundaries.