Looking for framework for plotting scientific data: 2d/3d ...

Question

I need to visualize some scientific calculations. I generally prefer reusing code if there is already a good available instead of inventing wheels each time, that's why I am asking. I need a C# code to draw charts (just outputting a bitmap is ok) of 2d (y=f(x)) and 3d (z=f(x,y)) digital data sets (where any axis can be float, int or datetime), sometimes combined.

If I go here and click 3D in the navigation bar on the left, there I can see what I need. But the cheapest version costs $759 there, looks scary for a hobby project of an east-european student :-(

Answer 1

The Microsoft Chart Controls are free and very powerful. Microsoft bought the rights to the Dundas chart control and repackaged it. Is it simple? No, it's a very powerful control. But Microsoft also has good documentation and samples for it. The samples make it appear to be just bar/pie/etc type charts, but it can handle math oriented charting as well.

Answer 2

ZedGraph is fast, feature rich and easy to use. its my favorite charting control.

Answer 3

Why don't you just use Matlab, Mathmatica or similar?

Answer 4

The plplot package might do what you want. More details are here: http://plplot.sourceforge.net/

Answer 5

You may be able to interface to the R programming language from C# as at http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/RtoCSharp.aspx.

There's a lot of examples of graphs at http://addictedtor.free.fr/graphiques/allgraph.php which you may be able to convert to C# to do what you want.