Setting and Saving Default X-Y Plot Options

You can save many of the changes you make to X-Y plot settings in the Options panel as the new default settings for those options. You can save settings related to an individual item or for common items in the panel. The user preferences file is saved in the CATSettings directory. Not every option can be saved. For example, you cannot save settings for titles (Plot, Chart, Legend, and Axis).

In addition, you can restore global preferences or load the user preferences from the file you created.

This task shows you how to:

Save Plot Options as New Defaults

  1. From the X-Y Plots Viewer, select Plot Options .
    The Options dialog box appears.
  2. From the list of options, select an option (for example, Plot, Chart, or Grid) and make any required changes to the available attributes.
  3. Click Set as Default.
  4. Specify for which items to save custom settings:
    OptionDescription
    Selected item Saves custom settings for the selected item in the panel (that is, the settings that appear when you select Plot or Curve).
    All itemsSaves settings for common options that appear in the panel. For example, any changes you make for major and minor grid line width and style is saved as a new default.
    Note: Common options do not include titles, curve frequency and axes, line width and line style, append units, and axis min/max scale. In addition, common objects do not cover major and minor tick mark options, or label format, precision, and frequency options.

Reset Plot Options

  1. From the X-Y Plots Viewer, select Plot Options .
    The Options dialog box appears.
  2. Click Reset.
  3. Specify which items you want to Reset:
    OptionDescription
    Selected item Resets custom settings for the selected item in the panel (that is, the settings that appear when you select Plot or Curve).
    All itemsResets settings for every item that appears in the panel.

  4. In the To options, specify to which options you want to revert:
    OptionDescription
    Global preferences Applies X-Y Plot defaults and application overloading preferences.
    User preferencesApplies custom user preferences.