Automatically Creating a Graph

This article is part of the Scripts series.

Also see: Creating a Graph, Part 2 Advanced Graphing

With the collective ability to automatically draw lines and text boxes, Scribus can, without a great deal of work, be used to automatically generate a graph structure. Here I will show some basic Python commands to do that. This early version will give three requestors, the first for a title of the graph, the second and third for the labels of the X-axis and Y-axis respectively. The dimensions and coordinates used are presuming points as page units.

For Windows, you need fonts you have available in your installation. Finding the real names of the fonts can be challenging. I would suggest checking the names in Script > Scribus Scripts > FontSample, which will give you the precise names to switch to in graph.py. Just start up the script, then check the requestor for the list of font names -- you don't have to completely run the FontSample script for its output. For example, I looked in the font list in Wordperfect, and one listed was "Futura Bk BT", which did not work in the script. After checking FontSample, I could see that the full correct name was "Futura Bk BT Book".

Example using graph.py

Script: graph.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# File: graph.py
# originally 2006.05.17
# creates basic graph with axis labels

import scribus

xorigin = 150      # x-origin of graph
yorigin = 450     # y-origin of graph
xaxis=400      #x axis length
yaxis=350      #y axis length
color="Black"
a = 1.5 # width of lines
if scribus.haveDoc():
# Three requestors to get label names
    title = scribus.valueDialog('Title','Enter Title')
    xlabel = scribus.valueDialog('X-axis Label','Enter X-Label')
    ylabel = scribus.valueDialog('Y-axis Label','Enter Y-Label')
    scribus.setRedraw(1)
    scribus.setUnit(0)
# First draw the X-axis
    d = scribus.createLine(xorigin,yorigin,xorigin+xaxis,yorigin)
    scribus.setLineWidth(a, d)
    scribus.setLineColor(color, d)
    scribus.setFillColor(color, d)
# Now the Y-axis
    e = scribus.createLine(xorigin,yorigin,xorigin,yorigin-yaxis)
# Comment out the above line, uncomment the next line for v1.3.3.1
#    e = scribus.createLine(xorigin,yorigin,xorigin+yaxis,yorigin)
    scribus.setLineWidth(a, e)
    scribus.setLineColor(color, e)
    scribus.setFillColor(color, e)
# Uncomment the next line for v1.3.3.1
#    scribus.rotateObject(90,e)
# The Title text frame
    T = scribus.createText(60, 45, 500, 60)
    scribus.setTextColor("Red", T)
    scribus.setText(title, T)
    scribus.setTextAlignment(1, T)
    scribus.setFont("Nimbus Roman No9 L Bold", T)
# in Windows, substitute the font: "Times New Roman Bold" will work
    scribus.setFontSize(28, T)
# Label for X-axis
    XL = scribus.createText(xorigin, yorigin + 20, xaxis, 40)
    scribus.setText(xlabel, XL)
    scribus.setTextAlignment(1, XL)
    scribus.setFont("Luxi Sans Regular", XL)
# For Windows, need a suitable font.
    scribus.setFontSize(20, XL)
# Label for Y-axis, rotated
    YL = scribus.createText(xorigin - 60, yorigin, yaxis, 40)
    scribus.setText(ylabel, YL)
    scribus.setTextAlignment(1, YL)
    scribus.setFont("Luxi Sans Regular", YL)
# For Windows, need a suitable font.
    scribus.setFontSize(20, YL)
    scribus.rotateObject(90,YL)

    scribus.redrawAll()

Also see: Creating a Graph, Part 2