Re: Plot [snip!] feature (was: Re: Plot bug or another "strange feature" ?)

["Karl Schultz" <k.w.schultz(at)worldnet.att.net>]

Liam E.Gumley wrote in message <3922A1F4.12492C45@ssec.wisc.edu>...
>Nicolas Decoster wrote:
>[stuff deleted]
>> I agree with you, my double precision data are beyond the boundaries of
>> the plot procedure. I think the real issue here is: "is the float
>> conversion is a good choice". It is the RSI choice and it is ok in most
>> case. It just does not fit my perticular need. But a choice can't fit
>> all needs. Ok. Perhaps some other RSI choices will fit some of my needs
>> (*). Let's follow the "no exceptation" strategy suggested by David.
>
>FYI: Don't quote me, but I hear that the low-level plotting routines are
>modified to use double precision by default in IDL 5.4.


Posted to this newsgroup on 3/10/2000:

    I am happy to say that in IDL 5.4, scheduled for release this summer,
will have support for
    displaying double precision values in both Direct Graphics and Object
Graphics. In the case
    of Direct Graphics, extensive work has been done to prevent IDL from
converting incoming
    data to single precision values. The work in Object Graphics addressed
the limitations of
    OpenGL accepting only single precision values for input.

This support should address some of the problems discussed in the "strange
feature" thread, like the "stairstep" plot generated when trying to plot a
straight line using values that are right at the limits of single precision
floating point.