Template Graphs

Template graphs are used to store graphing preferences in Grapher. When a template file is saved it does not contain a reference to any data file. This means that once the template graph is created, you can use the template to create a new graph with any compatible data set.

Creating a Template

To create a new template:

In the plot window, design the graph exactly the way you want the final graph to appear. Create any plot type, set the axes properties, add titles, format legends, import images, add borders, or customize the graph in any way you prefer.
Click the File | Save As command.
In the Save As dialog, specify the directory and a File name.
Set the Save as type to Plot Template (*.grt).
Click the Save button and the file is saved as a complete template file.

Creating a New Plot from a Template

To create a new plot from a template:

Click the File | New | Plot from Template command.
In the Open dialog, select a .GRT template file, and click the Open button.
When prompted, select the data file to use with the template.
Check the Use this worksheet for remaining items if all the plots in a template use the same worksheet.
Check the Set columns if you want to change the column specifications for individual plots in the graph.
Click the Open button and the new plot is created. The plot uses all the settings from the template and the specified data file.

Alternatively, you can open a template using the steps listed below in the Editing a Template section.

Editing a Template

To edit a template:

Click the File | Open command.
In the Open dialog, select the .GRT template file and click the Open button.
When prompted, select the data file(s) to use with the template and click the Open button.
Check the Use this worksheet for remaining items if all the plots in a template use the same worksheet.
Check the Set columns if you want to change the column specifications for individual plots in the graph.
Click the Open button and the template is loaded with the specified data set.
After the template file appears, make any desired changes.
Choose File | Save to save the updated template file.

Tips About Templates

There are few restrictions on data types that can be used in a template. The axes limits change to accommodate the new data set if the Auto box is checked for axis minimum and maximum. If the data set cannot be used with the template, i.e., log axis with negative data, an error message appears.
If an empty plot appears after the data set is selected, check the plot's plot properties on the Plot page of the Property Manager. Make sure the selected data columns contain numeric data. Also, check the axes limits to see if they have been set beyond the data range.
To save the file with a reference to a specific worksheet, click the File | Save As command and set the Save as type to Grapher File (*.grf).
To save the file with the worksheet data embedded in the file, click the File | Save As command and set the Save as type to Grapher Project (*.gpj).
Templates can use multiple data files or multiple data columns. To use one worksheet for all plots, check the Use this worksheet for remaining items box when selecting data files. When using the Open method in automation, the template only uses one worksheet or grid file.
Check the Set columns box to display the Select Columns dialog and select the data columns to use in the graph. If you have more than one plot in the template, make sure Use this worksheet for remaining items is not enabled so you can select the columns for each plot separately.
When opening a template, all references to worksheets, including linked text, will cause a prompt to select the data file. If all worksheet references are to the same worksheet, check the Use this worksheet for remaining items box.

Template Alternatives