The Plot Extractor program is used to extract plot data from a TIFF image of a plot or series of plots. The data is saved in a format readable by Mathematica, Excel, and other programs. The program currently runs only on Windows, but it uses the portable openGL library for rendering, the portable Tcl/Tk for user interface control, and the portable DevIL package for reading images.
First, you need to copy the images into the same directory as the executable. This should be C:\nsrg\bin\CISMM_plot_extractor_v02_02. Later versions should let you select a file in a different manner, but this is the raw version used by the author which has been put out because others found it to be useful in this state.
After you run the program (using the desktop shortcut or the program file entry), under the whichImage button, all TIFF images in the executable directory are displayed. Select one of these images to begin.
Using the Axis tool under the whichTool button, line up the axis with the axis in the plot. The thickness of the Axis can be set with the axisWidth slider. Drag the Axis endpoints next to a value on the plot's axis. Set the axisXValue and axisYValue sliders (it's probably easiest to click on the value under the slider and type in the value) to these values. The Axis can be shown or hidden with the showAxis checkbox.
Using the ROI tool under the whichTool button, drag a rectangle around the plot you wish to extract.
Using the Eraser tool under the whichTool button, erase anything in the ROI rectangle that does not belong to the plot of interest, such as text, other plots, and the axis. The size of the Eraser can be set with the eraserWidth slider.
Click on the extractPlot checkbox to extract the plot data. The extracted plot
points will be displayed in blue. This data is saved to the file
Click the resetImage checkbox to reset the image and repeat steps 3-5 to extract more than one plot from the image.
An installer for the program and manual can be downloaded from the CISMM software download page. To run it, you must also download and install the NSRG Runtime package, which is also available on that page.
Version 2.02: Fixes a bug that make the program not work with images that had odd-sized widths.
Version 2.0: Writes output in comma-separated-values (.csv) format.