# Can I combine a manipulate plot and a plot of data from a file?

I am fitting a theoretical equation for a complicated curve to some experimentally measured data. As you might be aware, algorithmically quantifying 'goodness of fit' for a complicated curve is something of a dark art...

I want to load the experimental data and display it in a graph, and then over the top have a manipulable plot of the generated curve superimposed, so that I can tweak the parameters by eye until the fit looks good.

I can plot the measured data, and I can plot the manipulable curve from theory, but I need them to be plotted on top of each other!

I'm having trouble getting it to show the two graphs at once though... is it possible?

Many thanks, Ben

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check out Show –  Pinguin Dirk Sep 2 '13 at 13:17
Manipulate[ Show[ Plot[...], ListPlot[...]], {...}]. This question has been asked many times, and of course is a duplicate. –  Artes Sep 2 '13 at 13:20
Plot[ <<>>, Epilog -> Points@expdata is a good way too. –  Kuba Sep 2 '13 at 13:21

Show can help you, as in this example:

preMadePlot = Plot[Sin[x], {x, 0, 2 Pi}]
Manipulate[Show[
Plot[Sin[p x], {x, 0, 2 Pi}]
], {p, 1, 10}]

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Thank you very much everyone! I was very close but misusing Show. Cheers! –  Ben Sep 2 '13 at 13:35