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Bug introduced in 10.0.0 and fixed in 10.0.1


In Mathematica 10.0.0 we have built-in graphical triangle PlotMarkers. Let us look closer on them:

ListLinePlot[{{Missing[]}, {{0, 0}}}, PlotTheme -> "Monochrome", 
 ImageSize -> 20, Ticks -> False, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, 
 BaseStyle -> {Magnification -> 10, Thickness -> Tiny}]

ListLinePlot[{{Missing[]}, {{0, 0}}}, 
 PlotTheme -> {"OpenMarkersThick", "LargeLabels"}, ImageSize -> 20, 
 Ticks -> False, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, 
 BaseStyle -> {Magnification -> 10, Thickness -> Tiny}]

plot1

plot2

It is clear that there is something wrong with the triangles. Is this functionality implemented correctly?

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2
  • $\begingroup$ Based on the large number of upvotes I think that the community has confirmed that the described behavior is a bug in v.10.0.0. So I add appropriate tag. $\endgroup$ Jul 31, 2014 at 16:38
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Looks OK in 10.0.1. $\endgroup$ Sep 17, 2014 at 13:24

1 Answer 1

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The triangle plot markers

It is natural to expect that the triangle marker is placed in such a way that its center of mass (center of circumcircle) coincides with the point it marks. That's how it is implemented in all major scientific plotting software, for example Origin:

plot markers in Origin 7.5

Some time ago I published my own implementation of triangle-based plot markers. Let us check how the new markers are implemented:

ListLinePlot[{{Missing[]}, {{0, 0}}}, PlotTheme -> "Monochrome", 
 ImageSize -> 10, Ticks -> False, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, 
 BaseStyle -> {Magnification -> 10, Thickness -> Tiny}]
%[[1, 2, 2, 2, -1]] // InputForm

screenshot

GeometricTransformation[Inset[Graphics[{<...>
      Line[{Offset[{0., 2.7625}], 
        Offset[{-2.7625, -2.022290355909023}], 
        Offset[{2.7625, -2.022290355909023}], 
        Offset[{0., 2.7625}]}]}], {0., 0.}],
     {{{0., 0.}}, {{0., 0.}}}]

Apart of the fact that the curve is not closed, the triangle is positioned in a strange way: the "center" is placed on the

2.022290355909023/(2.7625 + 2.022290355909023)

0.4226497308103742

part of the height of the triangle instead of expected 1/3 (the center of circumcircle). So current implementation is clearly wrong and leads to producing incorrect plots. Here is an example of correct implementation:

Graphics[{AbsoluteThickness[1], JoinedCurve[
   Line[{Offset[{0, 2}], Offset[{Sqrt[3], -1}], 
     Offset[{-Sqrt[3], -1}]}], CurveClosed -> True]},
 ImageSize -> 10, Axes -> True, Ticks -> False, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, 
 BaseStyle -> {Magnification -> 10, Thickness -> Tiny}]

screenshot

The following is correct implementation of both empty and filled triangle plot markers of strictly identical sizes with consistent explicit control over their sizes and thickness:

emptyUpTriangle = 
  Graphics[{AbsoluteThickness[absoluteThickness], 
    JoinedCurve[Line[{Offset[size {0, 2}], Offset[size {Sqrt[3], -1}], 
       Offset[size {-Sqrt[3], -1}]}], CurveClosed -> True]}, 
   AlignmentPoint -> {0, 0}];
filledUpTriangle = 
  Graphics[{Triangle[{Offset[size {0, 2} + absoluteThickness {0, 1}], 
      Offset[size {Sqrt[3], -1} + absoluteThickness {Sqrt[3/4], -1/2}], 
      Offset[size {-Sqrt[3], -1} + absoluteThickness {-Sqrt[3/4], -1/2}]}]}, 
   AlignmentPoint -> {0, 0}];
{emptyLeftTriangle, filledLeftTriangle, emptyDownTriangle, 
   filledDownTriangle, emptyRightTriangle, filledRightTriangle} = 
  Flatten[{emptyUpTriangle, filledUpTriangle} /. {x_?NumericQ, y_?NumericQ} :> 
       RotationTransform[#][{x, y}] & /@ {Pi/2, Pi/3, -Pi/2}];

SeedRandom[12]
ListLinePlot[Accumulate /@ RandomReal[3, {8, 10}] Range[8], 
 PlotMarkers -> {emptyUpTriangle, filledUpTriangle, emptyLeftTriangle,
    filledLeftTriangle, emptyDownTriangle, filledDownTriangle, 
   emptyRightTriangle, filledRightTriangle}, AspectRatio -> 1]

plot

And here is an extended version which includes open triangles with white filling:

size = 4; absoluteThickness = 2;

triangle[Up, Empty] = 
  Graphics[{AbsoluteThickness[absoluteThickness], 
    JoinedCurve[Line[{Offset[size {0, 2}], Offset[size {Sqrt[3], -1}], 
       Offset[size {-Sqrt[3], -1}]}], CurveClosed -> True]}, 
   AlignmentPoint -> {0, 0}];
triangle[Up, Filled] = 
  Graphics[{Triangle[{Offset[size {0, 2} + absoluteThickness {0, 1}], 
      Offset[size {Sqrt[3], -1} + absoluteThickness {Sqrt[3/4], -1/2}], 
      Offset[size {-Sqrt[3], -1} + absoluteThickness {-Sqrt[3/4], -1/2}]}]}, 
   AlignmentPoint -> {0, 0}];
triangle[Up, Open] = 
  Graphics[{{White, Triangle[{Offset[size {0, 2}], Offset[size {Sqrt[3], -1}], 
       Offset[size {-Sqrt[3], -1}]}]}, {AbsoluteThickness[absoluteThickness], 
     JoinedCurve[Line[{Offset[size {0, 2}], Offset[size {Sqrt[3], -1}], 
        Offset[size {-Sqrt[3], -1}]}], CurveClosed -> True]}}, 
   AlignmentPoint -> {0, 0}];
triangle[dir_: {Up, Right, Down, Left}, fill_: {Empty, Filled, Open}] := 
 triangle[Up, fill] /. {x_?NumericQ, y_?NumericQ} :> 
   RotationTransform[dir /. {Right -> -Pi/2, Down -> Pi/3, Left -> Pi/2}][{x, y}]

pl = ListPlot[Flatten[Table[{{n, y}}, {y, Range[2]}, {n, 6}], 1], 
  PlotMarkers -> 
   Flatten@Table[triangle[dir, fill], 
            {dir, {Up, Right, Down, Left}}, {fill, {Empty, Filled, Open}}], 
            GridLines -> {Range[6], Range[2]}, 
  PlotRange -> {{0, 7}, {0, 3}}, Axes -> False, Frame -> True]

plot2


Other plot markers

Not only triangle plot markers have problems:

ListLinePlot[{{#, 0}} & /@ Range[5], PlotTheme -> "Monochrome", 
 ImageSize -> 70, Ticks -> False, Axes -> False, Frame -> True, 
 BaseStyle -> {Magnification -> 15, Thickness -> Tiny}, 
 PlotRange -> {{0.5, 5.5}, All}, AspectRatio -> 1/10, 
 FrameTicks -> None, BaselinePosition -> Center, 
 GridLines -> {Range[5], {0}}, 
 GridLinesStyle -> Directive[{Dashing[None], Gray}], 
 Method -> {"GridLinesInFront" -> True}]
Cases[%, g_Graphics :> 
  Show[g, ImageSize -> 8, BaseStyle -> {Magnification -> 16}, 
   BaselinePosition -> Center], Infinity]
Cases[%[[4]], _Line, Infinity]

screenshot

{Line[{Offset[{-2.5, -2.5}],   Offset[{2.125, -2.125}], 
       Offset[{2.125, 2.125}], Offset[{-2.125, 2.125}], 
       Offset[{-2.125, -2.125}]}]}

As one can see, the square starts from the point {-2.5, -2.5} and ends in {-2.125, -2.125}!

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  • $\begingroup$ Are the other shapes also fixed in 10.0.1? $\endgroup$
    – Guillochon
    Sep 17, 2014 at 19:06
  • $\begingroup$ @Guillochon To my eyes, yes. (10.0.1 under Windows) $\endgroup$
    – Mr.Wizard
    Sep 26, 2014 at 12:03
  • $\begingroup$ All the mentioned bugs are fixed. The only remaining inconsistency I can see is that empty and filled triangles have not exactly equal sizes: Show[%[[2]],%[[5]]/.filled_Polygon:>{Opacity[1/2],Yellow,filled/.{x_?NumericQ,y_?NumericQ}:>RotationTransform[Pi/3][{x,y}]},BaseStyle->Magnification->16]. $\endgroup$ Oct 5, 2014 at 1:33

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