[R] plotting on a reverse log scale

[Michael Friendly]

Thanks Duncan,
That is almost exactly what I want, except I want time to
go in the normal order, not backwards, so:

# plot on reverse log scale
years1500 <- runif(500, 1500, 1990)  # some fake data
x <- -log(2000-years1500)
from <- -log(2000-1990)
to <- -log(2000-1500)
plot(density(x, from=from, to=to), axes=F)
rug(x)

labels <- pretty(years1500)
labels <- labels[labels<2000]
axis(1, labels, at=-log(2000-labels))

minorticks <- pretty(years1500, n=20)
minorticks <- minorticks[minorticks<2000]
axis(1, labels=FALSE, at=-log(2000-minorticks), tcl=-0.25)

axis(2)
box()

-Michael

Duncan Murdoch wrote:

> On 7/6/2005 3:36 PM, Michael Friendly wrote:
> 
>> I'd like to do some plots of historical event data on a reverse log 
>> scale, started, say at the year 2000 and going
>> backwards in time, with tick marks spaced according to 
>> log(2000-year).  For example, see:
>>
>> http://euclid.psych.yorku.ca/SCS/Gallery/images/log-timeline.gif
>>
>> As an example, I'd like to create a density plot of such data with the 
>> horizontal axis reverse-logged,
>> a transformation of this image:
>> http://euclid.psych.yorku.ca/SCS/Gallery/milestone/Test/mileyears1.gif
>>
>> Some initial code to do a standard density plot looks like this:
>>
>> mileyears <- read.csv("mileyears3.csv", skip=1, 
>> col.names=c("key","year","where","add","junk"))
>> mileyears <- mileyears[,2:4]
>>
>> years <- mileyears$year
>> years1500 <- years[years>1500]
>> dens <- density(years1500, from=1500, to=1990)
>> plot(dens)
>> rug(years1500)
>>
>> I could calculate log(2000-year), but I'm not sure how to do the 
>> plotting, do some minor tick marks
>> and label the major ones, say at 100 year intervals.
> 
> 
> I think you'll have to do everything explicitly.  That is, something 
> like this:
> 
> years1500 <- runif(500, 1500, 1990)  # some fake data
> x <- log(2000-years1500)
> from <- log(2000-1990)
> to <- log(2000-1500)
> plot(density(x, from=from, to=to), axes=F)
> rug(x)
> 
> labels <- pretty(years1500)
> labels <- labels[labels<2000]
> axis(1, labels, at=log(2000-labels))
> 
> minorticks <- pretty(years1500, n=20)
> minorticks <- minorticks[minorticks<2000]
> axis(1, labels=FALSE, at=log(2000-minorticks), tcl=-0.25)
> 
> axis(2)
> box()
> 
> Duncan Murdoch

-- 
Michael Friendly     Email: friendly at yorku.ca
Professor, Psychology Dept.
York University      Voice: 416 736-5115 x66249 Fax: 416 736-5814
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