Hello, R-help,

Although this is my first post to the mailing list, I have been a 
subscriber for a while now, and have found all of the posts to be very 
informative in my quest to attempt to master R. Thank you for that in 
advance.

This question involves the use of the par() variables pin, oma, and mar to 
resize "sub-plots" in an output window. I am aware from ?plot that the use 
of these variables is hard to predict due to trying to change the same 
underlying variables in different ways and that "those last in the 
alphabet will win." However, I would still like to accomplish my goal

I am trying to but two line graphs in a column stacked vertically. The 
lower graph will be much wider due to a greater dispersion of the data. 
The upper graph will be much smaller, as the data ranges from, say, 1 to 
-1. Therefore, I would like the graphs to be larger and smaller in height, 
respectively. I attempt to do this with the pin variable of the par() 
class.

Further, as the two graphs are related, I want to put a small or even no 
margin between the two graphs. I manipulate the mar and oma variables to 
this end.

Sadly, I am not getting the results that I want.


> par(mfcol=c(2,1)) # 2 plot window
> par(mar=c(0,4,0,2), oma=c(0,2,0.5,2), pin=c(6,0.5)) # Set all variables 
at once for the upper plot
> plot(1:9)             # sample upper plot
> par(pin=c(6,3))       # set window size for 2nd plot
> plot(1:9)             # sample lower plot

This method produces the two box plots of varying heights, but does not 
change the margins.

vs. 

> par(mfcol=c(2,1))     # 2 plot window
> par(pin=c(6,0.5))     # Set window size upper plot
> par(mar=c(0,4,0,2), oma=c(0,2,0.5,2))# Set margins
> plot(1:9)             # Sample upper plot
> par(pin=c(6,3))       # Set window size lower plot
> plot(1:9)             # Sample lower plot

On the other hand, this method changes the margins, but does not change 
the size of the upper box (the lower box's size is changed). 

Also, by placing the set window size for the upper plot command below the 
other par() call creates results like the first method.

I think the trick is in calling par() and setting the variables in the 
correct order. Or maybe this is simply impossible to do with par() and I 
should look into using a different library. Any insight would be helpful.

Thank you for any help,

Chris Kemendo

platform       i386-pc-mingw32 
arch           i386 
os             mingw32 
system         i386, mingw32 
status 
major          2 
minor          12.0 
year           2010 
month          10 
day            15 
svn rev        53317 
language       R 
version.string R version 2.12.0 (2010-10-15)

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