New in 6.0: Graphics & Visualization Options

Mathematica has long set the standard for high-end technical graphics and visualization. Version 6.0 added many innovative options that brought automated aesthetics to a new level, introducing powerful new programmatic parametrizations of visual presentation, and allowing new forms of high-level control over the visualization pipeline.

New General Visualization Options

(RefLink[RegionFunction, paclet:ref/RegionFunction]) — arbitrary 2D and 3D plotting regions

(RefLink[Filling, paclet:ref/Filling]), (RefLink[FillingStyle, paclet:ref/FillingStyle]) — filling under curves, surfaces, points

(RefLink[Mesh, paclet:ref/Mesh]) (modified), (RefLink[MeshFunctions, paclet:ref/MeshFunctions]) — general meshing for curves and surfaces

(RefLink[ColorFunction, paclet:ref/ColorFunction]) — general coloring based on coordinates, parameters, etc.

(RefLink[ContourLabels, paclet:ref/ContourLabels]) (modified) — automatic contour labels

New in Function Visualization

(RefLink[Exclusions, paclet:ref/Exclusions]), (RefLink[ExclusionsStyle, paclet:ref/ExclusionsStyle]) — symbolic control of discontinuities

(RefLink[MaxRecursion, paclet:ref/MaxRecursion]) (modified) — full adaptivity in 3D, contour, density plots

(RefLink[EvaluationMonitor, paclet:ref/EvaluationMonitor]) — ongoing monitoring of function sampling

(RefLink[PerformanceGoal, paclet:ref/PerformanceGoal]) — whether to try to optimize for speed, quality, etc.

(RefLink[NormalsFunction, paclet:ref/NormalsFunction]) — full control over 3D surface normals

New in Data Visualization

(RefLink[PlotMarkers, paclet:ref/PlotMarkers]) — automatic distinctive rendering of points

(RefLink[InterpolationOrder, paclet:ref/InterpolationOrder]) — smoothing or stepping between data values in 2D and 3D

(RefLink[Joined, paclet:ref/Joined]) — points versus lines separately selectable for each dataset

(RefLink[VertexColors, paclet:ref/VertexColors]), (RefLink[VertexNormals, paclet:ref/VertexNormals]) — automatically interpolated color and normals data

New Graphics Options

(RefLink[Lighting, paclet:ref/Lighting]) (modified) — extended to new types of light sources

(RefLink[ImageSize, paclet:ref/ImageSize]) (modified) — generalized to allow flexible constraints, relative sizes, etc.

(RefLink[ImagePadding, paclet:ref/ImagePadding]) — padding to allow for labels etc.

(RefLink[ViewRange, paclet:ref/ViewRange]), (RefLink[ViewVector, paclet:ref/ViewVector]), (RefLink[ViewAngle, paclet:ref/ViewAngle]) — new 3D view/"camera" controls

(OrangeLink[Annotation Features », paclet:guide/ViewersAndAnnotation])

(RefLink[Tooltip, paclet:ref/Tooltip]) — add tooltips to any plot or data element