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2d plot with modification of plotting symbol to indicate third dimension.

5 messages · John Sorkin, Sarah Goslee, Greg Snow +2 more

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I would like to plot 3-dimensional data on a two-dimensional scatter-plot.
Is there a way I can automatically modify the plot symbol (e.g. changing size or color) to indicate the value of a third variable? E.g. How can I plot weight vs. age and indicate the value of muscle mass for each value weight-age pair by making the plot point proportional to the subject's muscle mass?
Thanks,
John


John David Sorkin M.D., Ph.D.
Chief, Biostatistics and Informatics
University of Maryland School of Medicine Division of Gerontology
Baltimore VA Medical Center
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GRECC (BT/18/GR)
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You don't give an example, but in general you can use a vector for cex with
the values proportional to the third variable.

Same goes for color: col can be a vector, not just a single value.

This has been discussed before on-list, and fairly recently.

Sarah

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 2:19 PM, John Sorkin
<jsorkin at grecc.umaryland.edu> wrote:
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Look at the symbols function for some options of doing what you suggest (you can also do a search for "bubble plot" for a couple of other implementations).  If you want to go a bit further than what symbols does for you then look at the my.symbols function in the TeachingDemos package.
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Google on "R Graph Gallery" to find examples with code.

You can also almost certainly  RSiteSearch() on appropriate keys to
find a pre-existing function (which someone may provideyou on the
list).
Also:
?symbols

-- Bert

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 11:19 AM, John Sorkin
<jsorkin at grecc.umaryland.edu> wrote:

  
    
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On 01/13/2011 06:19 AM, John Sorkin wrote:
Hi John,
I think Greg's suggestions should do what you want, but if not, have a 
look at the example for the color.scale function (plotrix).

Jim