Algorithm for “nice” grid line intervals on a graph

Question

I need a reasonably smart algorithm to come up with \"nice\" grid lines for a graph (chart).

For example, assume a bar chart with values of 10, 30, 72 and 60. You k

Answer 1

In R, use

tickSize <- function(range,minCount){
    logMaxTick <- log10(range/minCount)
    exponent <- floor(logMaxTick)
    mantissa <- 10^(logMaxTick-exponent)
    af <- c(1,2,5) # allowed factors
    mantissa <- af[findInterval(mantissa,af)]
    return(mantissa*10^exponent)
}

where range argument is max-min of domain.

Answer 2

Here is a javascript function I wrote to round grid intervals (max-min)/gridLinesNumber to beautiful values. It works with any numbers, see the gist with detailed commets to find out how it works and how to call it.

var ceilAbs = function(num, to, bias) {
  if (to == undefined) to = [-2, -5, -10]
  if (bias == undefined) bias = 0
  var numAbs = Math.abs(num) - bias
  var exp = Math.floor( Math.log10(numAbs) )

    if (typeof to == 'number') {
        return Math.sign(num) * to * Math.ceil(numAbs/to) + bias
    }

  var mults = to.filter(function(value) {return value > 0})
  to = to.filter(function(value) {return value < 0}).map(Math.abs)
  var m = Math.abs(numAbs) * Math.pow(10, -exp)
  var mRounded = Infinity

  for (var i=0; i<mults.length; i++) {
    var candidate = mults[i] * Math.ceil(m / mults[i])
    if (candidate < mRounded)
      mRounded = candidate
  }
  for (var i=0; i<to.length; i++) {
    if (to[i] >= m && to[i] < mRounded)
      mRounded = to[i]
  }
  return Math.sign(num) * mRounded * Math.pow(10, exp) + bias
}

Calling ceilAbs(number, [0.5]) for different numbers will round numbers like that:

301573431.1193228 -> 350000000
14127.786597236991 -> 15000
-63105746.17236853 -> -65000000
-718854.2201183736 -> -750000
-700660.340487957 -> -750000
0.055717507097870114 -> 0.06
0.0008068701205775142 -> 0.00085
-8.66660070605576 -> -9
-400.09256079792976 -> -450
0.0011740548815578223 -> 0.0015
-5.3003294346854085e-8 -> -6e-8
-0.00005815960629843176 -> -0.00006
-742465964.5184875 -> -750000000
-81289225.90985894 -> -85000000
0.000901771713513881 -> 0.00095
-652726598.5496342 -> -700000000
-0.6498901364393532 -> -0.65
0.9978325804695487 -> 1
5409.4078950583935 -> 5500
26906671.095639467 -> 30000000

Check out the fiddle to experiment with the code. Code in the answer, the gist and the fiddle is slightly different I'm using the one given in the answer.

Answer 3

Here's another implementation in JavaScript:

var calcStepSize = function(range, targetSteps)
{
  // calculate an initial guess at step size
  var tempStep = range / targetSteps;

  // get the magnitude of the step size
  var mag = Math.floor(Math.log(tempStep) / Math.LN10);
  var magPow = Math.pow(10, mag);

  // calculate most significant digit of the new step size
  var magMsd = Math.round(tempStep / magPow + 0.5);

  // promote the MSD to either 1, 2, or 5
  if (magMsd > 5.0)
    magMsd = 10.0;
  else if (magMsd > 2.0)
    magMsd = 5.0;
  else if (magMsd > 1.0)
    magMsd = 2.0;

  return magMsd * magPow;
};

Answer 4

Taken from Mark above, a slightly more complete Util class in c#. That also calculates a suitable first and last tick.

public  class AxisAssists
{
    public double Tick { get; private set; }

    public AxisAssists(double aTick)
    {
        Tick = aTick;
    }
    public AxisAssists(double range, int mostticks)
    {
        var minimum = range / mostticks;
        var magnitude = Math.Pow(10.0, (Math.Floor(Math.Log(minimum) / Math.Log(10))));
        var residual = minimum / magnitude;
        if (residual > 5)
        {
            Tick = 10 * magnitude;
        }
        else if (residual > 2)
        {
            Tick = 5 * magnitude;
        }
        else if (residual > 1)
        {
            Tick = 2 * magnitude;
        }
        else
        {
            Tick = magnitude;
        }
    }

    public double GetClosestTickBelow(double v)
    {
        return Tick* Math.Floor(v / Tick);
    }
    public double GetClosestTickAbove(double v)
    {
        return Tick * Math.Ceiling(v / Tick);
    }
}

With ability to create an instance, but if you just want calculate and throw it away:

    double tickX = new AxisAssists(aMaxX - aMinX, 8).Tick;

Answer 5

Using a lot of inspiration from answers already availible here, here's my implementation in C. Note that there's some extendibility built into the ndex array.

float findNiceDelta(float maxvalue, int count)
{
    float step = maxvalue/count,
         order = powf(10, floorf(log10(step))),
         delta = (int)(step/order + 0.5);

    static float ndex[] = {1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 5, 10};
    static int ndexLenght = sizeof(ndex)/sizeof(float);
    for(int i = ndexLenght - 2; i > 0; --i)
        if(delta > ndex[i]) return ndex[i + 1] * order;
    return delta*order;
}

Answer 6

CPAN provides an implementation here (see source link)

See also Tickmark algorithm for a graph axis

FYI, with your sample data:

• Maple: Min=8, Max=74, Labels=10,20,..,60,70, Ticks=10,12,14,..70,72
• MATLAB: Min=10, Max=80, Labels=10,20,,..,60,80