Jim: Whoaaa... this is only true for base graphics!
For grid graphics -- on which both lattice and ggplot are built -- there is a defined object structure for graphics complete with extensive editing capabilities. See, e.g. ?grid.edit in the grid package. Both lattice and ggplot can and do take advantage of grid grobs - graphical objects, e.g. via updating and layering. Whether this is more or less convenient than editing graphics code is another issue, but the answer to the query is certainly "yes." I admit, however, that the modified displayed object must be redrawn -- you do not work directly and interactively with the display. But in many ways grid's programmatic editing and redisplay of modified grobs is more flexible and powerful, I would say. In any case, the editing capabilities exist. -- Bert On Sun, Mar 10, 2013 at 3:47 PM, Jim Lemon <j...@bitwrit.com.au> wrote: > On 03/11/2013 02:19 AM, Sherri Heck wrote: >> >> Dear all, >> >> I am curious if anyone knows of a command/program that would enable one to >> edit a figure in R once it is created (akin to Matlab). Currently, if I >> need to make any changes to the figure I do so and then have to run the >> plotting portion of the code again. I have searched the R site mailing >> lists, etc to no avail. Any help is greatly appreciated. >> > Hi Sherri, > As Jeff has pointed out, graphics devices in R are almost entirely > cumulative in operation. You can display something, then add something else, > but you don't have a buffer for the various objects in a complex plot that > allows those objects to be altered or deleted. > > The playwith package would probably allow you to do what you want, but there > is a certain amount of learning necessary and you have to navigate the > complexity that is hidden in most interactive plotting packages. That said, > if you have to do a lot of this, it is worth the effort. > > What most of us do is to build plots up as scripts in an external editor and > then "source" the scripts. You can make incremental changes and the new plot > just pops up when you source the code. > > Jim > > ______________________________________________ > R-help@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help > PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code. -- Bert Gunter Genentech Nonclinical Biostatistics Internal Contact Info: Phone: 467-7374 Website: http://pharmadevelopment.roche.com/index/pdb/pdb-functional-groups/pdb-biostatistics/pdb-ncb-home.htm ______________________________________________ R-help@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help PLEASE do read the posting guide http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
