How to develop an Osirix Plugin - part 4: Plot

Core Plot is a popular open source plotting framework in Objective C. It was used by osirixnewby.

If one wants to use its new version in osirixplugin, there is a problem - this framework is written for 64bit architecture and uses (ARC) Automatic Reference Counting. It cannot be used in code written for 32 bit architecture.

Older version of Core Plot - 1.5.1 is available. I compiled the source code for 32bit architecture overcoming some issues:

• problem with Synthesized property 'areaBorderLineStyle' must be name the same as a compatible instance variable ... - I added CPTLineStyle *areaBorderLineStyle; line to @interface CPTRangePlot : CPTPlot in file CPTRangePlotDelegate.h.
• problem with garbage collector - remove GCC_ENABLE_OBJC_GC flag from build settings
• problem with testing OCUnit deprecated- I tried to switch to XCTest, but in the end I removed all file groups named ‘Tests’

To run Core Plot in an Osirix plugin i looked at the DatePlot example.

• I added CorePlot framework:
  • in Build Phases using + I added it to Copy files
  • I dragged CorePlot to Link with libraries
• I copied Controller.h and Controller.m to plugin project from DatePlot example.
• I created new window xib. There I added custom view. I set custom view class to CPTGraphHostingView.
• Still in xib editor, I added new object and set its class to Controller.
• In connections inspector I connected hostView outlet to the view.
• Voila!

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