set jitter {overlap <yposition>} {spread <factor>} {wrap <limit>} {swarm|square}
set jitter # jitter points within 1 character width set jitter overlap 1.5 # jitter points within 1.5 character width set jitter over 1.5 spread 0.5 # same but half the displacement on x
When one or both coordinates of a data set are restricted to discrete values
then many points may lie exactly on top of each other. Jittering introduces an
offset to the coordinates of these superimposed points that spreads them into a
cluster. The threshold value for treating the points as being overlapped may
be specified in character widths or any of the usual coordinate options.
See coordinates (p. ). Jitter affects only 2D plot styles with points and
with impulses.
The default jittering operation displaces points only along x. This produces a distinctive pattern sometimes called a "bee swarm plot". The optional keyword square adjusts the y coordinate of displaced points in addition to their x coordinate so that the points lie in distinct layers separated by at least the overlap distance.
The maximum displacement (in character units) can be limited using the wrap keyword.
Note that both the overlap criterion and the magnitude of jitter default to
one character unit. Thus the plot appearance will change with the terminal
font size, canvas size, or zoom factor. To avoid this you can specify the
overlap criterion in the y axis coordinate system (the first keyword) and
adjust the point size and spread multiplier as appropriate.
See coordinates (p. ), pointsize (p.
), jitter (p.
).