Apply flexible data filtering in Grapher

By default, Grapher displays all data found in data columns for every plot. However, there are occasions when you may wish to exclude specific values from your plots. The Data Filter tool serves this purpose, supplanting the previous Null/Criteria Filter in Grapher. This enhanced tool offers remarkable flexibility and expanded functionality.

With Grapher's Data Filter tool, you can accomplish the following:

• Remove NULL data from a graph 
• Apply multiple inclusion or exclusion filters
• Work with multiple filters on different columns of data, or all data
• Use comparison and boolean operators
• Use built-in mathematical functions
• Use the Data Filter on all plot types that use data files as input 

To use the Data Filter:

1. In the Object Manager, select one or more plots that use data files as inputs. If more than one plot is selected, the Filters will be applied to all selected plots.
2. In the Property Manager, select the Data Limits tab.
3. Click the Filter button in the Data Filter field.
4. To build filters in the Data Filter dialog:
   1. Click the Add Expression button to add a new filter row. You can either:
      • Type directly into the Expression field
      • Double-click to add elements from the Data, Operator or Function windows
      • Select a previously built filter by clicking the Expression History button
   2. Specify the Action for each filter. You can choose to Filter data out (like the Null option in the old Criteria Filter) or Filter data in (like the Criteria option in the old Criteria Filter). The Filter data in option will plot only the data that match the filter condition; whereas Filter data out filters out data that matches the filter condition.
5. Click the adjacent red X to remove a specific filter.
6. Click the Clear All button to remove all filters.
7. Click OK or Apply to set the filters on the plot.

Note:

• If there's a syntax error, Grapher will issue a warning.
• The effects of the filters are cumulative.
• The Data Filter has been added to the following plot types: Floating Bar, XYZ Floating Bar, Rose, Wind, Histogram, 3D Histogram, Pie/Donut, 3D Pie/Donut, Q-Q, Contour Data, Surface Data
• Specified filters will only be maintained when opening in a previous version of Grapher under the following conditions:
  • Filter-in:
    [Column ..] == Text
    [Column ..] == NumericVal
    [Column ..] > NumericVal OR [Column ..] < NumericVal
  • Filter-out
    [Column ..] == NumericVal
    [Column ..] >= NumericVal AND [Column ..] <= NumericVal

Updated September 2023