Data Visualisation

[hamishmb]

Okay, so unfortunately installing this isn't going to be as easy as "pip install matplotlib". I'll need to compile it and several dependencies - it will probably take quite a lot of my time to get this working.

I'm willing to do this, as long as we definitely need it and you don't mind waiting for me to have time to do it. GNUplot is installed on the NAS box at the moment, and can be easily installed on the webserver pi, so I'm not sure if this is worth the time it will take to do it.

[TerryJC]

Hamish,

There are several things in play here, in order of importance/urgency:

1. We would only need this if we ultimately wanted to use Python on the NAS Box to generate the graphs for the Staff/Visitor GUI on the Box.
   This may not be the best thing to do because there has been an aspiration to have Staff or Visitors select a set of results, enter a date range and then 'instantaneously' view the plot on the GUI. The NAS Box processor isn't the fastest on the planet, but the Webserver is a Pi 3, so it may be quicker to run Philipp's Python routines at the webserver instead of on the NAS Box.
2. in any case, we don't need this until we have gone some way along the process of developing the Staff/Visitor GUI.
3. If we decide that we want to store 'pre-baked' plots on the NAS Box, we can set up a Python program to run overnight on the Webserver and then upload them to the NAS Box for subsequent download and viewing by the Staff and visitors.

All in all, I would hold off doing any work on the NAS Box until we definitely think we need it.

[hamishmb]

Okay, I will hold off doing it then. Why go with matplotlib now anyway? I thought all of Philipp's work so far was with GNUplot.

[TerryJC]

Okay, I will hold off doing it then. Why go with matplotlib now anyway? I thought all of Philipp's work so far was with GNUplot.

It was. At the last meeting he asked if he could use Python, because he found it easier. At the time I saw no major objections and I hadn't even realised that there was support for plotting in Python, so I said OK.

[hamishmb]

Ah I see, alright.

[hamishmb]

Matplotlib is now installed on the NAS box and seems to work. See viewtopic.php?f=36&t=160&p=3133#p3133