More info about QuickTrace

QuickTrace is a tool to reconstruct source data by tracing them from plotted diagrams as shown in presentations. QuickTrace reads the pointer coordinates on the screen and computes them into original cartesian (x,y), ternary (x,y,z), or polar (stereographic) values (angle of azimuth and plunge). To reveal data as accurate as possible, you should have a 17 inch, or better 20 inch monitor and a digitizing tablet. Alternatively, you can trace data points from scanned bitmapped PICT's (loaded via file or clipboard) shown on the screen (optionally fitted to screen size).

  • Cursor sensitive display of computed data
  • Correction of distorted or rotated representations
  • Optional sound on each click
  • Variable point type
  • Changing decimal point accurance
  • Optional removing of duplicated data
  • Optional ascending data sort
  • Optional grid in graphics
  • Max. 3000 single data per diagram
  • Save computed data in TEXT spreadsheets
  • Save resulting graphics in PICT's
  • Print data and graphics.
  • Use clipboard to exchange data or graphics for further work
  • Cartesian features: X and Y label, normal or log scale, justable increments, optional line graph, optional acceptance of points outside of frame, optional Z value
  • Ternary features: X, Y, and Z label, adjustable min. and max.axis values
  • Polar features: Schmidt', Wulff' or simple polar projection, 360° or 400 gon display, variable start angle, optional counterclockwise direction.

System requirements:

Any Macintosh with at least 2 MB free RAM, colored monitor (min. 256 colors, 17 inch, better 20 inch), System 7 or later.

QuickTrace is Freeware. It is written in Visual Interactive Programming (VIP)-BASIC, a development tool of Mainstay. The code is translated to ANSI-C and compiled with CodeWarrior by Metrowerks. Use it at your own risk.


Dr. Rainer Petschick
Institut für Geowissenschaften
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
Altenhöferallee 1
60438 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel. 069-798 40192
e-mail: Petschick@em.uni-frankfurt.de

If you observe any bug or if you have proposals to improve QuickTrace for Mac, please let me know.

Please, take a look into CraphClick of Arizona Software, a software giving some more features as QuickTrace (cartesian plots).

The dialog window as required to setup tracing a carthesian PICT diagram from screen.

A part of the Trace window (cartesian as line graphic). Your presentation can be distorted.

The resulted data and graph window (cartesian).

Trace ternary plot settings dialog

A part of the Trace window (ternary). Your ternary source diagram can also be distorted.

Polar plots settings dialog

A part of the Trace window (polar, stereographic, Schmidt projection).

Version history

Version 1.0.3 - First release (February 4, 1997)

Version 1.1 (June 23, 1999)

  • Bug fix

Version 1.2 (April 20, 2000)

  • Option for the upper corner position: upper left or upper right.

Version 1.3 (Dec. 21, 2000)

  • Removes a bug who prevents the "Fit to window" option for showing a Pict graph.
  • Problems to find the Preferences folder solved.