Home
API, Reference Guides
Overview of external readers and the Altair Binary Format, the generic ASCII reader, running applications in batch mode, using Tcl/Tk commands, translators, and result math.
Tcl/Tk Commands
The application's scripting interface is a set of Tcl/Tk commands that follow a simple and consistent syntax.
Tcl/Tk Commands
Tcl/Tk classes for the following Altair HyperWorks applications.
HyperGraph 2D
pltIPlot Class
pltIPlot AddVerticalDatum
Adds an empty vertical datum to the plot.

Welcome
What's New
View new features for version 2025.
Get Started
Learn the basics and discover the workspace.
Tutorials
Discover product functionality with interactive tutorials.
API, Reference Guides
Overview of external readers and the Altair Binary Format, the generic ASCII reader, running applications in batch mode, using Tcl/Tk commands, translators, and result math.
- Extensions
  Extensions are programs integrated with the application to enhance or extend the user experience.
- External Readers and Altair Binary Format
  Altair Binary Format (ABF) is the standard binary format read by the program. A library called abflib allows you to create files in ABF.
- Generic ASCII Reader
  A generic ASCII reader is now available which allows you to bring custom results directly into HyperView. The Altair ASCII format is useful for reading the results of any in-house or propriety codes which are saved in a generic format.
- Batch Mode
  Batch mode allows you perform a series of operations outside the program interface.
- External Resources
  External resources can be registered in preference files, session files, or Templex files. If an external resource is registered in a program session, it is automatically registered in the session file when the session is saved.
- Python API
  The Python API documentation for HyperMesh applications.
- Tcl/Tk Commands
  The application's scripting interface is a set of Tcl/Tk commands that follow a simple and consistent syntax.
  - Program with APIs for Beginners
    APIs can be used to perform various actions in an application. For example, the AddPage API can be used to add a page within the project.
  - Object Hierarchy
    Overview of object hierarchy for HyperView, HyperGraph, HyperMesh, MotionView, MediaView and TextView.
  - Tcl/Tk Classes
    Links to the introductory pages for the Tcl/Tk commands that can be used in HyperView, MotionView, HyperGraph, HyperGraph 3D, TextView and MediaView.
  - Script Use Cases
    Examples of script uses cases.
  - Tcl/Tk Example
    Learn more about Tcl/Tk with this basic example.
  - Program with Tcl/Tk Command Tutorials
    Learn more about programming with Tcl/Tk commands with this tutorial.
  - Tcl/Tk Commands
    Tcl/Tk classes for the following Altair HyperWorks applications.
    - Framework
    - MotionView
    - HyperView
    - HyperGraph 2D
      - pltIAdvancedDrawControl Class
      - pltIAnimationCursor Class
      - pltIAxis Class
      - pltIBuildPlotsCtrl Class
      - pltICursor Class
      - pltICurve Class
      - pltICurveComplex Class
      - pltIDataAttribute Class
      - pltIDatum Class
      - pltIDrawControl Class
      - pltIEdit Class
      - pltIExportCtrl Class
      - pltILegend Class
      - pltIMacro Class
      - pltINote Class
      - pltIPlot Class
        pltIPlot AddCurve
        Adds an empty curve to the plot.
        pltIPlot AddHorizontalAxis
        Adds a horizontal axis to the plot.
        pltIPlot AddHorizontalDatum
        Adds an empty horizontal datum to the plot.
        pltIPlot AddNote
        Adds an empty note to the plot.
        pltIPlot AddPhaseDatum
        Adds a phase datum.
        pltIPlot AddRadicalDatum
        Adds a radical datum.
        pltIPlot AddVerticalAxis
        Adds a new vertical axis to the plot.
        pltIPlot AddVerticalDatum
        Adds an empty vertical datum to the plot.
        pltIPlot Autoscale
        Forces the plot to recompute the minimum and maximum values for its axes.
        pltIPlot BarValuesDisplayed
        Indicates whether values are displayed above the bars.
        pltIPlot Clear
        Clears all data from the plot.
        pltIPlot CopyCurve
        Copies the curve to the internal clipboard.
        pltIPlot CopyHorizontalAxis
        Copies a horizontal axis.
        pltIPlot CopyNote
        Copies a note.
        pltIPlot CopyPhaseDatum
        Copies a phase datum.
        pltIPlot CopyRadialDatum
        Copies a radial datum.
        pltIPlot CopyVerticalAxis
        Copies a vertical axis.
        pltIPlot CopyVerticalDatum
        Copies a vertical datum.
        pltIPlot CutCurve
        Cuts the curve and places it on the internal clipboard.
        pltIPlot CutHorizontalAxis
        Cuts a horizontal axis.
        pltIPlot CutNote
        Cuts a note.
        pltIPlot CutPhaseDatum
        Cuts a phase datum.
        pltIPlot CutRadialDatum
        Cuts a radial datum.
        pltIPlot CutVerticalAxis
        Cuts a vertical axis.
        pltIPlot CutVerticalDatum
        Cuts a horizontal datum.
        pltIPlot DisplayBarValues
        Indicates whether values are to be displayed above the bars.
        pltIPlot Draw
        Forces the plot to redraw.
        pltIPlot ExportEMF
        Exports the plot as an Microsoft EMF (Windows Enhanced Metafile) file.
        pltIPlot GetBackgroundColor
        Gets the background color of the plot.
        pltIPlot GetBarGap
        Gets the bar gap for the plot.
        pltIPlot GetBarMethod
        Gets the bar method for the plot.
        pltIPlot GetBarOrientation
        Gets the bar orientation for the plot.
        pltIPlot GetCategoryAxisHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIAxis interface for the category axis.
        pltIPlot GetCategoryLabelAngle
        Gets the display direction of the category labels on a bar chart's horizontal axes.
        pltIPlot GetCategoryValueList
        Finds the category values of the plot.
        pltIPlot GetChartType
        Gets the chart type of the plot.
        pltIPlot GetComplexMode
        Gets the display mode of complex plot.
        pltIPlot GetComplexTopArea
        Finds the type of complex plot that is in the top area.
        pltIPlot GetContextMenuParameter
        Gets the plot’s context menu parameter.
        pltIPlot GetCurveHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltICurve interface for the specified curve.
        pltIPlot GetDrawControlHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIDrawControl interface for the plot.
        pltIPlot GetFooterHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltITitle interface for the footer.
        pltIPlot GetFrameColor
        Gets the frame color of the plot.
        pltIPlot GetGridLineColor
        Gets the grid line color of the plot.
        pltIPlot GetHeaderHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltITitle interface for the header.
        pltIPlot GetHorizontalAxisHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIAxis interface for the specified horizontal axis.
        pltIPlot GetHorizontalDatumHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIDatum interface for the specified horizontal datum.
        pltIPlot GetLegendAutoPos
        Gets the state for automatically positioning the legend.
        pltIPlot GetLegendHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltILegend interface for the legend.
        pltIPlot GetLegendLocation
        Gets the legend location for the plot.
        pltIPlot GetMagnitudeAxisHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIAxis interface for the magnitude axis.
        pltIPlot GetNoteHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltINote interface for the specified note.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfCurves
        Returns the number of curves in the plot.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfEntitiesOnClipboard
        Finds the number of objects on the clipboard.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfHorizontalAxes
        Returns the number of horizontal axes in the plot.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfHorizontalDatums
        Returns the number of horizontal datums in the plot.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfNotes
        Returns the number of notes in the plot.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfVerticalAxes
        Returns the number of vertical axes in the plot.
        pltIPlot GetNumberOfVerticalDatums
        Returns the number of vertical datums in the plot.
        pltIPlot GetPhaseAxisHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIAxis interface for the phase axis.
        pltIPlot GetPhaseConstrain
        Gets whether the curve is displayed on the phase component (constrained to -180 to 180 range) or hidden.
        pltIPlot GetPhaseZeroAtTop
        Finds whether the phase axis position begins at the top or the right side.
        pltIPlot GetPickedObjectHandle
        Gets a handle to an interface for the specified object.
        pltIPlot GetPolarMethod
        Gets the polar method for the plot.
        pltIPlot GetShiftPicking
        Returns whether or not shift-picking is on.
        pltIPlot GetTipToTailLineStyle
        Gets the line style of the tip-to-tail curve. Finds the style of the arrow in a polar plot.
        pltIPlot GetTipToTailLineThickness
        Finds the thickness of the arrow in a polar plot.
        pltIPlot GetTipToTailSelectionMethod
        Gets the selection method for the tip-to-tail curve.
        pltIPlot GetTipToTailVectorCount
        Finds the number of vectors included in the tip-to-tail curve.
        pltIPlot GetUniformAspectRatio
        Indicates if the plot is using a uniform aspect ratio.
        pltIPlot GetVerticalAxisHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIAxis interface for the specified vertical axis.
        pltIPlot GetVerticalDatumHandle
        Gets a handle to a pltIDatum interface for the specified vertical datum.
        pltIPlot GetZeroLineColor
        Gets the zero line color of the plot.
        pltIPlot PasteCurves
        Pastes the curves from the clipboard into the current plot
        pltIPlot PasteHorizontalAxes
        Pastes previously copied or cut horizontal axes.
        pltIPlot PasteHorizontalDatum
        Pastes the previously copied or cut horizontal datum.
        pltIPlot PasteNotes
        Pastes previously copied or cut notes.
        pltIPlot PastePhaseDatum
        Pastes previously copied or cut phase datum lines.
        pltIPlot PasteRadicalDatum
        Pastes previously copied or cut radical datum lines.
        pltIPlot PasteVerticalAxes
        Pastes previously copied or cut vertical axes.
        pltIPlot PasteVerticalDatum
        Pastes the previously copied or cut vertical datum.
        pltIPlot Recalculate
        Forces the plot to regenerate all calculated data and reread all file data. Only curve data that has been modified since the last call to Recalculate is recomputed.
        pltIPlot RemoveCurve
        Removes the specified curve from the plot.
        pltIPlot RemoveHorizontalAxis
        Removes the specified horizontal axis from the plot.
        pltIPlot RemoveHorizontalDatum
        Removes the specified horizontal datum from the plot.
        pltIPlot RemoveNote
        Removes the specified note from the plot.
        pltIPlot RemoveVerticalAxis
        Removes the specified axis from the plot.
        pltIPlot RemoveVerticalDatum
        Removes the specified vertical datum from the plot.
        pltIPlot ResetTipToTailCount
        Resets the tip-to-tail vector count.
        pltIPlot SetBackgroundColor
        Sets the background color of the plot.
        pltIPlot SetBarGap
        Sets the bar gap for the plot.
        pltIPlot SetBarGapToDefault
        Sets the bar gap for the plot to its default.
        pltIPlot SetBarMethod
        Sets the bar method for the plot.
        pltIPlot SetBarOrientation
        Specifies whether the category axis lies along the horizontal or vertical axis.
        pltIPlot SetCategoryLabelAngle
        Adjusts the display of the category labels along the horizontal axes of bar charts.
        pltIPlot SetCategoryValues
        Sets the category values.
        pltIPlot SetChartType
        Sets the chart type of the plot.
        pltIPlot SetColorSchemeToDefault
        Sets the color options of the plot to the default values.
        pltIPlot SetComplexMode
        Sets the display mode of complex plot.
        pltIPlot SetComplexTopAreaProportion
        Sets the top area of the complex plot.
        pltIPlot SetDrawOverrideProc
        Sets the procedure to be used for drawing instead of normal plot drawing.
        pltIPlot SetFrameColor
        Sets the frame color of the plot.
        pltIPlot SetGridLineColor
        Sets the grid line color of the plot.
        pltIPlot SetLegendAutoPos
        Sets the state for automatically positioning the legend.
        pltIPlot SetLegendLocation
        Sets the legend location for the plot.
        pltIPlot SetPhaseConstrain
        Indicates whether the phase component should be constrained to the -180 to 180 range.
        pltIPlot SetPhaseZeroAtTop
        Sets the phase axis to begin at the top of the circular plot.
        pltIPlot SetPolarMethod
        Sets the polar method for the plot.
        pltIPlot SetPostDrawProc
        Sets the procedure to be used after normal plot drawing.
        pltIPlot SetShiftPicking
        Sets whether or not shift-picking is enabled.
        pltIPlot SetTipToTailLineStyle
        Sets the style of the arrow in a polar plot.
        pltIPlot SetTipToTailLineThickness
        Sets the thickness of the arrow in a polar plot.
        pltIPlot SetTipToTailSelectionMethod
        Sets the selection method for the tip-to-tail curve.
        pltIPlot TipToTailUsePreference
        Sets the thickness and the style of the polar arrow to a preset preference.
        pltIPlot SetTipToTailVectorCount
        Sets the number of vectors included in the tip-to-tail curve.
        pltIPlot SetUniformAspectRatio
        Sets the plot to use a uniform aspect ratio.
        pltIPlot SetZeroLineColor
        Sets the zero line color of the plot.
        pltIPlot SwapComplexAxes
        Swaps the locations of the complex independent axes.
      - pltIPlotManager Class
      - pltIStatisticsTemplate Class
      - pltITitle Class
      - pltIVector Class
      - pltIVectorComplex Class
      - pltIViewControl Class
      - pulIAxis Class
      - pulIDataExtractor Class
      - pulIDataGroup Class
      - pulIMacro Class
      - pulIMacroParameter Class
    - HyperGraph 3D
    - MediaView
    - TextView
    - HgTrans
    - TableView
    - Postquery Commands
    - Context Commands
    - Framework Commands
- Translators
  Translators are utilities that are run from the command line of the operating system to convert various types of files into different formats.
- Result Math
  XML commands in the Result Math Module.
- HWC Console
  Record playback workflows in the application.
- HyperMesh Report
- Task Manager
  Use the Task Manager to load an XML file that defines tasks and their attributes.
- HyperMesh
- MotionView
- Templex and Math Reference Guide
- Script and Model Library
  The Script and Model Library is a database of freely accessible scripts and models posted by users and Altair engineers.

pltIPlot AddVerticalDatum

Adds an empty vertical datum to the plot.

Syntax

pltIPlot_handle AddVerticalDatum

Application

Tcl Modify

Description

The new datum is added to the end of the vertical datum list.

Errors

Returns success or an error code.