About graphs

Echoview provides a variety of graphs for visualizing detailed aspects of your data. Graph types depend on the source data (e.g., single targets, time series, or lines), and some graphs are specialized for analysis, calibration, or quality control workflows.

Graph navigation

  • The tooltip information for data under the mouse pointer is of the form (x, y) coordinates.
  • Zoom in and zoom out tools and Zoom shortcut keys can be used.
  • A rectangular selection can be used to zoom in.
  • Double-clicking a time-series or line object on the Dataflow with a time-based x-axis (e.g., Line, Time series, Bottom classification, or TS vs Depth) opens it in a new window or brings it to the foreground. See also Echogram navigation: Synchronizing echograms.
  • While zoomed in, click the mouse wheel and drag to pan. Alternatively, press the Spacebar and left mouse button and drag.
    • Tip: You can't pan when the mouse pointer is over data.
  • Some graphs include a legend that can be shown or hidden using the Shortcut menu (e.g., Threshold Response and multi-series time series graphs).
  • It is possible to link some graphs dynamically to the selection and/or the selected region. See About Linking Graphs for more detail.
  • The Ping graph, time series graphs, and other graphs with a time-based x-axis—such as Line, Heading, Pitch, or Roll—can be placed in an Auto-synchronization group.
  • Graphs whose x-axis is based on time support Mouse pointer duplication.
  • Use the Shortcut menu (right-click), Graph Properties to configure graph labels and axis limits.
  • Use the Shortcut menu (right-click), Time Series Properties, Display to configure custom line color and thickness. Or use the Shortcut menu (right-click), Variable Properties, Display to configure custom line color and thickness.
  • Use the Graph keyboard shortcuts.
  • For readability at high zoom levels, Time series graphs and Time series scatter plots may increase axis-label precision (up to five decimal places). Other graph types format labels according to their data type.
  • The Table view is only available for graphs based on a single variable. It is not available for multiple variable graphs.

Graph

Availability

2D projections graphs

Available for a region or selection on a single target echogram. Graphed points are displayed in the single target color. The set includes:

  • Major-Axis Distance Vs. Minor-Axis Distance
  • Ping Number Vs. Major-Axis Distance
  • Major-Axis Distance Vs. Beam-Axis Distance
  • Ping Number Vs. Beam-Axis Distance

Notes:

  • Source data type: single targets.
  • A set of four graph windows can be opened, or you can choose to open an individual graph window at separate times.
  • Single target graphs allow you to remove and add targets from fish track regions.

3D single target graph

Available for a region or selection on a single target echogram - single targets are displayed in 3D.

Source data type: single targets.

Bottom analysis feature graph

Available for Interval analysis - Bottom feature virtual variables.

Source data type: Sv or Complex Sv or Pulse compressed complex Sv.

Angles graph

Available for a region or selection on a single target echogram. Graphed points are displayed in the single target color.

Source data type: single targets.

Note: Single target graphs allow you to remove and add targets from fish track regions.

Beam graph

Available for a single beam on a single sector plot.

Source data type: acoustic multibeam data.

Bottom classification graph

Available for a Bottom points variable after a bottom classification. Bottom features may be specified for the x- and y-axis. The color of a point represents an assigned bottom class.

Source data type: bottom points variable.

Frequency Distribution graph

Available for a region or selection on an echogram.

Source data type: acoustic single beam or single targets data or multibeam regions or selections.

Impedance statistic graph

Available for Transmission time series select virtual variables. Statistics are calculated for a specified pair comprised of an impedance statistic and a transducer component. See also: About time series collection data.

Source data type: Transmission time series collection.

Line graph

Available for a line variable. A line can represent sounder-detected bottom detections, a heave source line, altitude, bottom picks or combinations of line data.

Source data type: lines.

Major-axis beam compensation graph

Available for a region or selection on a single targets echogram.

Source data type: single targets.

Minor-axis beam compensation graph

Available for a region or selection on a single targets echogram.

Source data type: single targets.

Off-axis beam compensation graph

Available for a region or selection on a single targets echogram.

Source data type: single targets.

Ping graph

Available for a single ping or a set of pings contained in a selection made using the Vertical band selection tool.

Source data type: acoustic single beam Sv, TS, Angular position.

Note: The current velocity echogram ping graph displays Depth (m) vs Current velocity (mm/s).

Target Length vs Depth graph

Available for a region or selection on a target length echogram.

Source data type: target length. This data type is output by a Target length conversion operator, where TS represents the target length (cm).

Graphed points are displayed in the single target color, where the echogram target TS is used to represent the target length (cm).

Time series graphs

Available for raw and virtual time series variables and for time series collection variables. Time series graphs plot variable values over time and replace the previous naming of “Line graph” in this context.

Rendering:

  • Graphs automatically select a rendering style for each time series based on the time series type’s estimation method:
    • Linear: standard lines
    • Circular: smoothly wrapped lines (e.g., heading, pitch, roll)
    • Step: stepped lines that hold the previous value until the next sample
  • Heading graphs retain N/E/S/W axis labels and 90° tick locking; other circular series use data-driven scaling.
  • Depth-based time series flip the vertical axis (depth increases downward); this behavior is type-driven.
  • If a variable’s time series data type changes, for example through Time series select or Type conversion - Time series, any open graph updates to use the resulting data type’s rendering style.

Subtypes:

  • Bottom analysis feature graph — time series graph of an Interval analysis – Bottom feature variable. Similarly for other Interval analysis time series and other time series variables.
  • Code - Time series output — a time series graph of a virtual time series produced by the Code - Time series operator. Measurement times are taken from the pings of acoustic Operand 1. Values are returned by the Python® script, which may also use estimated, time-aligned values from any additional time series operands. An open graph updates when the variable’s Time Series Properties change.
  • Impedance statistic graph — time series graph of a Transmission time series select variable.
  • Heading graph, Pitch graph, Roll graph, Speed graph — time series graphs of logged motion/navigation variables.
  • Length graph — time series graph of a logged length variable.
  • Multiple time series graph - a single graph that can display multiple time series from a collection.

Notes:

  • In Echoview, a Line graph refers specifically to graphs of line variables (e.g., seafloor, heave). Time series graphs display values from time series variables.
  • When working with large datasets, time series graphs load data incrementally in the background to maintain smooth interaction.

Source data type: time series variables (raw or virtual).

TS vs Depth graph

Available for a region or selection on a single target echogram. Single target TS values are displayed. Graphed points are displayed in the single target color.

Multiple variable graphs

These graphs support multiple variables. However, these graphs don't support unlicensed virtual variables.

 

Frequency Response graph

Available for a region or selection on a Sv echogram and displays NASC/NASC(ref) for specified multiple Sv variables.

Source data type: single beam Sv.

Relative mean dB graph

Available for a region or selection on a Sv or unspecified dB echogram. Displays the response from multiple variables.

Source data type: single beam Sv.

Threshold Response graph

Available for a region or selection on a Sv echogram. Displays the response from multiple variables.

Source data type: single beam Sv.

Time series scatter plot

Available for Time Series Collection variables.

Plots values from two synchronized time series in a scatter plot, useful for comparing relationships between variables like pitch vs roll or roughness vs hardness.

Source data type: time series collection.

Notes:

  • Time series scatter plots incrementally load measurement pairs when displaying large datasets. This ensures the graph remains responsive while data is retrieved in the background.
  • Scatter plots do not have a time axis and are not part of Auto-synchronization groups.

Wideband Frequency Response graph

Available for a selection or region on a pulse compressed wideband echogram. Displays the frequency spectrum of selected Sv or TS samples or single targets in multiple variables.

Source data type: pulse compressed wideband Sv, TS, single targets.

See also: Factors that can degrade the wideband frequency response.

See also

About Linking Graphs
Graph Properties dialog box
Graph keyboard shortcuts