C# Data Visualization
Resources for visualizing data using C# and the .NET platform
Plot Data with ZedGraph
How to plot data in C# projects using ZedGraph

ZedGraph is a C# plotting library for drawing 2D Line, Bar, and Pie Charts. ZedGraph was created in the early 2000s but development appears to have ceased in 2008 according to the ZedGraph SourceForge page. ZedGraph is available as a NuGet package and it has a GitHub page, but neither have been active for many years.

⚠️ WARNING: ZedGraph has a LGPL license! 💀 Depending on how you use it in your project, you may be forced to open-source part of your application. Read more about the LGPL 2.1 license if you are considering using this library in a commercial application.

Supported Platforms

Quickstart

  • Install the ZedGraph NuGet package

  • Drag a ZedGraphControl from the toolbox onto your form

Sample Data

This code generates random data we can practice plotting

private Random rand = new Random(0);
private double[] RandomWalk(int points = 5, double start = 100, double mult = 50)
{
    // return an array of difting random numbers
    double[] values = new double[points];
    values[0] = start;
    for (int i = 1; i < points; i++)
        values[i] = values[i - 1] + (rand.NextDouble() - .5) * mult;
    return values;
}

Bar Graph 

// generate some random Y data
int pointCount = 5;
double[] xs = Consecutive(pointCount);
double[] ys1 = RandomWalk(pointCount);
double[] ys2 = RandomWalk(pointCount);

// clear old curves
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.CurveList.Clear();

// plot the data as bars
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddBar("Group A", xs, ys1, Color.Blue);
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddBar("Group B", xs, ys2, Color.Red);

// style the plot
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.Title.Text = $"Bar Plot ({pointCount:n0} points)";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.Title.Text = "Horizontal Axis Label";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.Title.Text = "Vertical Axis Label";

// auto-axis and update the display
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.Refresh();

Scatter Plot 

// generate some random Y data
int pointCount = 100;
double[] xs1 = RandomWalk(pointCount);
double[] ys1 = RandomWalk(pointCount);
double[] xs2 = RandomWalk(pointCount);
double[] ys2 = RandomWalk(pointCount);

// clear old curves
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.CurveList.Clear();

// plot the data as curves
var curve1 = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddCurve("Series A", xs1, ys1, Color.Blue);
curve1.Line.IsAntiAlias = true;

var curve2 = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddCurve("Series B", xs2, ys2, Color.Red);
curve2.Line.IsAntiAlias = true;

// style the plot
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.Title.Text = $"Scatter Plot ({pointCount:n0} points)";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.Title.Text = "Horizontal Axis Label";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.Title.Text = "Vertical Axis Label";

// auto-axis and update the display
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.Refresh();

Line Graph 

// generate some random Y data
int pointCount = 100_000;
double[] xs = Consecutive(pointCount);
double[] ys1 = RandomWalk(pointCount);
double[] ys2 = RandomWalk(pointCount);

// clear old curves
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.CurveList.Clear();

// plot the data as curves
var curve1 = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddCurve("Series A", xs, ys1, Color.Blue);
curve1.Line.IsAntiAlias = true;
curve1.Symbol.IsVisible = false;

var curve2 = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddCurve("Series B", xs, ys2, Color.Red);
curve2.Line.IsAntiAlias = true;
curve2.Symbol.IsVisible = false;

// style the plot
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.Title.Text = $"Scatter Plot ({pointCount:n0} points)";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.Title.Text = "Horizontal Axis Label";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.Title.Text = "Vertical Axis Label";

// auto-axis and update the display
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.Refresh();

Console Applications 

var pane = new ZedGraph.GraphPane();
var curve1 = pane.AddCurve(
    label: "demo",
    x: new double[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 },
    y: new double[] { 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 },
    color:Color.Blue);
curve1.Line.IsAntiAlias = true;
pane.AxisChange();
Bitmap bmp = pane.GetImage(400, 300, dpi: 100, isAntiAlias: true);
bmp.Save("zedgraph-console-quickstart.png", ImageFormat.Png);

Multiple Y Axes 

// generate some random Y data
int pointCount = 10;
double[] xs = Random(pointCount);
double[] ys1 = Random(pointCount);
double[] ys2 = Random(pointCount, 0, 1000);

// clear old curves
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.CurveList.Clear();

// clear old Y axes and manually add new ones
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxisList.Clear();

// add a traditional Y axis
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddYAxis("First Axis");
var firstAxis = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxisList[0];
firstAxis.Color = Color.Blue;

// create another Y axis and customize it
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddYAxis("Second Axis");
var secondAxis = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxisList[1];
secondAxis.Scale.Max = 1000;
secondAxis.Scale.Min = -1000;
secondAxis.Scale.FontSpec.FontColor = Color.Green;
secondAxis.Title.FontSpec.FontColor = Color.Green;
secondAxis.Color = Color.Green;

// plot the data as curves
var curve1 = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddCurve("Small", xs, ys1, Color.Blue);
var curve2 = zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.AddCurve("Big", xs, ys2, Color.Green);

// specify which curve is to use which axis
curve1.YAxisIndex = 0;
curve2.YAxisIndex = 1;

// style the plot
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.Title.Text = $"Multiple Y Axes";
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.Title.Text = "Horizontal Axis Label";

// auto-axis and update the display
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.XAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.GraphPane.YAxis.ResetAutoScale(zedGraphControl1.GraphPane, CreateGraphics());
zedGraphControl1.Refresh();

Resources

Source Code

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