Fake Waterfall Plot

// Igor can display waterfall plots using the NewWaterfall operation (choose Windows->New->Packages->Waterfall Plot).
// This requires storing your data in a 2D wave. You can also create a 3D waterfall plot using Gizmo.
//
// However, for the common case of displaying a series of spectra, you may find that a "fake waterfall plot"
// is more convenient. And it works with your original waveform or XY data.
//
// A fake waterfall plot is a regular graph with multiple waveform or XY traces where you use Igor's X and Y
// trace display offset feature to create the waterfall effect. This is simple and also gives you a regular
// Igor graph with regular traces that you can format and annotate using familiar techniques.
//
// Here is a procedure for converting a regular graph with multiple waveform or XY traces into a fake waterfall plot.
// The ApplyFakeWaterfall function converts a regular graph to a fake waterfall plot.
// The RemoveFakeWaterfall function converts it back to a regular graph.
//
// The attached experiment file contains these procedures along with sample data and a sample graph.
 
Function ApplyFakeWaterfall(graphName, dx, dy, hidden)      // e.g., ApplyFakeWaterfall("Graph0", 2, 100, 1)
    String graphName    // Name of graph or "" for top graph
    Variable dx, dy     // Used to offset traces to create waterfall effect
    Variable hidden     // If true, apply hidden line removal
    
    String traceList = TraceNameList(graphName, ";", 1)
    Variable numberOfTraces = ItemsInLIst(traceList)
 
    Variable traceNumber
    for(traceNumber=0; traceNumber<numberOfTraces; traceNumber+=1)
        String trace = StringFromList(traceNumber, traceList)
        Variable offsetX = (numberOfTraces-traceNumber-1) * dx
        Variable offsetY = (numberOfTraces-traceNumber-1) * dy
        ModifyGraph/W=$graphName offset($trace)={offsetX,offsetY}
        ModifyGraph/W=$graphName plusRGB($trace)=(65535,65535,65535)    // Fill color is white
        if (hidden)
            ModifyGraph/W=$graphName mode($trace)=7, hbFill($trace)=1       // Fill to zero, erase mode
        else
            ModifyGraph/W=$graphName mode($trace)=0                     // Lines between points
        endif
    endfor
End
 
Function RemoveFakeWaterfall(graphName)     // e.g., RemoveFakeWaterfall("Graph0")
    String graphName    // Name of graph or "" for top graph
    
    String traceList = TraceNameList(graphName, ";", 1)
    Variable numberOfTraces = ItemsInLIst(traceList)
 
    Variable traceNumber
    for(traceNumber=0; traceNumber<numberOfTraces; traceNumber+=1)
        String trace = StringFromList(traceNumber, traceList)
        ModifyGraph/W=$graphName offset($trace)={0,0}
        ModifyGraph/W=$graphName plusRGB($trace)=(65535,65535,65535)    // Fill color is white
        ModifyGraph/W=$graphName mode($trace)=0                         // Lines between points
    endfor
End