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github-actions[bot] edited this page Mar 18, 2026 · 5 revisions

Getting Started

A step-by-step tutorial introducing FastSense's core features for ultra-fast time series plotting.

1. Your First Plot

% Set up the library
projectRoot = fileparts(fileparts(mfilename('fullpath')));
run(fullfile(projectRoot, 'install.m'));

% Create a 10 million point dataset
fp = FastSense();
x = linspace(0, 100, 1e7);  % 10 million points
y = sin(x) + 0.1 * randn(size(x));
fp.addLine(x, y, 'DisplayName', 'Noisy Sine');
fp.render();

Try zooming and panning — FastSense automatically downsamples data to screen resolution in real time, keeping the display responsive regardless of dataset size.

2. Themes

fp = FastSense('Theme', 'dark');
fp.addLine(x, y, 'DisplayName', 'Sensor');
fp.render();

Available presets: 'default', 'dark', 'light', 'industrial', 'scientific', 'ocean'. See API Reference: Themes for customization options.

3. Thresholds and Violations

fp = FastSense('Theme', 'dark');
fp.addLine(x, y, 'DisplayName', 'Pressure');
fp.addThreshold(0.8, 'Direction', 'upper', 'ShowViolations', true, 'Color', 'r', 'Label', 'High');
fp.addThreshold(-0.8, 'Direction', 'lower', 'ShowViolations', true, 'Color', 'b', 'Label', 'Low');
fp.render();

Red circles appear where data exceeds the threshold.

4. Multiple Lines

fp = FastSense('Theme', 'scientific');
fp.addLine(x, sin(x), 'DisplayName', 'Channel A');
fp.addLine(x, cos(x), 'DisplayName', 'Channel B');
fp.addLine(x, sin(2*x) * 0.5, 'DisplayName', 'Channel C');
fp.render();

Colors auto-cycle from the theme's palette. Use resetColorIndex() to restart the color sequence.

5. Visual Annotations

Horizontal Bands (alarm zones)

fp.addBand(0.8, 1.0, 'FaceColor', [1 0.3 0.3], 'FaceAlpha', 0.15, 'Label', 'High Alarm');

Shaded Regions (between curves)

fp.addShaded(x, y+0.5, y-0.5, 'FaceColor', [0.3 0.7 1], 'FaceAlpha', 0.2, 'DisplayName', 'Envelope');

Area Fills

fp.addFill(x, abs(y), 'FaceColor', [0 0.5 1], 'Baseline', 0, 'DisplayName', 'Energy');

Event Markers

fp.addMarker([10 30 70], [0.9 0.9 0.9], 'Marker', 'v', 'MarkerSize', 10, 'Color', [1 0 0], 'Label', 'Events');

6. Dashboard Layout

fig = FastSenseGrid(2, 2, 'Theme', 'dark', 'Name', 'Monitor');
fig.setTileSpan(1, [1 2]);  % top tile spans full width

fp1 = fig.tile(1);
fp1.addLine(x, sin(x)*50+50, 'DisplayName', 'Pressure');
fp1.addBand(90, 100, 'FaceColor', [1 0 0], 'FaceAlpha', 0.12, 'Label', 'Alarm');
fig.setTileTitle(1, 'Pressure');

fp2 = fig.tile(2);
fp2.addLine(x, cos(x)*20+60, 'DisplayName', 'Temperature');
fig.setTileTitle(2, 'Temperature');

fp3 = fig.tile(3);
fp3.addLine(x, randn(size(x)), 'DisplayName', 'Vibration');
fig.setTileTitle(3, 'Vibration');

fig.renderAll();

7. Toolbar

tb = FastSenseToolbar(fig);

Buttons: Data Cursor, Crosshair, Grid, Legend, Autoscale Y, Export PNG, Refresh, Live Mode, Metadata, Violations.

8. Linked Axes

fig = figure;
ax1 = subplot(2, 1, 1);
fp1 = FastSense('Parent', ax1, 'LinkGroup', 'sync');
fp1.addLine(x, sin(x), 'DisplayName', 'Pressure');
fp1.render();

ax2 = subplot(2, 1, 2);
fp2 = FastSense('Parent', ax2, 'LinkGroup', 'sync');
fp2.addLine(x, cos(x), 'DisplayName', 'Temperature');
fp2.render();

Zoom in one subplot, the other follows.

9. Datetime Axes

x = datenum(2024,1,1) + (0:99999)/86400;
y = sin(2*pi*(1:100000)/86400);
fp = FastSense('Theme', 'dark');
fp.addLine(x, y, 'XType', 'datenum', 'DisplayName', 'Daily Cycle');
fp.render();

10. Logarithmic Axes

% Exponential growth data
n2 = 1e6;
x2 = linspace(1, 1000, n2);
y2 = exp(x2 / 200) .* (1 + 0.1 * randn(1, n2));

fp2 = FastSense();
fp2.addLine(x2, y2, 'DisplayName', 'Exponential Growth');
fp2.setScale('YScale', 'log');
fp2.render();

Use setScale('XScale', 'log') for logarithmic X-axis or both together.

11. Updating Data

% Replace line data on an already-rendered plot
newY = cos(x * 2*pi/15) + 0.4*randn(size(x));
fp.updateData(1, x, newY);

12. Downsampling Methods

MinMax (default) preserves signal envelope. LTTB preserves visual shape.

fp = FastSense('DefaultDownsampleMethod', 'lttb');
fp.addLine(x, y, 'DisplayName', 'LTTB');
fp.render();

Or per-line:

fp.addLine(x, y1, 'DownsampleMethod', 'minmax', 'DisplayName', 'MinMax');
fp.addLine(x, y2, 'DownsampleMethod', 'lttb', 'DisplayName', 'LTTB');

13. Live Mode

% Start live mode to auto-refresh from a .mat file
fp.startLive('data.mat', @(fp, s) fp.updateData(1, s.x, s.y), 'Interval', 1);

The callback is triggered whenever the file's modification date changes.

14. Figure Distribution

% Auto-arrange all open figures on screen
FastSense.distFig();

% Or use specific grid dimensions
FastSense.distFig('Rows', 2, 'Cols', 3);

Next Steps

FastPlot Wiki

API Reference

Guides

Use Cases

Internals

Resources

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