android - How to make line with rounded (smooth) corners with AndroidPlot

Question

I have a small problem with ploting my graph. On a picture below is what I have already done.

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The graph should represent the actual signal strength of available Wi-Fi network(s). It's a simple XYPlot here data are represented with SimpleXYSeries (values are dynamically created).

Here is a little snippet of code (only for example):

plot = (XYPlot) findViewById(R.id.simplexyPlot);
series1 = new SimpleXYSeries(Arrays.asList(series1Numbers),
SimpleXYSeries.ArrayFormat.Y_VALS_ONLY, "Link 1");
f1 = new LineAndPointFormatter(color.getColor(), null,
Color.argb(60, color.getRed(), color.getGreen(), color.getBlue()), null);
plot.addSeries(series1, f1);

The example in the picture is a dynamic simulation of dB changes. Everything works, I guess, correctly, but what I want to achieve is to have line with "rounded" corners (see the picture to see what I mean).

I already tried to customize LineFormatter:

f1.getFillPaint().setStrokeJoin(Join.ROUND);
f1.getFillPaint().setStrokeWidth(8);

But this didn't work as expected.

Note: The Wifi Analyzer application has a similar graph and its graph has the rounded corners I want. It looks like this:

Answer 1

You can use Path.cubicTo() method. It draws a line using cubic spline algorithm which results in the smoothing effect you want.

Checkout the answer to a similar question here, where a guy is talking about cubic splines. There is a short algorithm showing how to calculate input parameters for Path.cubicTo() method. You can play with divider values to achieve required smoothness. For example, in the picture below I divided by 5 instead of 3. Hope this helps.

I have spent some time and implemented a SplineLineAndPointFormatter class, which does the stuff you need in androidplot library. It uses same technics. Here is how androidplot example applications looks like. You just need to use it instead of LineAndPointFormatter.

Here is code example and the class I wrote.

f1 = new SplineLineAndPointFormatter(color.getColor(), null, 
      Color.argb(60, color.getRed(), color.getGreen(), color.getBlue()), null);
plot.addSeries(series1, f1);

Here is the class doing the magic. It is based on version 0.6.1 of androidplot library.

package com.androidplot.xy;

import android.graphics.Canvas;
import android.graphics.Path;
import android.graphics.PointF;
import android.graphics.RectF;

import com.androidplot.ui.SeriesRenderer;
import com.androidplot.util.ValPixConverter;

public class SplineLineAndPointFormatter extends LineAndPointFormatter {

    public SplineLineAndPointFormatter() { }

    public SplineLineAndPointFormatter(Integer lineColor, Integer vertexColor, Integer fillColor) {
        super(lineColor, vertexColor, fillColor, null);
    }

    public SplineLineAndPointFormatter(Integer lineColor, Integer vertexColor, Integer fillColor, FillDirection fillDir) {
        super(lineColor, vertexColor, fillColor, null, fillDir);
    }

    @Override
    public Class<? extends SeriesRenderer> getRendererClass() {
        return SplineLineAndPointRenderer.class;
    }

    @Override
    public SeriesRenderer getRendererInstance(XYPlot plot) {
        return new SplineLineAndPointRenderer(plot);
    }

    public static class SplineLineAndPointRenderer extends LineAndPointRenderer<BezierLineAndPointFormatter> {

        static class Point {
            public float x, y, dx, dy;
            public Point(PointF pf) { x = pf.x; y = pf.y; }
        }

        private Point prev, point, next;
        private int pointsCounter;

        public SplineLineAndPointRenderer(XYPlot plot) {
            super(plot);
        }

        @Override
        protected void appendToPath(Path path, final PointF thisPoint, PointF lastPoint) {
            pointsCounter--;

            if (point == null) {
                point = new Point(thisPoint);
                point.dx = ((point.x - prev.x) / 5);
                point.dy = ((point.y - prev.y) / 5);
                return;

            } else if (next == null) {
                next = new Point(thisPoint);
            } else {
                prev = point;
                point = next;
                next = new Point(thisPoint);
            }

            point.dx = ((next.x - prev.x) / 5);
            point.dy = ((next.y - prev.y) / 5);
            path.cubicTo(prev.x + prev.dx, prev.y + prev.dy, point.x - point.dx, point.y - point.dy, point.x, point.y);

            if (pointsCounter == 1) { // last point
                next.dx = ((next.x - point.x) / 5);
                next.dy = ((next.y - point.y) / 5);
                path.cubicTo(point.x + point.dx, point.y + point.dy, next.x - next.dx, next.y - next.dy, next.x, next.y);
            }

        }

        @Override
        protected void drawSeries(Canvas canvas, RectF plotArea, XYSeries series, LineAndPointFormatter formatter) {

            Number y = series.getY(0);
            Number x = series.getX(0);
            if (x == null || y == null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("no null values in xyseries permitted");

            XYPlot p = getPlot();
            PointF thisPoint = ValPixConverter.valToPix(x, y, plotArea,
                    p.getCalculatedMinX(), p.getCalculatedMaxX(), p.getCalculatedMinY(), p.getCalculatedMaxY());

            prev = new Point(thisPoint);
            point = next = null;
            pointsCounter = series.size();

            super.drawSeries(canvas, plotArea, series, formatter);
        }
    }
}