SmileLab

SmileLab is a data visualization and automation software for Mac OS X.

Its plotting interface makes easier to plot data by importing files, specifying intermediate computations and access display settings, all in the same interface.

You can also work by writing scripts which perform the data processing tasks and which make the data visualization graphs. Such scripts can be integrated to a custom interface or to an automatized workflow.

SmileLab offers a wide range of data representation models: curves, contour maps, vector fields, 3D surface. High-level graphical commands address all kinds of non-standard graphical 2D and 3D representation needs.

Various levels of access and use are available: you can make plots using the set of fast and easy tools provided, and you can as well handle a whole project of data visualization. You program directly data visualization objects (for example a curve, a contour map, a 3d surface).

SmileLab produces results under a variety of forms: PDF files, pictures, movies, result data files.

SmileLab works based on a language dedicated to task automation, AppleScript. AppleScript is Apple's automation language, it addresses all the software components in your computer, and can perform a variety of tasks: file handling, Internet access, cgi handling, communication with applications, control of UNIX executables, communication with other processes, etc.

In SmileLab you fully customize the interaction with users. Most objects belong to the user interaction layer, and with scripts you install any custom user interaction: the default behavior can be improved or overridden by attaching a custom script.

SmileLab is particularly helpful when controlling an external computational code: AppleScript is a high-level language like Python that can be used to develop solutions rapidly. But what is unique with SmileLab / AppleScript is: you interact with your program while it is running.