Zoom Inset
The zoom inset feature allows you to create a magnified view of a specific region on your ternary plot. This is particularly useful for highlighting areas with dense data points or showing fine compositional details while maintaining the context of the full plot.
- Press the Zoom Inset button in the toolbar above the plot
- The zoom inset will appear on your plot with default settings
- Press the button again to toggle the inset off
Once enabled, you'll see:
- A magnified circular (or other shaped) inset on the plot
- An annotation circle on the main plot showing which area is being magnified
- Connector lines linking the annotation to the inset (optional)
The zoom center determines which area of the plot is magnified in the inset. There are two ways to set it:
- With the zoom inset enabled, press the "Click plot to set center" button
- Click anywhere on the plot to immediately set the zoom center at that location
- The mode automatically exits after clicking
- Press the "Click plot to set center" button
- Look for the drag handle above the red annotation circle
- Click and drag this handle to precisely position the zoom center
- The magnified view updates in real-time as you drag
- Press Esc to exit the mode
The annotation circle shows exactly which area is being magnified in the inset.
When the zoom inset mode is active, a drag handle appears on the inset itself (at the top edge).
- Look for the circular drag handle at the top of the inset
- Click and drag to reposition the entire inset anywhere on the canvas
- This is useful for:
- Moving the inset away from important data
- Positioning it in an empty area of the plot
- Arranging it optimally for screenshots or publications
Press the settings button next to the zoom inset controls to open the configuration panel.
Choose the shape of your zoom inset:
- Circle - Classic circular magnifier (default), provides a natural magnification aesthetic
- Square - Rectangular inset that maximizes the visible area within the same diameter
- Triangle - Equilateral triangle that matches ternary plot aesthetics and geometry
All three shapes support the same configuration options for borders, connectors, and annotations.
This section displays the current zoom center coordinates in ternary composition space (A, B, C values).
To change the zoom center, use the "Click plot to set center" button in the main toolbar rather than the configuration panel.
Control the magnification from 1.5× to 10×:
- Lower values (1.5×-3×) - Show more context around the zoom point, useful for understanding the surrounding area
- Medium values (3×-5×) - Balanced magnification for most use cases
- Higher values (5×-10×) - Reveal fine detail, useful for densely packed points or precise measurements
Adjust the slider to find the optimal magnification for your needs.
Set the diameter of the inset from 50px to 400px.
- Larger sizes make magnified content easier to see and read
- Smaller sizes take up less space on the plot
- Works together with magnification - a bigger diameter shows a larger area at the same zoom level
The annotation circle appears on the main plot to show which area is being magnified. Customize its appearance:
Style Options:
- Solid - Continuous circle outline
- Dashed (default) - Dashed circle outline, less visually intrusive
- None - Hide the annotation circle entirely
Width: Set stroke width from 0.5px to 5px
Color: Choose any hex color (default: red #ff0000)
Setting the style to "None" hides the annotation circle completely while keeping the inset visible.
Customize the border around the zoom inset itself:
Width: Set from 0px to 10px (0 removes the border completely)
Color: Choose any hex color (default: black #000000)
A border helps distinguish the inset from the plot background, especially useful when using transparent or light backgrounds.
Lines that connect the annotation circle to the zoom inset help viewers understand which area is being magnified.
Style Options:
- Solid (default) - Continuous lines
- Dashed - Dashed lines, less prominent
- None - Hide connector lines entirely
Width: Set line width from 0.5px to 5px
Color: Choose any hex color (default: black #000000)
Connector lines automatically connect from the annotation circle's edge to the inset's edge at the appropriate angles.
The annotation circle automatically scales to show exactly what area will appear in the inset. The circle's radius is calculated as:
Annotation Radius = Inset Diameter ÷ (2 × Zoom Level)
This means:
- Higher magnification → smaller annotation circle (zooming into a smaller area)
- Larger diameter → larger annotation circle at the same zoom (showing more area in a bigger inset)
- Diameter: 200px, Zoom: 2× → shows a 100px radius area (50px annotation radius)
- Diameter: 200px, Zoom: 4× → shows a 50px radius area (25px annotation radius, more zoomed in)
- Diameter: 400px, Zoom: 2× → shows a 200px radius area (100px annotation radius, bigger inset showing more)
The configuration panel includes controls for managing your settings:
- Reset button (circular arrow) - Resets all zoom inset settings to defaults
- Undo button - Reverts the last configuration change
- Redo button - Reapplies an undone configuration change
These controls only affect zoom inset settings, not other plot configurations.
- Start with moderate zoom (2×-3×) and adjust based on your data density
- Use larger inset sizes (300px+) when preparing plots for publications or presentations
- Match annotation and connector colors to your plot's color scheme for visual harmony
- Position the inset in empty plot areas to avoid obscuring data
- Use dashed annotation and connector styles for a less intrusive appearance
- Triangle shape works particularly well aesthetically with ternary plots
- Hide connectors when the inset is positioned close to the zoomed area
- Disable the annotation circle if you're using the inset purely for magnification without needing to show the source area
- Higher magnification with smaller insets can act as a "magnifying glass" for specific points
- Lower magnification with larger insets provides an overview of a region while maintaining detail
Dense Point Clusters: Use 4×-6× zoom with a circle or square inset to resolve overlapping points
Composition Details: Use 2×-3× zoom with annotation circle visible to show exact compositional ranges
Publication Figures: Use larger diameter (350px+) with matching color scheme and appropriate borders
Interactive Exploration: Enable drag handles and moderate zoom (3×) to freely explore different regions
Region Highlighting: Use triangle shape with visible annotation and connectors to draw attention to specific areas