Coordinates

The commands set arrow, set key, set label and set object allow you to draw something at an arbitrary position on the graph. This position is specified by the syntax:

{<system>} <x>, {<system>} <y> {,{<system>} <z>}

Each <system> can either be first, second, polar, graph, screen, or character.

first places the x, y, or z coordinate in the system defined by the left and bottom axes; second places it in the system defined by the x2,y2 axes (top and right); graph specifies the area within the axes — 0,0 is bottom left and 1,1 is top right (for splot, 0,0,0 is bottom left of plotting area; use negative z to get to the base — see set xyplane); screen specifies the screen area (the entire area — not just the portion selected by set size), with 0,0 at bottom left and 1,1 at top right. character coordinates are used primarily for offsets, not absoute positions. The character vertical and horizontal size depend on the current font.

polar causes the first two values to be interpreted as angle theta and radius r rather than as x and y. This could be used, for example, to place labels on a 2D plot in polar coordinates or a 3D plot in cylindrical coordinates.

If the coordinate system for x is not specified, first is used. If the system for y is not specified, the one used for x is adopted.

In some cases, the given coordinate is not an absolute position but a relative value (e.g., the second position in set arrow ... rto). In most cases, the given value serves as difference to the first position. If the given coordinate belongs to a log-scaled axis, a relative value is interpreted as multiplier. For example,

set logscale x
set arrow 100,5 rto 10,2

plots an arrow from position 100,5 to position 1000,7 since the x axis is logarithmic while the y axis is linear.

If one (or more) axis is timeseries, the appropriate coordinate should be given as a quoted time string according to the timefmt format string. See set xdata and set timefmt. Gnuplot will also accept an integer expression, which will be interpreted as seconds relative to 1 January 1970.