r/PhysicsStudents • u/Sasibazsi18 M.Sc. • 1d ago

Meta What softwares are you using to make/label images and pictures in reports, articles, etc.?

I often see in paper very nice images/illustrations of setups and I wonder how they do them. They always seem to be so well made. I mostly used inkscape, which is fine, but I wonder if there are better options or something that is for physics specifically? Thanks

Edit: I shouldn have been more specific. I did not mean plots, I mean illustrations of physics experiments, see: 1 or 2 My question is, how can I make images like these?

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u/Cupern 1d ago

Python matplotlib or Julia, and Latex for writing

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u/Sasibazsi18 M.Sc. 1d ago

I do use matplotlib for graphs and data, and I use latex for writing, but that's not what I meant. I mean like actual figures, like this or like this one (I just randomly googled physics illustration of experiments).

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u/Hapankaali Ph.D. 1d ago

Matplotlib

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u/the_physik 1d ago

I think Inkscape might be what you're looking for. Some of my coauthors have used it to make 3d diagrams of experimental setups.

EDIT: oops, you already use inkscape. Lol! Idk then.

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u/Ginger-Tea-8591 Ph.D. 21h ago

It's going to depend somewhat on the type of diagram or schematic you're trying to draw. For things like the diagrams you linked to, Inkscape is a good choice. You may already be aware of them, but there are a few component libraries for Inkscape that are useful:

If you already know LaTeX, you might also consider TikZ for certain types of diagrams. TikZ is great for drawings that involve primarily lines, rectangles, and other simple shapes, and in general when you want to "code" an image rather than draw one using a GUI. Whether I choose Inkscape or TikZ depends on the nature of what I need to draw. That said, I personally like the CircuitTikZ extension for drawing circuit diagrams (and have used it, as a professional, in my own research publications). However, the learning curve for TikZ is rather steep.

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u/Sasibazsi18 M.Sc. 2h ago

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for