Merge pull request #81 from PlotPyStack/feature/80-cosmetic-curve-pen

Draw thin curves with a cosmetic pen on screen (fast rendering on HiDPI screens).

Assisted-by: Claude Opus 5.5

Author: PierreRaybaut

doc/release_notes/release_2.12.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 * **Plot refresh** — Refreshing a plot no longer recomputes the plot layout when the title and axis styles did not change
 * **Item tools and item list** — Updating the status of item-related tools and of the item list panel is no longer quadratic in the number of plot items
 * **Image creation** — Creating an image item no longer recomputes the colormap lookup table when the same colormap, inversion and transparency settings were already used: the table (more than 1000 colormap evaluations) is computed once and reused, which saves a few milliseconds per image
+* **Curves on high-DPI screens** — With a display scaling factor such as 125 % or 150 %, curves and error bars of width 1 were drawn wider than one screen pixel, which made their rendering up to several hundred times slower on noisy signals (about 800 ms instead of 3 ms for a 2000-point curve at 150 %). Curves and error bars of width 1 or less are now drawn one screen pixel wide on screen; printing and exporting are not affected. The new `curve/cosmetic_hairline` option of the `plot` configuration section restores the previous behavior (closes [Issue #80](https://github.com/PlotPyStack/PlotPy/issues/80))
 
 ⚙️ Dependencies:
 

plotpy/config.py

@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ def get_plotpy_defaults() -> dict[str, int | float | str | bool]:
         "plot": {
             "selection/distance": 6,
             "antialiasing": False,
+            # Draw thin curves (width <= 1) one device pixel wide on screen
+            "curve/cosmetic_hairline": True,
             "title/font/size": 12,
             "title/font/bold": False,
             "selected_curve_symbol/marker": "Rect",

plotpy/items/curve/base.py

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from guidata.dataset import update_dataset
 from guidata.utils.misc import assert_interfaces_valid
 from qtpy import QtCore as QC
+from qtpy import QtGui as QG
 from qwt import QwtPlotCurve
 
 from plotpy.config import CONF, _
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import guidata.io
+    from qwt import QwtScaleMap
 
     from plotpy.interfaces import IItemType
     from plotpy.plot import BasePlot
@@ -35,6 +37,39 @@
 SELECTED_SYMBOL = SELECTED_SYMBOL_PARAM.build_symbol()
 
 
+def get_screen_pen(painter: QG.QPainter, pen: QG.QPen) -> QG.QPen:
+    """Return the pen to draw a line on screen
+
+    On high-DPI screens (e.g. with a 150 % scaling factor), a pen of width 1 is
+    drawn wider than one device pixel, which makes Qt's raster engine take its
+    much slower path for wide pens. When painting on screen (raster engine,
+    without scaling transform), pens of width 1 or less are therefore made
+    cosmetic, i.e. one device pixel wide. Printing and exporting, which use other
+    paint engines or a scaling transform, are not affected.
+
+    This behavior may be disabled with the ``curve/cosmetic_hairline`` option of
+    the ``plot`` configuration section.
+
+    Args:
+        painter: Painter
+        pen: Pen to draw with
+
+    Returns:
+        A cosmetic copy of the pen if applicable, the pen itself otherwise
+    """
+    if (
+        pen.isCosmetic()
+        or pen.widthF() > 1.0
+        or painter.paintEngine().type() != QG.QPaintEngine.Raster
+        or painter.worldTransform().isScaling()
+        or not CONF.get("plot", "curve/cosmetic_hairline", True)
+    ):
+        return pen
+    pen = QG.QPen(pen)
+    pen.setCosmetic(True)
+    return pen
+
+
 def seg_dist(P: QC.QPointF, P0: QC.QPointF, P1: QC.QPointF) -> float:
     """Compute distance between point P and segment (P0, P1)
 
@@ -163,6 +198,36 @@ def boundingRect(self) -> QC.QRectF:
         else:
             return QwtPlotCurve.boundingRect(self)
 
+    def drawCurve(
+        self,
+        painter: QG.QPainter,
+        style: int,
+        xMap: QwtScaleMap,
+        yMap: QwtScaleMap,
+        canvasRect: QC.QRectF,
+        from_: int,
+        to: int,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Draw the line part (without symbols) of a curve interval
+
+        Reimplemented to draw thin curves with a cosmetic pen on screen
+        (see :py:func:`get_screen_pen`).
+
+        Args:
+            painter: Painter
+            style: Curve style, see ``QwtPlotCurve.CurveStyle``
+            xMap: X axis scale map
+            yMap: Y axis scale map
+            canvasRect: Contents rectangle of the canvas
+            from_: Index of the first point to be painted
+            to: Index of the last point to be painted
+        """
+        pen = painter.pen()
+        screen_pen = get_screen_pen(painter, pen)
+        if screen_pen is not pen:
+            painter.setPen(screen_pen)
+        super().drawCurve(painter, style, xMap, yMap, canvasRect, from_, to)
+
     def types(self) -> tuple[type[IItemType], ...]:
         """Returns a group or category for this item.
         This should be a tuple of class objects inheriting from IItemType

plotpy/items/curve/errorbar.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 from qwt import QwtPlotCurve, QwtScaleMap
 
 from plotpy.config import _
-from plotpy.items.curve.base import CurveItem
+from plotpy.items.curve.base import CurveItem, get_screen_pen
 from plotpy.styles.curve import CurveParam
 from plotpy.styles.errorbar import ErrorBarParam
 
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ def draw(
             QwtPlotCurve.draw(self, painter, xMap, yMap, canvasRect)
 
         painter.save()
-        painter.setPen(self.errorPen)
+        painter.setPen(get_screen_pen(painter, self.errorPen))
         cap = self.errorCap / 2.0
 
         if self._dx is not None and self.errorbarparam.mode == 0:

plotpy/tests/unit/test_curve_screen_pen.py

@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Licensed under the terms of the BSD 3-Clause
+# (see plotpy/LICENSE for details)
+
+"""Test the cosmetic pen used to draw thin curves on screen"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+from guidata.qthelpers import qt_app_context
+from qtpy import QtCore as QC
+from qtpy import QtGui as QG
+from qwt import QwtScaleMap
+
+from plotpy.builder import make
+from plotpy.config import CONF
+from plotpy.items.curve import base as curve_base
+from plotpy.items.curve.base import get_screen_pen
+
+WIDTH, HEIGHT = 100, 60
+
+
+def _scale_maps() -> tuple[QwtScaleMap, QwtScaleMap]:
+    """Return X and Y scale maps from [0, 1] to the image area"""
+    xmap, ymap = QwtScaleMap(), QwtScaleMap()
+    xmap.setPaintInterval(0, WIDTH)
+    xmap.setScaleInterval(0.0, 1.0)
+    ymap.setPaintInterval(HEIGHT, 0)
+    ymap.setScaleInterval(0.0, 1.0)
+    return xmap, ymap
+
+
+def _hidpi_image(ratio: float = 2.0) -> QG.QImage:
+    """Return a white image with the given device pixel ratio"""
+    image = QG.QImage(int(WIDTH * ratio), int(HEIGHT * ratio), QG.QImage.Format_ARGB32)
+    image.setDevicePixelRatio(ratio)
+    image.fill(QC.Qt.white)
+    return image
+
+
+def _painted_rows(image: QG.QImage, column: int) -> int:
+    """Return the number of non-white pixels in an image column"""
+    white = QG.QColor(QC.Qt.white).rgb()
+    return sum(image.pixel(column, row) != white for row in range(image.height()))
+
+
+def _painted_columns(image: QG.QImage, row: int) -> int:
+    """Return the number of non-white pixels in an image row"""
+    white = QG.QColor(QC.Qt.white).rgb()
+    return sum(image.pixel(col, row) != white for col in range(image.width()))
+
+
+def _draw_horizontal_curve(image: QG.QImage, width: float) -> None:
+    """Draw a horizontal black curve in the middle of the image"""
+    x = np.linspace(0.0, 1.0, 50)
+    y = np.full_like(x, 0.5)
+    curve = make.curve(x, y, color="#000000", linewidth=width)
+    xmap, ymap = _scale_maps()
+    painter = QG.QPainter(image)
+    curve.drawSeries(painter, xmap, ymap, QC.QRectF(0, 0, WIDTH, HEIGHT), 0, -1)
+    painter.end()
+
+
+def _disable_option(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """Disable the ``curve/cosmetic_hairline`` option"""
+    original_get = CONF.get
+
+    def get(section, option, *args, **kwargs):
+        if (section, option) == ("plot", "curve/cosmetic_hairline"):
+            return False
+        return original_get(section, option, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(curve_base.CONF, "get", get)
+
+
+def test_screen_pen_raster() -> None:
+    """Thin pens become cosmetic on screen, wide pens are left unchanged"""
+    with qt_app_context(exec_loop=False):
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        painter = QG.QPainter(image)
+        for width in (0.5, 1.0):
+            pen = QG.QPen(QG.QColor("red"), width)
+            screen_pen = get_screen_pen(painter, pen)
+            assert screen_pen.isCosmetic()
+            assert screen_pen.widthF() == width
+            assert not pen.isCosmetic()  # The original pen is not modified
+        pen = QG.QPen(QG.QColor("red"), 2.0)
+        assert get_screen_pen(painter, pen) is pen
+        painter.end()
+
+
+def test_screen_pen_print_and_export() -> None:
+    """Pens are left unchanged for other paint engines or scaled painters"""
+    with qt_app_context(exec_loop=False):
+        pen = QG.QPen(QG.QColor("red"), 1.0)
+        picture = QG.QPicture()
+        painter = QG.QPainter(picture)
+        assert get_screen_pen(painter, pen) is pen
+        painter.end()
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        painter = QG.QPainter(image)
+        painter.scale(3.0, 3.0)  # As done by QwtPlotRenderer for printing
+        assert get_screen_pen(painter, pen) is pen
+        painter.end()
+
+
+def test_screen_pen_option(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """The ``curve/cosmetic_hairline`` option disables cosmetic pens"""
+    _disable_option(monkeypatch)
+    with qt_app_context(exec_loop=False):
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        painter = QG.QPainter(image)
+        pen = QG.QPen(QG.QColor("red"), 1.0)
+        assert get_screen_pen(painter, pen) is pen
+        painter.end()
+
+
+def test_curve_hidpi_rendering(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """Curves of width 1 are drawn one device pixel wide on HiDPI screens"""
+    with qt_app_context(exec_loop=False):
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        _draw_horizontal_curve(image, 1.0)
+        assert _painted_rows(image, image.width() // 2) == 1
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        _draw_horizontal_curve(image, 2.0)
+        assert _painted_rows(image, image.width() // 2) == 4
+        _disable_option(monkeypatch)
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        _draw_horizontal_curve(image, 1.0)
+        assert _painted_rows(image, image.width() // 2) == 2
+
+
+def test_curve_pen_parameters() -> None:
+    """The stored curve pen and its parameters are not modified"""
+    with qt_app_context(exec_loop=False):
+        curve = make.curve([0.0, 1.0], [0.0, 1.0], color="#000000", linewidth=1.0)
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        painter = QG.QPainter(image)
+        xmap, ymap = _scale_maps()
+        curve.drawSeries(painter, xmap, ymap, QC.QRectF(0, 0, WIDTH, HEIGHT), 0, -1)
+        painter.end()
+        assert not curve.pen().isCosmetic()
+        curve.param.update_param(curve)
+        assert curve.param.line.width == 1.0
+
+
+def test_errorbar_hidpi_rendering() -> None:
+    """Error bars of width 1 are drawn one device pixel wide on HiDPI screens"""
+    with qt_app_context(exec_loop=False):
+        x = np.array([0.5])
+        y = np.array([0.5])
+        dy = np.array([0.3])
+        item = make.error(x, y, None, dy, curvestyle="NoCurve", errorbarcap=0)
+        image = _hidpi_image()
+        painter = QG.QPainter(image)
+        xmap, ymap = _scale_maps()
+        item.draw(painter, xmap, ymap, QC.QRectF(0, 0, WIDTH, HEIGHT))
+        painter.end()
+        assert _painted_columns(image, image.height() // 2) == 1