Inverse of Excel: retrieving source data from a graph?

Question

From a graph as an image file (gif, png, etc.) is there any software that can recognize the curve and axis of the graph so as to retrieve source data to excel?

Answer 1

Hi,

I think this problem is beyond the current state of OCR (optical character recognition) software.

The software would need to determine the x, y (and possibly z) axis values, ranges, and the shape of the curve and guess as to the formula that was used to create the line.

Even just gathering the coordinates of the line would be a tough programmatic problem to solve, but that might be do-able. I wasn't able to find any software that does this, although that doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere.

If you have a good librarian, he/she might be willing to help you track something down.

-Jim Gordon
Microsoft Mac MVP

MVPs are independent and do not work for Microsoft
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/