The same plot in 14 other libraries — Python: Altair, Bokeh, lets-plot, Matplotlib, Plotly, plotnine, Pygal, Seaborn; R: ggplot2; JavaScript: Chart.js, D3.js, Apache ECharts, Highcharts, MUI X Charts. Compare all 15 side by side: Parametric Curve Plot in Python, R, Julia and JavaScript.
A parametric curve plot visualizes x(t) and y(t) as functions of a parameter t, tracing smooth curves in 2D space. Unlike standard function plots where y = f(x), parametric curves can loop, self-intersect, and form closed shapes such as Lissajous figures, spirals, and cardioids. This makes them essential for representing trajectories, oscillations, and classical mathematical curves that cannot be expressed as single-valued functions.
# anyplot.ai
# line-parametric: Parametric Curve Plot
# Library: makie 0.22.10 | Julia 1.11.9
# Quality: 90/100 | Created: 2026-06-20
using CairoMakie
using Colors
# Theme tokens
const THEME = get(ENV, "ANYPLOT_THEME", "light")
const PAGE_BG = THEME == "light" ? colorant"#FAF8F1" : colorant"#1A1A17"
const ELEVATED_BG = THEME == "light" ? colorant"#FFFDF6" : colorant"#242420"
const INK = THEME == "light" ? colorant"#1A1A17" : colorant"#F0EFE8"
const INK_SOFT = THEME == "light" ? colorant"#4A4A44" : colorant"#B8B7B0"
# Imprint sequential colormap — brand green → blue, encodes direction of t
const ANYPLOT_SEQ = cgrad([colorant"#009E73", colorant"#4467A3"])
# Parametric data — 1000 pts each for smooth rendering near self-intersections
n = 1000
t_liss = LinRange(0.0, 2π, n)
x_liss = sin.(3 .* t_liss)
y_liss = sin.(2 .* t_liss)
t_spiral = LinRange(0.0, 4π, n)
x_spiral = t_spiral .* cos.(t_spiral)
y_spiral = t_spiral .* sin.(t_spiral)
t_norm = collect(LinRange(0.0f0, 1.0f0, n))
# Figure — landscape 3200 × 1800 via size × px_per_unit
fig = Figure(
size = (1600, 900),
fontsize = 14,
backgroundcolor = PAGE_BG,
)
Label(
fig[0, 1:3],
"line-parametric · julia · makie · anyplot.ai";
fontsize = 20,
color = INK,
font = :bold,
padding = (0, 0, 12, 0),
)
grid_color = RGBAf(INK.r, INK.g, INK.b, 0.12f0)
spine_color = RGBAf(INK_SOFT.r, INK_SOFT.g, INK_SOFT.b, 0.35f0)
# Left panel — Lissajous figure
ax1 = Axis(
fig[1, 1];
title = "Lissajous Figure · sin(3t), sin(2t)",
titlesize = 18,
titlecolor = INK,
xlabel = "x = sin(3t)",
ylabel = "y = sin(2t)",
xlabelsize = 13,
ylabelsize = 13,
xlabelcolor = INK,
ylabelcolor = INK,
xticklabelsize = 11,
yticklabelsize = 11,
xticklabelcolor = INK_SOFT,
yticklabelcolor = INK_SOFT,
xtickcolor = INK_SOFT,
ytickcolor = INK_SOFT,
backgroundcolor = PAGE_BG,
topspinevisible = false,
rightspinevisible = false,
leftspinecolor = spine_color,
bottomspinecolor = spine_color,
xgridcolor = grid_color,
ygridcolor = grid_color,
aspect = DataAspect(),
)
lines!(ax1, x_liss, y_liss;
color = t_norm,
colormap = ANYPLOT_SEQ,
linewidth = 2.5)
# Closed curve: start = end = (0, 0) — mark with a single origin circle
scatter!(ax1, [x_liss[1]], [y_liss[1]];
marker = :circle,
markersize = 14,
color = ANYPLOT_SEQ[0.0],
strokecolor = INK,
strokewidth = 1.5)
# Right panel — Archimedean spiral
ax2 = Axis(
fig[1, 2];
title = "Archimedean Spiral · t·cos(t), t·sin(t)",
titlesize = 18,
titlecolor = INK,
xlabel = "x = t·cos(t)",
ylabel = "y = t·sin(t)",
xlabelsize = 13,
ylabelsize = 13,
xlabelcolor = INK,
ylabelcolor = INK,
xticklabelsize = 11,
yticklabelsize = 11,
xticklabelcolor = INK_SOFT,
yticklabelcolor = INK_SOFT,
xtickcolor = INK_SOFT,
ytickcolor = INK_SOFT,
backgroundcolor = PAGE_BG,
topspinevisible = false,
rightspinevisible = false,
leftspinecolor = spine_color,
bottomspinecolor = spine_color,
xgridcolor = grid_color,
ygridcolor = grid_color,
aspect = DataAspect(),
)
lines!(ax2, x_spiral, y_spiral;
color = t_norm,
colormap = ANYPLOT_SEQ,
linewidth = 2.5)
# Start at origin, end at outermost point
scatter!(ax2, [x_spiral[1]], [y_spiral[1]];
marker = :circle,
markersize = 14,
color = ANYPLOT_SEQ[0.0],
strokecolor = INK,
strokewidth = 1.5)
scatter!(ax2, [x_spiral[end]], [y_spiral[end]];
marker = :diamond,
markersize = 14,
color = ANYPLOT_SEQ[1.0],
strokecolor = INK,
strokewidth = 1.5)
# Mid-curve directional label near spiral midpoint (t ≈ 2π: x ≈ 6.28, y ≈ 0)
text!(ax2, 5.0, 1.8; text = "t = 2π →", color = INK_SOFT, fontsize = 11, font = :italic, align = (:left, :bottom))
# Colorbar — shared direction legend for both panels
Colorbar(
fig[1, 3];
colormap = ANYPLOT_SEQ,
limits = (0.0, 1.0),
label = "direction of t →",
labelcolor = INK,
ticklabelcolor = INK_SOFT,
tickcolor = INK_SOFT,
ticks = ([0.0, 1.0], ["start", "end"]),
)
colgap!(fig.layout, 1, 20)
colgap!(fig.layout, 2, 12)
rowgap!(fig.layout, 1, 12)
save("plot-$(THEME).png", fig; px_per_unit = 2)
Runnable source as JSON, for any HTTP client: https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/line-parametric/makie/code. Any spec id and library id listed in llms-full.txt fit the same URL shape; every URL below is complete and callable.
{
"spec_id": "line-parametric",
"language": "julia",
"library": "makie",
"page": "https://anyplot.ai/line-parametric/julia/makie",
"hub": "https://anyplot.ai/line-parametric",
"code_json": "https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/line-parametric/makie/code",
"spec_json": "https://api.anyplot.ai/specs/line-parametric",
"render_light_png": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/line-parametric/julia/makie/plot-light.png",
"render_dark_png": "https://storage.googleapis.com/anyplot-images/plots/line-parametric/julia/makie/plot-dark.png",
"quality_score": 90.0,
"license": "MIT",
"guide": "https://anyplot.ai/llms.txt"
}Part of Parametric Curve Plot on anyplot.ai.