Mathematica has long set the standard for high-end technical graphics and visualization. Version 6.0 added many innovative options that brought automated aesthetics to a new level, introducing powerful new programmatic parametrizations of visual presentation, and allowing new forms of high-level control over the visualization pipeline.

New General Visualization Options

RegionFunction — arbitrary 2D and 3D plotting regions

Filling, FillingStyle — filling under curves, surfaces, points

Mesh (modified), MeshFunctions — general meshing for curves and surfaces

ColorFunction — general coloring based on coordinates, parameters, etc.

ContourLabels (modified) — automatic contour labels

ClippingStyle  ▪  MeshShading  ▪  BoundaryStyle  ▪  ContourStyle (modified)

New in Function Visualization

Exclusions, ExclusionsStyle — symbolic control of discontinuities

MaxRecursion (modified) — full adaptivity in 3D, contour, density plots

EvaluationMonitor — ongoing monitoring of function sampling

PerformanceGoal — whether to try to optimize for speed, quality, etc.

NormalsFunction — full control over 3D surface normals

New in Data Visualization

PlotMarkers — automatic distinctive rendering of points

InterpolationOrder — smoothing or stepping between data values in 2D and 3D

Joined — points versus lines separately selectable for each dataset

VertexColors, VertexNormals — automatically interpolated color and normals data

MaxPlotPoints (modified)  ▪  DataReversed

New Graphics Options

Lighting (modified) — extended to new types of light sources

ImageSize (modified) — generalized to allow flexible constraints, relative sizes, etc.

ImagePadding — padding to allow for labels etc.

PlotRangeClipping  ▪  PlotRangePadding  ▪  ImageMargins  ▪  Antialiasing

AlignmentPoint  ▪  BaselinePosition

ViewRange, ViewVector, ViewAngle — new 3D view/"camera" controls

LabelStyle  ▪  TicksStyle  ▪  FrameTicksStyle  ▪  GridLinesStyle  ▪  FaceGridsStyle

Annotation Features »

Tooltip — add tooltips to any plot or data element

Mouseover  ▪  StatusArea  ▪  PopupWindow  ▪  ...