PyGMT vs GMT transparency issues

Q&A PyGMT Q&A
1

A few minutes ago was my first time to convert a GMT script into a PyGMT script. My main reason for doing so is that I was plotting aftershocks/seismicities, and I wanted them to be translucent so that seismicities below another can still be seen.

I’ve read somewhere that the latest versions of Ghostscript are problematic when it comes to making layers or objects transparent. Anyway, I finally got the output that I want with PyGMT.

My question is why does plotting transparent objects work with PyGMT? Does it use a different software outside of Ghostscript to convert the EPS files you produce to a different version?
I would’ve explored the program to know the answer but I’m already at home (I leave my work at the lab) and I’m itching to know. :joy:

And btw, my GMT version is 6.4 running on Ubuntu while my PyGMT is 0.7.0. Ghostscript is .something

2

Conda probably supplies gs <= 10.00 so things work, while for instance homebrew will serve up the flawed 10.01.0. Not much we can do but bug the gs developers and install older gs versions. Believe me, this is not the first time gs screws us.

3

Oh so it really boils down to Ghostscript huh. Anyway, not that it bothers me much, I still use GMT primarily for everything.