Overview for Contour Plot

Use Contour Plot when you have a stored model and want to plot the relationship between a fitted response and two continuous variables. A contour plot displays a two-dimensional view in which points that have the same response value are connected to produce contour lines.

For example, analysts at a solar energy company want to plot the relationship between heat flux and the positioning of the east and the south focal points. The analysts previously fit a model to describe the relationship between the focal points and heat flux.

This analysis uses a model that you fit and that Minitab automatically stores in your worksheet. For more information, go to Stored model overview.

Where to find this plot

Use the version of this analysis that corresponds to the type of model you fit.

Type of model	Version of contour plot
Regression	Stat > Regression > Regression > Contour Plot
Binary logistic regression	Stat > Regression > Binary Logistic Regression > Contour Plot
Poisson regression	Stat > Regression > Poisson Regression > Contour Plot
General linear model	Stat > ANOVA > General Linear Model > Contour Plot
Screening design	Stat > DOE > Screening > Contour Plot
Factorial design	Stat > DOE > Factorial > Contour Plot
Response surface design	Stat > DOE > Response Surface > Contour Plot
Mixture design	Stat > DOE > Mixture > Contour/Surface Plots

When to use an alternate analysis

If you do not have a stored model, use Contour Plot in the Graph menu to plot the data means instead of the fitted means. For more information about the types of means, go to Data and fitted means.
If you have a stored model and want to predict the value of the response variable for combinations of variable settings that you specify, use Predict.
If you have a stored model and want to plot the main effects and interaction effects with fitted means, use Factorial Plots.
If you have a stored model and want to plot the relationship between a fitted response and two continuous variables with a three-dimensional response surface, use Surface Plot.
If you have at least one stored model and want to identify an area where the predicted means of one or more response variables are in an acceptable range, use Overlaid Contour Plot.
If you have at least one stored model and want to find values that optimize one or more responses, use Response Optimizer.