From 6f76c5e7c4d246a03a668f4b099c8dc03bdc9df4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <fechner@aenarete.eu>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:19:30 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 01/30] Allow using CairoMakie or GLMakie using the menu()

---
 examples/Project.toml | 1 +
 examples/menu.jl      | 3 +++
 2 files changed, 4 insertions(+)

diff --git a/examples/Project.toml b/examples/Project.toml
index 2fa79483..5b5059b5 100644
--- a/examples/Project.toml
+++ b/examples/Project.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 [deps]
 CSV = "336ed68f-0bac-5ca0-87d4-7b16caf5d00b"
+CairoMakie = "13f3f980-e62b-5c42-98c6-ff1f3baf88f0"
 DataFrames = "a93c6f00-e57d-5684-b7b6-d8193f3e46c0"
 DelimitedFiles = "8bb1440f-4735-579b-a4ab-409b98df4dab"
 GLMakie = "e9467ef8-e4e7-5192-8a1a-b1aee30e663a"
diff --git a/examples/menu.jl b/examples/menu.jl
index d4324927..5c5962f7 100644
--- a/examples/menu.jl
+++ b/examples/menu.jl
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using Pkg
 Pkg.activate(@__DIR__)
 
 using GLMakie
+using CairoMakie
 using VortexStepMethod
 using REPL.TerminalMenus
 
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@ end
 function example_menu()
     options = [
         [("$( splitext(f)[1]) = include(\"$f\")") for f in example_files];
+        "GLMakie.activate!()";
+        "CairoMakie.activate!()";
         "help_me = VortexStepMethod.help(\"$url\")";
         "quit"
     ]

From 51b420377fe386245e443bfaad97dea53006eea0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <fechner@aenarete.eu>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:20:43 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 02/30] Update News.md

---
 NEWS.md | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 4bc02d87..dbc9a279 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+## Unreleased
+
+### Added
+- allow using CairoMakie or GLMakie using the menu
+
 ## VortexStepMethod v3.1.0 2025-04-19
 
 ### Breaking

From 245e39a90d50052ea99d029be4569c213f891f74 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <fechner@aenarete.eu>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 14:41:09 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 03/30] Update docu

---
 docs/src/examples.md | 53 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 examples/menu.jl     |  2 +-
 2 files changed, 53 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/src/examples.md b/docs/src/examples.md
index e3ce46f9..1315cec4 100644
--- a/docs/src/examples.md
+++ b/docs/src/examples.md
@@ -154,4 +154,55 @@ Choose function to execute or `q` to quit:
 ```
 
 You can select one of the examples using the `<UP>` and `<DOWN>` keys.
-Press `<ENTER>` to run the selected example.
\ No newline at end of file
+Press `<ENTER>` to run the selected example.
+
+## Plotting Backends
+
+The examples in this package support three plotting backends. Here is a comparison to help you choose:
+
+### GLMakie
+**Advantages:**
+- Interactive plots: zoom, pan, rotate 3D scenes in a native window.
+- Hardware-accelerated rendering via OpenGL — fast for large datasets.
+- Supports animations and live-updating plots.
+
+**Disadvantages:**
+- Requires a display server (does not work in headless/server environments without a virtual framebuffer).
+- Heavier dependency: needs OpenGL drivers and a GPU.
+- Longer initial load time compared to the other backends.
+
+### CairoMakie
+**Advantages:**
+- Fully software-rendered — works in headless environments (CI, servers, SSH sessions).
+- Produces high-quality vector output (SVG, PDF) suitable for publication.
+- Lighter dependency than GLMakie (no GPU required).
+
+**Disadvantages:**
+- Plots are static — no interactive zoom or pan.
+- Slower for very large or complex scenes because rendering is done in software.
+- 3D support is limited compared to GLMakie.
+
+### ControlPlots (based on PyPlot / Matplotlib)
+**Advantages:**
+- Simple API, easy to learn for students
+- In addition, the Matplotlib API for users coming from Python/Matplotlib is supported.
+- Works in headless environments; can save to PNG, SVG, PDF, etc.
+- Very lightweight Julia-side dependency (delegates work to Python).
+
+**Disadvantages:**
+- Requires a working Python installation with Matplotlib (via `PyCall`).
+- Can cause issues when multithreading is enabled.
+- No native Makie ecosystem integration (e.g. cannot use `Makie.Observable` for live updates).
+- Interactivity is limited and depends on the Matplotlib backend in use.
+- Extra setup complexity when Python or Matplotlib are not already installed.
+
+| Feature | GLMakie | CairoMakie | ControlPlots |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Interactive (zoom/pan) | yes | no | yes |
+| Headless / server | no* | yes | yes |
+| Vector output (PDF/SVG) | no | yes | yes |
+| GPU required | yes | no | no |
+| 3D support | full | limited | limited |
+| Load time | slow | medium | fast |
+
+\* GLMakie can run headless with a virtual framebuffer (e.g. `Xvfb`), but this requires additional setup.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/menu.jl b/examples/menu.jl
index 5c5962f7..50a948a7 100644
--- a/examples/menu.jl
+++ b/examples/menu.jl
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ function example_menu()
     ]
     active = true
     while active
-        menu = RadioMenu(options, pagesize=8)
+        menu = RadioMenu(options, pagesize=11)
         choice = request(
             "\nChoose function to execute or `q` to quit: ",
             menu)

From b129ace7e783c35cff896c3879f708ab36d061cb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:44:00 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 04/30] Use pdf as default if CairoMakie is active

---
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl | 8 ++++++--
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index e4e39c8e..fd12b661 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -247,9 +247,13 @@ Save a Makie figure to a file.
 - `title`: Title of the plot
 
 # Keyword arguments
-- `data_type`: File extension (default: ".png", also supports ".jpeg")
+- `data_type`: File extension. Defaults to `".pdf"` when CairoMakie is active, `".png"` otherwise.
 """
-function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig::Makie.Figure, save_path, title; data_type=".png")
+function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig::Makie.Figure, save_path, title; data_type=nothing)
+    if isnothing(data_type)
+        cairo_loaded = any(m -> nameof(m) == :CairoMakie, values(Base.loaded_modules))
+        data_type = cairo_loaded ? ".pdf" : ".png"
+    end
     isnothing(save_path) && throw(ArgumentError("save_path should be provided"))
 
     !isdir(save_path) && mkpath(save_path)

From a4fa28c3e98ede852c0ea19405a2812dd15e97be Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:57:12 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 05/30] Add output directory

---
 .gitignore  | 1 +
 bin/install | 5 +++++
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6c974991..a1c01817 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -36,3 +36,4 @@ data/ram_air_kite/ram_air_kite_foil_cl_polar.csv
 .gitignore
 data/ram_air_kite/ram_air_kite_foil_cd_polar.csv
 data/ram_air_kite/ram_air_kite_foil_cm_polar.csv
+output/
diff --git a/bin/install b/bin/install
index a395b862..9005330f 100755
--- a/bin/install
+++ b/bin/install
@@ -233,6 +233,11 @@ $_julia_cmd --project=examples -e 'using GLMakie, VortexStepMethod; @info "GLMak
 $_julia_cmd -t1 --project=examples_cp -e 'using ControlPlots, VortexStepMethod; @info "ControlPlots extension ready."'
 $_julia_cmd --project=. -e 'using Pkg; Pkg.test(test_args=["settings/test_settings.jl"]);
 @info "Minimal test smoke check complete."'
+
+echo
+echo "Creating output directory..."
+mkdir -p output
+
 echo
 echo "Installation complete."
 

From 0e2af14f4ad4ae2a47a60288030038a66027e25d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:20:24 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 06/30] Save as pdf for CairoMakie

---
 examples/rectangular_wing.jl           | 10 ++++++++--
 ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl |  3 ++-
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl        | 17 +++++++++--------
 3 files changed, 19 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/rectangular_wing.jl b/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
index cbf8b6b1..f3df6d4a 100644
--- a/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
+++ b/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ using LinearAlgebra
 using VortexStepMethod
 
 PLOT = true
+SAVE_ALL = false
 USE_TEX = false
+OUTPUT_DIR = joinpath(dirname(@__DIR__), "output")
 
 # Step 1: Define wing parameters
 n_panels = 20          # Number of panels
@@ -60,8 +62,8 @@ PLOT && plot_geometry(
       body_aero,
       "Rectangular_wing_geometry";
       data_type=".pdf",
-      save_path=".",
-      is_save=false,
+      save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+      is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
       is_show=true,
       use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
@@ -74,6 +76,8 @@ PLOT && plot_distribution(
     [results_vsm, results_llt],
     ["VSM", "LLT"],
     title="Spanwise Distributions",
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
 
@@ -87,6 +91,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     angle_type="angle_of_attack",
     v_a,
     title="Rectangular Wing Polars",
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
 nothing
diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl
index 5b08aacc..bab179f1 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_path, title; data_type=".pdf")
     isnothing(save_path) && throw(ArgumentError("save_path should be provided"))
 
     !isdir(save_path) && mkpath(save_path)
-    full_path = joinpath(save_path, title * data_type)
+    sanitized_title = replace(String(title), ' ' => '_')
+    full_path = joinpath(save_path, sanitized_title * data_type)
 
     @debug "Attempting to save figure to: $full_path"
     @debug "Current working directory: $(pwd())"
diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index fd12b661..4fef786e 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -257,8 +257,9 @@ function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig::Makie.Figure, save_path, title; data_ty
     isnothing(save_path) && throw(ArgumentError("save_path should be provided"))
 
     !isdir(save_path) && mkpath(save_path)
-    full_path = joinpath(save_path, title * data_type)
-    fallback_path = joinpath(save_path, title * ".png")
+    sanitized_title = replace(String(title), ' ' => '_')
+    full_path = joinpath(save_path, sanitized_title * data_type)
+    fallback_path = joinpath(save_path, sanitized_title * ".png")
 
     @debug "Attempting to save figure to: $full_path"
     @debug "Current working directory: $(pwd())"
@@ -504,7 +505,7 @@ end
 
 """
     plot_distribution(y_coordinates_list, results_list, label_list;
-                      title="spanwise_distribution", data_type=".png",
+                      title="spanwise_distribution", data_type=nothing,
                       save_path=nothing, is_save=false, is_show=true, use_tex=false)
 
 Plot spanwise distributions of aerodynamic properties using Makie.
@@ -516,7 +517,7 @@ Plot spanwise distributions of aerodynamic properties using Makie.
 
 # Keyword arguments
 - `title`: Plot title (default: "spanwise_distribution")
-- `data_type`: File extension (default: ".png", also supports ".jpeg")
+- `data_type`: File extension (default: `nothing`; delegated to `save_plot` backend-aware default)
 - `save_path`: Path to save plots (default: nothing)
 - `is_save`: Whether to save (default: false)
 - `is_show`: Whether to display (default: true)
@@ -524,7 +525,7 @@ Plot spanwise distributions of aerodynamic properties using Makie.
 """
 function VortexStepMethod.plot_distribution(y_coordinates_list, results_list, label_list;
     title="spanwise_distribution",
-    data_type=".png",
+    data_type=nothing,
     save_path=nothing,
     is_save=false,
     is_show=true,
@@ -659,7 +660,7 @@ Generate polar data for aerodynamic analysis over a range of angles.
                 literature_path_list=String[],
                 angle_range=range(0, 20, 2), angle_type="angle_of_attack",
                 angle_of_attack=0.0, side_slip=0.0, v_a=10.0,
-                title="polar", data_type=".png", save_path=nothing,
+                title="polar", data_type=nothing, save_path=nothing,
                 is_save=true, is_show=true, use_tex=false)
 
 Plot polar data comparing different solvers using Makie.
@@ -677,7 +678,7 @@ Plot polar data comparing different solvers using Makie.
 - `side_slip`: Side slip angle [°] (default: 0.0)
 - `v_a`: Wind speed [m/s] (default: 10.0)
 - `title`: Plot title
-- `data_type`: File extension (default: ".png", also supports ".jpeg")
+- `data_type`: File extension (default: `nothing`; delegated to `save_plot` backend-aware default)
 - `save_path`: Path to save (default: nothing)
 - `is_save`: Whether to save (default: true)
 - `is_show`: Whether to display (default: true)
@@ -695,7 +696,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.plot_polars(
     side_slip=0.0,
     v_a=10.0,
     title="polar",
-    data_type=".png",
+    data_type=nothing,
     save_path=nothing,
     is_save=true,
     is_show=true,

From 016be7a322b61b0b91317c072baf986e63b39b08 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:28:44 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 07/30] Add folder to .gitignore

---
 .gitignore | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a1c01817..0df6f6c0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -37,3 +37,4 @@ data/ram_air_kite/ram_air_kite_foil_cl_polar.csv
 data/ram_air_kite/ram_air_kite_foil_cd_polar.csv
 data/ram_air_kite/ram_air_kite_foil_cm_polar.csv
 output/
+output_cairo/
\ No newline at end of file

From 01ce01eeb7f361e67181d3517c73a4d87ba63410 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:32:48 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 08/30] Spaces in title

---
 examples/rectangular_wing.jl | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/examples/rectangular_wing.jl b/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
index f3df6d4a..fd0f7372 100644
--- a/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
+++ b/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ println("Projected area = $(round(results_vsm["projected_area"], digits=4)) m²"
 # Step 6: Plot geometry
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
       body_aero,
-      "Rectangular_wing_geometry";
+      "Rectangular wing geometry";
       data_type=".pdf",
       save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
       is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,

From fb44d6cc816f7b88c83ff881f8240a78e4194927 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:32:58 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 09/30] Add save logic

---
 examples/billowing.jl | 43 +++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------
 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/billowing.jl b/examples/billowing.jl
index 98b0760d..abb27b27 100644
--- a/examples/billowing.jl
+++ b/examples/billowing.jl
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ using LinearAlgebra
 using VortexStepMethod
 
 PLOT = true
+SAVE_ALL = false
 USE_TEX = false
+OUTPUT_DIR = joinpath(dirname(@__DIR__), "output")
 
 # Data paths (all within this repo)
 vsm_src_path = something(pathof(VortexStepMethod), @__FILE__)
@@ -132,28 +134,12 @@ println("Billowed:  CL=$(round(results_bill["cl"]; digits=4)), " *
         "CD=$(round(results_bill["cd"]; digits=4))")
 
 if PLOT
-    # Plot polars comparison
-    plot_polars(
-        [solver_flat, solver_bill],
-        [body_aero_flat, body_aero_bill],
-        labels;
-        literature_path_list=literature_paths,
-        angle_range=range(-5, 25, length=31),
-        angle_type="angle_of_attack",
-        angle_of_attack=angle_of_attack_deg,
-        side_slip=sideslip_deg,
-        v_a=wind_speed,
-        title="V3 Kite: flat vs billowing $(BILLOWING_PCT)%",
-        is_show=true,
-        use_tex=USE_TEX,
-        show_moments=true
-    )
-
     # Plot geometry (flat wing)
     plot_geometry(
         body_aero_flat,
         "Flat wing geometry";
-        is_save=false,
+        save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+        is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
         is_show=true,
         use_tex=USE_TEX
     )
@@ -168,9 +154,30 @@ if PLOT
         [results_flat, results_bill],
         ["VSM flat", "VSM billowing"];
         title="Billowing comparison distributions",
+        save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+        is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
         is_show=true,
         use_tex=USE_TEX
     )
+
+    # Plot polars comparison
+    plot_polars(
+        [solver_flat, solver_bill],
+        [body_aero_flat, body_aero_bill],
+        labels;
+        literature_path_list=literature_paths,
+        angle_range=range(-5, 25, length=31),
+        angle_type="angle_of_attack",
+        angle_of_attack=angle_of_attack_deg,
+        side_slip=sideslip_deg,
+        v_a=wind_speed,
+        title="V3 Kite flat vs billowing $(BILLOWING_PCT)%",
+        save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+        is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
+        is_show=true,
+        use_tex=USE_TEX,
+        show_moments=true
+    )
 end
 
 nothing

From 9c418ce91e62dc07c5fefd67655371152f62ebe0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:53:31 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 10/30] Billowing can save now pdf

---
 ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl | 2 +-
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl        | 8 ++++----
 2 files changed, 5 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl
index bab179f1..46d5094e 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodControlPlotsExt.jl
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_path, title; data_type=".pdf")
     isnothing(save_path) && throw(ArgumentError("save_path should be provided"))
 
     !isdir(save_path) && mkpath(save_path)
-    sanitized_title = replace(String(title), ' ' => '_')
+    sanitized_title = replace(replace(String(title), ' ' => '_'), '%' => "pct")
     full_path = joinpath(save_path, sanitized_title * data_type)
 
     @debug "Attempting to save figure to: $full_path"
diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index 4fef786e..b815f2e9 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig::Makie.Figure, save_path, title; data_ty
     isnothing(save_path) && throw(ArgumentError("save_path should be provided"))
 
     !isdir(save_path) && mkpath(save_path)
-    sanitized_title = replace(String(title), ' ' => '_')
+    sanitized_title = replace(replace(String(title), ' ' => '_'), '%' => "pct")
     full_path = joinpath(save_path, sanitized_title * data_type)
     fallback_path = joinpath(save_path, sanitized_title * ".png")
 
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ end
 
 """
     plot_geometry(body_aero::BodyAerodynamics, title;
-                  data_type=".png", save_path=nothing,
+                  data_type=nothing, save_path=nothing,
                   is_save=false, is_show=false,
                   view_elevation=15, view_azimuth=-120, use_tex=false)
 
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ Plot wing geometry from different viewpoints using Makie.
 - `title`: plot title
 
 # Keyword arguments:
-- `data_type`: File extension (default: ".png", also supports ".jpeg")
+- `data_type`: File extension (default: `nothing`; delegated to `save_plot` backend-aware default)
 - `save_path`: Path for saving (default: nothing)
 - `is_save`: Whether to save (default: false)
 - `is_show`: Whether to display (default: false)
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ Plot wing geometry from different viewpoints using Makie.
 - `use_tex`: Ignored for Makie (default: false)
 """
 function VortexStepMethod.plot_geometry(body_aero::BodyAerodynamics, title;
-    data_type=".png",
+    data_type=nothing,
     save_path=nothing,
     is_save=false,
     is_show=false,

From 2994e4b809e280d6994ab5ea80ff8f7ed0165208 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:57:44 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 11/30] Update pyramid_model.jl

---
 examples/pyramid_model.jl | 17 +++++++++--------
 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/pyramid_model.jl b/examples/pyramid_model.jl
index 42bbfd8e..cb8ee74e 100644
--- a/examples/pyramid_model.jl
+++ b/examples/pyramid_model.jl
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ results = VortexStepMethod.solve(solver, body_aero; log=true)
 
 # Using plotting modules, to create more comprehensive plots
 PLOT = true
+SAVE_ALL = false
 USE_TEX = false
+OUTPUT_DIR = joinpath(dirname(@__DIR__), "output")
 
 # Plotting polars
 PLOT && plot_polars(
@@ -37,8 +39,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     side_slip=sideslip_deg,
     v_a=wind_speed,
     title="$(wing.n_panels)_panels_$(wing.spanwise_distribution)_pyramid_model",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
@@ -46,10 +48,9 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
 # Plotting geometry
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
-    "";
-    data_type=".svg",
-    save_path="",
-    is_save=false,
+    "Pyramid model geometry";
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     view_elevation=15,
     view_azimuth=-120,
@@ -64,8 +65,8 @@ PLOT && plot_distribution(
     [results],
     ["VSM"];
     title="pyramid_spanwise_distributions_alpha_$(round(angle_of_attack_deg, digits=1))_delta_$(round(sideslip_deg, digits=1))_yaw_$(round(yaw_rate, digits=1))_v_a_$(round(wind_speed, digits=1))",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )

From 0a44cff75d2e1da985bf85328b3f9a1cc580f30b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:59:18 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 12/30] Update ram_air_kite.jl

---
 examples/ram_air_kite.jl | 18 ++++++++++--------
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/ram_air_kite.jl b/examples/ram_air_kite.jl
index 6ffe00e8..02574124 100644
--- a/examples/ram_air_kite.jl
+++ b/examples/ram_air_kite.jl
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ using LinearAlgebra
 
 PLOT = true
 PRN = true
+SAVE_ALL = false
 USE_TEX = false
 DEFORM = true
 LINEARIZE = false
+OUTPUT_DIR = joinpath(dirname(@__DIR__), "output")
 
 # Create wing geometry
 wing = ObjWing(
@@ -74,10 +76,10 @@ PLOT && plot_polar_data(body_aero)
 # Plotting geometry
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
-    "";
-    data_type=".svg",
-    save_path="",
-    is_save=false,
+    "Ram air kite geometry";
+    data_type=".pdf",
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     view_elevation=15,
     view_azimuth=-120,
@@ -96,8 +98,8 @@ PLOT && plot_distribution(
     [results],
     ["VSM"];
     title="CAD_spanwise_distributions_alpha_$(round(aoa, digits=1))_delta_$(round(side_slip, digits=1))_yaw_$(round(yaw_rate, digits=1))_v_a_$(round(v_a, digits=1))",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
@@ -114,8 +116,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     side_slip=0,
     v_a=10,
     title="ram_kite_panels_$(wing.n_panels)_distribution_$(wing.spanwise_distribution)",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )

From 9ffda88cb714ddf923fbcf17166288597e88b9d5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:00:46 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 13/30] Update stall_model.jl

---
 examples/stall_model.jl | 23 ++++++++++-------------
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/stall_model.jl b/examples/stall_model.jl
index 87c380e9..8e1301cb 100644
--- a/examples/stall_model.jl
+++ b/examples/stall_model.jl
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@ using CSV
 using DataFrames
 
 PLOT = true
+SAVE_ALL = false
 USE_TEX = false
+OUTPUT_DIR = joinpath(dirname(@__DIR__), "output")
 
 # Find root directory
 root_dir = dirname(@__DIR__)
-save_folder = joinpath(root_dir, "results", "TUDELFT_V3_KITE")
-mkpath(save_folder)
 
 # Defining discretisation
 n_panels = 54
@@ -67,10 +67,10 @@ set_va!(body_aero, vel_app)
 # Plotting geometry
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
-    "";
-    data_type=".svg",
-    save_path="",
-    is_save=false,
+    "Stall model geometry";
+    data_type=".pdf",
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     view_elevation=15,
     view_azimuth=-120,
@@ -89,15 +89,13 @@ PLOT && plot_distribution(
     [results, results_with_stall],
     ["VSM", "VSM with stall correction"];
     title="CAD_spanwise_distributions_alpha_$(round(aoa, digits=1))_delta_$(round(side_slip, digits=1))_yaw_$(round(yaw_rate, digits=1))_v_a_$(round(v_a, digits=1))",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    save_path=joinpath(save_folder, "spanwise_distributions"),
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
 
 # Plotting polar
-save_path = joinpath(root_dir, "results", "TUDELFT_V3_KITE")
 path_cfd_lebesque = joinpath(
     root_dir,
     "data",
@@ -128,9 +126,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     side_slip=side_slip,
     v_a=v_a,
     title="tutorial_testing_stall_model_n_panels_$(n_panels)_distribution_$(spanwise_distribution)",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    save_path=joinpath(save_folder, "polars"),
-    is_save=true,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )

From 604579b0291b7a8a51947b61933ddc1ba56d11f3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:02:04 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 14/30] Update V3_kite.jl

---
 examples/V3_kite.jl | 24 ++++++++++++++----------
 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/V3_kite.jl b/examples/V3_kite.jl
index 8c042db1..34f2db62 100644
--- a/examples/V3_kite.jl
+++ b/examples/V3_kite.jl
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ using LinearAlgebra
 using VortexStepMethod
 
 PLOT = true
+SAVE_ALL = false
 USE_TEX = false
 DEFORM = false
+OUTPUT_DIR = joinpath(dirname(@__DIR__), "output")
 
 project_dir = dirname(@__DIR__)
 literature_paths = [
@@ -118,8 +120,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     side_slip=sideslip_deg,
     v_a=wind_speed,
     title="$(wing.n_panels)_panels_$(wing.spanwise_distribution)_from_yaml_settings",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX,
     show_moments=true
@@ -128,10 +130,10 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
 # Plotting geometry
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
-    "";
-    data_type=".svg",
-    save_path="",
-    is_save=false,
+    "V3 kite geometry";
+    data_type=".pdf",
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     view_elevation=15,
     view_azimuth=-120,
@@ -147,8 +149,8 @@ PLOT && plot_distribution(
     [results],
     ["VSM"];
     title="CAD_spanwise_distributions_alpha_$(round(angle_of_attack_deg, digits=1))_delta_$(round(sideslip_deg, digits=1))_yaw_$(round(yaw_rate, digits=1))_v_a_$(round(wind_speed, digits=1))",
-    data_type=".pdf",
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
@@ -193,7 +195,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     v_a=wind_speed,
     title="LOOP solver",
     show_moments=true,
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )
@@ -211,7 +214,8 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
     v_a=wind_speed,
     title="beta sweep",
     show_moments=true,
-    is_save=false,
+    save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
+    is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
     use_tex=USE_TEX
 )

From f3934ad0f134b2c0430edad1da75f590f7fb8154 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:17:26 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 15/30] Increase test coverage

---
 test/plotting/test_plotting.jl | 57 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 57 insertions(+)

diff --git a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
index 53ded13b..f51ded1f 100644
--- a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
+++ b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
@@ -423,5 +423,62 @@ end
     )
     @test fig_no_moments !== nothing
     safe_rm(no_cm_path)
+
+    # Tests for save_plot function
+    if backend == "Makie"
+        body_aero = create_body_aero()
+        fig = plot_geometry(
+            body_aero,
+            "save_plot_test";
+            is_save=false,
+            is_show=false)
+        @test fig isa Figure
+
+        save_test_dir = tempdir()
+        
+        # Test 1: save_plot with explicit data_type (".png")
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test_explicit_png", data_type=".png")
+        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_explicit_png.png"))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_explicit_png.png"))
+
+        # Test 2: save_plot with explicit data_type (".pdf")
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test_explicit_pdf", data_type=".pdf")
+        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_explicit_pdf.pdf"))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_explicit_pdf.pdf"))
+
+        # Test 3: save_plot with data_type=nothing (backend-aware detection)
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware", data_type=nothing)
+        cairo_loaded = any(m -> nameof(m) == :CairoMakie, values(Base.loaded_modules))
+        expected_ext = cairo_loaded ? ".pdf" : ".png"
+        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
+
+        # Test 4: save_plot with title containing spaces (should be sanitized to underscores)
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test with spaces", data_type=".png")
+        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_with_spaces.png"))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_with_spaces.png"))
+
+        # Test 5: save_plot with title containing percent signs (should be sanitized to "pct")
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test%efficiency", data_type=".png")
+        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "testpctefficiency.png"))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "testpctefficiency.png"))
+
+        # Test 6: save_plot with title containing both spaces and percent signs
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test %efficiency metric", data_type=".png")
+        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_pctefficiency_metric.png"))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_pctefficiency_metric.png"))
+
+        # Test 7: save_plot creates directory if it doesn't exist
+        nested_dir = joinpath(save_test_dir, "nested_save_plot_dir")
+        !isdir(nested_dir) && @test !isdir(nested_dir)
+        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, nested_dir, "test_nested_dir", data_type=".png")
+        @test isdir(nested_dir)
+        @test isfile(joinpath(nested_dir, "test_nested_dir.png"))
+        safe_rm(joinpath(nested_dir, "test_nested_dir.png"))
+        rm(nested_dir; force=true)
+
+        # Test 8: save_plot raises error when save_path is nothing
+        @test_throws ArgumentError VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, nothing, "test_title", data_type=".png")
+    end
 end
 nothing

From 2bb87b84cbe3d148c9fa1d5ea25817dbd81d7263 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:38:56 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 16/30] Update menu

---
 docs/src/examples.md | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/docs/src/examples.md b/docs/src/examples.md
index 1315cec4..39c18298 100644
--- a/docs/src/examples.md
+++ b/docs/src/examples.md
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ Choose function to execute or `q` to quit:
    stall_model = include("stall_model.jl")
    bench = include("bench.jl")
    cleanup = include("cleanup.jl")
+   GLMakie.activate!()
+   CairoMakie.activate!()
+   help_me = VortexStepMethod.help("https://opensourceawe.github.io/VortexStepMethod.jl/dev")
    quit
 ```
 

From 815475b6af1fb31a84aafda1f2baa01a89048c8b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:50:36 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 17/30] Check if Cairo is activated, not loaded

---
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl | 40 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---
 test/plotting/test_plotting.jl  | 24 ++++++++++++++++++--
 2 files changed, 59 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index b815f2e9..de9d265f 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -247,12 +247,46 @@ Save a Makie figure to a file.
 - `title`: Title of the plot
 
 # Keyword arguments
-- `data_type`: File extension. Defaults to `".pdf"` when CairoMakie is active, `".png"` otherwise.
+- `data_type`: File extension. Defaults to `".pdf"` when the active Makie backend is CairoMakie, `".png"` otherwise.
 """
+function _active_backend_prefers_vector_output()
+    isdefined(Makie, :current_backend) || return false
+
+    backend = try
+        Makie.current_backend()
+    catch
+        return false
+    end
+
+    # Makie versions may return backend modules directly or backend callables.
+    if backend isa Module
+        return nameof(backend) == :CairoMakie
+    end
+    if backend isa DataType
+        return nameof(backend) == :CairoMakie
+    end
+
+    if Base.applicable(backend)
+        called_backend = try
+            backend()
+        catch
+            nothing
+        end
+        if called_backend isa Module
+            return nameof(called_backend) == :CairoMakie
+        end
+        if called_backend isa DataType
+            return nameof(called_backend) == :CairoMakie
+        end
+        !isnothing(called_backend) && return occursin("cairomakie", lowercase(string(called_backend)))
+    end
+
+    return occursin("cairomakie", lowercase(string(backend)))
+end
+
 function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig::Makie.Figure, save_path, title; data_type=nothing)
     if isnothing(data_type)
-        cairo_loaded = any(m -> nameof(m) == :CairoMakie, values(Base.loaded_modules))
-        data_type = cairo_loaded ? ".pdf" : ".png"
+        data_type = _active_backend_prefers_vector_output() ? ".pdf" : ".png"
     end
     isnothing(save_path) && throw(ArgumentError("save_path should be provided"))
 
diff --git a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
index f51ded1f..43b6f5f0 100644
--- a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
+++ b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
@@ -448,8 +448,28 @@ end
 
         # Test 3: save_plot with data_type=nothing (backend-aware detection)
         VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware", data_type=nothing)
-        cairo_loaded = any(m -> nameof(m) == :CairoMakie, values(Base.loaded_modules))
-        expected_ext = cairo_loaded ? ".pdf" : ".png"
+        backend_obj = Makie.current_backend()
+        backend_name = if backend_obj isa Module
+            nameof(backend_obj)
+        elseif backend_obj isa DataType
+            nameof(backend_obj)
+        elseif Base.applicable(backend_obj)
+            called_backend = try
+                backend_obj()
+            catch
+                nothing
+            end
+            if called_backend isa Module
+                nameof(called_backend)
+            elseif called_backend isa DataType
+                nameof(called_backend)
+            else
+                Symbol(string(something(called_backend, backend_obj)))
+            end
+        else
+            Symbol(string(backend_obj))
+        end
+        expected_ext = lowercase(String(backend_name)) == "cairomakie" ? ".pdf" : ".png"
         @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
         safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
 

From b1b6748554cd2fb87047a6e538aeffef60aedd21 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:52:44 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 18/30] Don't hardcode data type

---
 examples/rectangular_wing.jl | 1 -
 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/examples/rectangular_wing.jl b/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
index fd0f7372..b576b026 100644
--- a/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
+++ b/examples/rectangular_wing.jl
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ println("Projected area = $(round(results_vsm["projected_area"], digits=4)) m²"
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
       body_aero,
       "Rectangular wing geometry";
-      data_type=".pdf",
       save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
       is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
       is_show=true,

From c7cc6f1357d30369e4091360b4749cf2f823dac7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:54:26 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 19/30] Don't hardcode data_type

---
 examples/stall_model.jl | 1 -
 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/examples/stall_model.jl b/examples/stall_model.jl
index 8e1301cb..8b9676e2 100644
--- a/examples/stall_model.jl
+++ b/examples/stall_model.jl
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ set_va!(body_aero, vel_app)
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
     "Stall model geometry";
-    data_type=".pdf",
     save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
     is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,

From ae8d3b7e1e55e8636f72ebd41155d2796141ba51 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:56:44 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 20/30] Don't hardcode the data type

---
 examples/V3_kite.jl      | 1 -
 examples/ram_air_kite.jl | 1 -
 2 files changed, 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/V3_kite.jl b/examples/V3_kite.jl
index 34f2db62..7e4caea5 100644
--- a/examples/V3_kite.jl
+++ b/examples/V3_kite.jl
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ PLOT && plot_polars(
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
     "V3 kite geometry";
-    data_type=".pdf",
     save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
     is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,
diff --git a/examples/ram_air_kite.jl b/examples/ram_air_kite.jl
index 02574124..8deb6973 100644
--- a/examples/ram_air_kite.jl
+++ b/examples/ram_air_kite.jl
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@ PLOT && plot_polar_data(body_aero)
 PLOT && plot_geometry(
     body_aero,
     "Ram air kite geometry";
-    data_type=".pdf",
     save_path=OUTPUT_DIR,
     is_save=false || SAVE_ALL,
     is_show=true,

From fcbd71bc2698597abc2cd64443f654c6c504a32d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:01:35 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 21/30] Update docstring

---
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl | 27 ++++++++++++++-------------
 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index de9d265f..f339e390 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -236,19 +236,6 @@ function Makie.plot(body_aero::VortexStepMethod.BodyAerodynamics; size=(1200, 80
     return fig
 end
 
-"""
-    save_plot(fig, save_path, title; data_type=".png")
-
-Save a Makie figure to a file.
-
-# Arguments
-- `fig`: Makie Figure object
-- `save_path`: Path to save the plot
-- `title`: Title of the plot
-
-# Keyword arguments
-- `data_type`: File extension. Defaults to `".pdf"` when the active Makie backend is CairoMakie, `".png"` otherwise.
-"""
 function _active_backend_prefers_vector_output()
     isdefined(Makie, :current_backend) || return false
 
@@ -284,6 +271,20 @@ function _active_backend_prefers_vector_output()
     return occursin("cairomakie", lowercase(string(backend)))
 end
 
+"""
+    save_plot(fig, save_path, title; data_type=nothing)
+
+Save a Makie figure to a file.
+
+# Arguments
+- `fig`: Makie Figure object
+- `save_path`: Path to save the plot
+- `title`: Title of the plot
+
+# Keyword arguments
+- `data_type`: File extension. If `nothing`, defaults to `".pdf"` when the
+    active Makie backend is CairoMakie and `".png"` otherwise.
+"""
 function VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig::Makie.Figure, save_path, title; data_type=nothing)
     if isnothing(data_type)
         data_type = _active_backend_prefers_vector_output() ? ".pdf" : ".png"

From c9c0dbad02ff03928a1c28d2e0dd20667c732788 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:39:13 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 22/30] Increase test coverage

---
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl |   6 +-
 test/plotting/test_plotting.jl  | 124 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 127 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index f339e390..4bd98fdd 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -236,11 +236,11 @@ function Makie.plot(body_aero::VortexStepMethod.BodyAerodynamics; size=(1200, 80
     return fig
 end
 
-function _active_backend_prefers_vector_output()
-    isdefined(Makie, :current_backend) || return false
+function _active_backend_prefers_vector_output(makie=Makie)
+    isdefined(makie, :current_backend) || return false
 
     backend = try
-        Makie.current_backend()
+        makie.current_backend()
     catch
         return false
     end
diff --git a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
index 43b6f5f0..1d088278 100644
--- a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
+++ b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
@@ -1,3 +1,92 @@
+module FakeMakieNoCurrentBackend end
+
+module FakeMakieCurrentBackendThrows
+    current_backend() = error("boom")
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCairoModule
+    import CairoMakie
+    current_backend() = CairoMakie
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsOtherModule
+    import Base
+    current_backend() = Base
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCairoType
+    struct CairoMakie end
+    current_backend() = CairoMakie
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsOtherType
+    struct OtherBackend end
+    current_backend() = OtherBackend
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleCairo
+    import CairoMakie
+    struct BackendCallable end
+    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
+    (::BackendCallable)() = CairoMakie
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleOther
+    import Base
+    struct BackendCallable end
+    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
+    (::BackendCallable)() = Base
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeCairo
+    struct CairoMakie end
+    struct BackendCallable end
+    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
+    (::BackendCallable)() = CairoMakie
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeOther
+    struct OtherBackend end
+    struct BackendCallable end
+    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
+    (::BackendCallable)() = OtherBackend
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringCairo
+    struct BackendCallable end
+    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
+    (::BackendCallable)() = "CairoMakie backend"
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringOther
+    struct BackendCallable end
+    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
+    (::BackendCallable)() = "Raster backend"
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableCairo
+    import Base: show
+    struct CairoMakieCallable end
+    current_backend() = CairoMakieCallable()
+    (::CairoMakieCallable)() = error("boom")
+    show(io::IO, ::CairoMakieCallable) = print(io, "CairoMakieCallable")
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableOther
+    import Base: show
+    struct OtherCallable end
+    current_backend() = OtherCallable()
+    (::OtherCallable)() = error("boom")
+    show(io::IO, ::OtherCallable) = print(io, "OtherCallable")
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsStringCairo
+    current_backend() = "CairoMakie backend"
+end
+
+module FakeMakieReturnsStringOther
+    current_backend() = "Raster backend"
+end
 backend = if "plot-controlplots" in ARGS
     using ControlPlots
     import ControlPlots: plt
@@ -10,6 +99,9 @@ end
 using VortexStepMethod
 using Test
 
+const makie_ext = backend == "Makie" ?
+    Base.get_extension(VortexStepMethod, :VortexStepMethodMakieExt) : nothing
+
 # Resolve repo data directory for ram air kite assets
 _ram_data_dir = joinpath(dirname(dirname(@__DIR__)),
                          "data", "ram_air_kite")
@@ -426,6 +518,38 @@ end
 
     # Tests for save_plot function
     if backend == "Makie"
+        @testset "_active_backend_prefers_vector_output" begin
+            @test makie_ext !== nothing
+
+            active_backend_prefers_vector_output =
+                getfield(makie_ext, :_active_backend_prefers_vector_output)
+
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieNoCurrentBackend) == false
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieCurrentBackendThrows) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCairoModule) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsOtherModule) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCairoType) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsOtherType) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleCairo) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleOther) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeCairo) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeOther) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringCairo) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringOther) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableCairo) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableOther) == false
+
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsStringCairo) == true
+            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsStringOther) == false
+        end
+
         body_aero = create_body_aero()
         fig = plot_geometry(
             body_aero,

From 6aa190f752c31096ddab6648e97e50fd2154050c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:24:07 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 23/30] Increase timeout to 60min

---
 .github/workflows/setup-test.yml | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml b/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml
index 1bfc2b1e..da4db545 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Test end-user and developer setup
     if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 40
+    timeout-minutes: 60
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
       - uses: julia-actions/setup-julia@v2

From e2acd33e7de732eae7a4015b2975da2886cb08cf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:30:59 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 24/30] Increase timeout

---
 .github/workflows/setup-test.yml | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml b/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml
index da4db545..ea60c709 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/setup-test.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     name: Test end-user and developer setup
     if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 60
+    timeout-minutes: 90
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
       - uses: julia-actions/setup-julia@v2

From 8f19fd3cc412b15cc347f347a12ec6b2bc94ec93 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 06:20:39 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 25/30] Next try

---
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl | 12 ++++++------
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index 4bd98fdd..5ab2c87f 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ Display a Makie figure.
 - `dpi`: Dots per inch for the figure (default: 130) - currently unused in Makie
 """
 function VortexStepMethod.show_plot(fig::Makie.Figure; dpi=130)
-    display(fig)
+    isinteractive() && display(fig)
 end
 
 """
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.plot_geometry(body_aero::BodyAerodynamics, title;
 
     fig = create_geometry_plot_makie(body_aero, title, view_elevation, view_azimuth)
 
-    if is_show
+    if is_show && isinteractive()
         display(fig)
     end
 
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.plot_distribution(y_coordinates_list, results_list, la
         save_plot(fig, save_path, title, data_type=data_type)
     end
 
-    if is_show
+    if is_show && isinteractive()
         display(fig)
     end
 
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.plot_polars(
         save_plot(fig, save_path, main_title; data_type)
     end
 
-    if is_show
+    if is_show && isinteractive()
         display(fig)
     end
 
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.plot_polar_data(body_aero::BodyAerodynamics;
                 color=:blue, linewidth=0.5, transparency=true)
         end
 
-        if is_show
+        if is_show && isinteractive()
             display(fig)
         end
         return fig
@@ -1312,7 +1312,7 @@ function VortexStepMethod.plot_combined_analysis(
     colsize!(fig.layout, 1, Relative(0.6))
     colsize!(fig.layout, 2, Relative(0.4))
 
-    if is_show
+    if is_show && isinteractive()
         display(fig)
     end
 

From 5d41ba4d59983287c9e1639a628476c885808db5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 06:57:20 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 26/30] Improve test

---
 test/plotting/test_plotting.jl | 40 ++++++++++++++--------------------
 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 24 deletions(-)

diff --git a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
index 1d088278..350a3591 100644
--- a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
+++ b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
@@ -558,6 +558,9 @@ end
             is_show=false)
         @test fig isa Figure
 
+        active_backend_prefers_vector_output =
+            getfield(makie_ext, :_active_backend_prefers_vector_output)
+
         save_test_dir = tempdir()
         
         # Test 1: save_plot with explicit data_type (".png")
@@ -571,31 +574,20 @@ end
         safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_explicit_pdf.pdf"))
 
         # Test 3: save_plot with data_type=nothing (backend-aware detection)
-        VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware", data_type=nothing)
-        backend_obj = Makie.current_backend()
-        backend_name = if backend_obj isa Module
-            nameof(backend_obj)
-        elseif backend_obj isa DataType
-            nameof(backend_obj)
-        elseif Base.applicable(backend_obj)
-            called_backend = try
-                backend_obj()
-            catch
-                nothing
-            end
-            if called_backend isa Module
-                nameof(called_backend)
-            elseif called_backend isa DataType
-                nameof(called_backend)
-            else
-                Symbol(string(something(called_backend, backend_obj)))
-            end
-        else
-            Symbol(string(backend_obj))
+        backend_aware_dir = mktempdir()
+        try
+            VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, backend_aware_dir, "test_backend_aware", data_type=nothing)
+            pdf_path = joinpath(backend_aware_dir, "test_backend_aware.pdf")
+            png_path = joinpath(backend_aware_dir, "test_backend_aware.png")
+            expected_ext = active_backend_prefers_vector_output(Makie) ? ".pdf" : ".png"
+
+            @test xor(isfile(pdf_path), isfile(png_path))
+            @test isfile(joinpath(backend_aware_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
+        finally
+            safe_rm(joinpath(backend_aware_dir, "test_backend_aware.pdf"))
+            safe_rm(joinpath(backend_aware_dir, "test_backend_aware.png"))
+            rm(backend_aware_dir; force=true, recursive=true)
         end
-        expected_ext = lowercase(String(backend_name)) == "cairomakie" ? ".pdf" : ".png"
-        @test isfile(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
-        safe_rm(joinpath(save_test_dir, "test_backend_aware" * expected_ext))
 
         # Test 4: save_plot with title containing spaces (should be sanitized to underscores)
         VortexStepMethod.save_plot(fig, save_test_dir, "test with spaces", data_type=".png")

From 79e4909b28bc455638b3921020d09d40b1d4e259 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:02:31 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 27/30] Updated.

---
 docs/src/examples.md | 4 ++--
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/src/examples.md b/docs/src/examples.md
index 39c18298..849e76ff 100644
--- a/docs/src/examples.md
+++ b/docs/src/examples.md
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ The examples in this package support three plotting backends. Here is a comparis
 ### CairoMakie
 **Advantages:**
 - Fully software-rendered — works in headless environments (CI, servers, SSH sessions).
-- Produces high-quality vector output (SVG, PDF) suitable for publication.
+- Produces high-quality vector output (SVG, PDF) suitable for publication for 2D plots. The quality of 3D plots is not yet suitable for publications.
 - Lighter dependency than GLMakie (no GPU required).
 
 **Disadvantages:**
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ The examples in this package support three plotting backends. Here is a comparis
 
 **Disadvantages:**
 - Requires a working Python installation with Matplotlib (via `PyCall`).
-- Can cause issues when multithreading is enabled.
+- Might crash when multithreading is enabled. Start Julia with `-t 1,0` to avoid problems.
 - No native Makie ecosystem integration (e.g. cannot use `Makie.Observable` for live updates).
 - Interactivity is limited and depends on the Matplotlib backend in use.
 - Extra setup complexity when Python or Matplotlib are not already installed.

From c556cf96359c6ab729a4997210456b404ed0c5a5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <fechner@aenarete.eu>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:32:46 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 28/30] Removed this lighter statement

---
 docs/src/examples.md | 3 +--
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/src/examples.md b/docs/src/examples.md
index 849e76ff..15731868 100644
--- a/docs/src/examples.md
+++ b/docs/src/examples.md
@@ -177,8 +177,7 @@ The examples in this package support three plotting backends. Here is a comparis
 ### CairoMakie
 **Advantages:**
 - Fully software-rendered — works in headless environments (CI, servers, SSH sessions).
-- Produces high-quality vector output (SVG, PDF) suitable for publication for 2D plots. The quality of 3D plots is not yet suitable for publications.
-- Lighter dependency than GLMakie (no GPU required).
+- Produces high-quality vector output (SVG, PDF) suitable for publication for 2D plots. The quality of 3D plots is not yet suitable for publications, though.
 
 **Disadvantages:**
 - Plots are static — no interactive zoom or pan.

From 0b7bed6cad830cf64ec9b5816090565691d5e9c8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <fechner@aenarete.eu>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:37:08 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 29/30] One more change

---
 docs/src/examples.md | 3 ++-
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/docs/src/examples.md b/docs/src/examples.md
index 15731868..36555701 100644
--- a/docs/src/examples.md
+++ b/docs/src/examples.md
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ The examples in this package support three plotting backends. Here is a comparis
 **Disadvantages:**
 - Requires a display server (does not work in headless/server environments without a virtual framebuffer).
 - Heavier dependency: needs OpenGL drivers and a GPU.
-- Longer initial load time compared to the other backends.
+- Longer initial load time compared to ControlPlots
 
 ### CairoMakie
 **Advantages:**
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ The examples in this package support three plotting backends. Here is a comparis
 - Plots are static — no interactive zoom or pan.
 - Slower for very large or complex scenes because rendering is done in software.
 - 3D support is limited compared to GLMakie.
+- Longer initial load time compared to ControlPlots
 
 ### ControlPlots (based on PyPlot / Matplotlib)
 **Advantages:**

From 3fe65f820f476721b3bff5cfd39ef0f38b54b0c1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Uwe Fechner <u.fechner-1@tudelft.nl>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:35:24 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 30/30] Simplify code

Co-authored-by: Copilot <copilot@github.com>
---
 ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl | 25 +--------
 test/plotting/test_plotting.jl  | 92 ---------------------------------
 2 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 116 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
index 5ab2c87f..fd37e52e 100644
--- a/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
+++ b/ext/VortexStepMethodMakieExt.jl
@@ -245,30 +245,7 @@ function _active_backend_prefers_vector_output(makie=Makie)
         return false
     end
 
-    # Makie versions may return backend modules directly or backend callables.
-    if backend isa Module
-        return nameof(backend) == :CairoMakie
-    end
-    if backend isa DataType
-        return nameof(backend) == :CairoMakie
-    end
-
-    if Base.applicable(backend)
-        called_backend = try
-            backend()
-        catch
-            nothing
-        end
-        if called_backend isa Module
-            return nameof(called_backend) == :CairoMakie
-        end
-        if called_backend isa DataType
-            return nameof(called_backend) == :CairoMakie
-        end
-        !isnothing(called_backend) && return occursin("cairomakie", lowercase(string(called_backend)))
-    end
-
-    return occursin("cairomakie", lowercase(string(backend)))
+    return nameof(backend) == :CairoMakie
 end
 
 """
diff --git a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
index 350a3591..447176db 100644
--- a/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
+++ b/test/plotting/test_plotting.jl
@@ -13,80 +13,6 @@ module FakeMakieReturnsOtherModule
     import Base
     current_backend() = Base
 end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCairoType
-    struct CairoMakie end
-    current_backend() = CairoMakie
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsOtherType
-    struct OtherBackend end
-    current_backend() = OtherBackend
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleCairo
-    import CairoMakie
-    struct BackendCallable end
-    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
-    (::BackendCallable)() = CairoMakie
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleOther
-    import Base
-    struct BackendCallable end
-    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
-    (::BackendCallable)() = Base
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeCairo
-    struct CairoMakie end
-    struct BackendCallable end
-    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
-    (::BackendCallable)() = CairoMakie
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeOther
-    struct OtherBackend end
-    struct BackendCallable end
-    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
-    (::BackendCallable)() = OtherBackend
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringCairo
-    struct BackendCallable end
-    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
-    (::BackendCallable)() = "CairoMakie backend"
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringOther
-    struct BackendCallable end
-    current_backend() = BackendCallable()
-    (::BackendCallable)() = "Raster backend"
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableCairo
-    import Base: show
-    struct CairoMakieCallable end
-    current_backend() = CairoMakieCallable()
-    (::CairoMakieCallable)() = error("boom")
-    show(io::IO, ::CairoMakieCallable) = print(io, "CairoMakieCallable")
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableOther
-    import Base: show
-    struct OtherCallable end
-    current_backend() = OtherCallable()
-    (::OtherCallable)() = error("boom")
-    show(io::IO, ::OtherCallable) = print(io, "OtherCallable")
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsStringCairo
-    current_backend() = "CairoMakie backend"
-end
-
-module FakeMakieReturnsStringOther
-    current_backend() = "Raster backend"
-end
 backend = if "plot-controlplots" in ARGS
     using ControlPlots
     import ControlPlots: plt
@@ -530,24 +456,6 @@ end
 
             @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCairoModule) == true
             @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsOtherModule) == false
-
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCairoType) == true
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsOtherType) == false
-
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleCairo) == true
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableModuleOther) == false
-
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeCairo) == true
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableTypeOther) == false
-
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringCairo) == true
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsCallableStringOther) == false
-
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableCairo) == true
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsThrowingCallableOther) == false
-
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsStringCairo) == true
-            @test active_backend_prefers_vector_output(FakeMakieReturnsStringOther) == false
         end
 
         body_aero = create_body_aero()