content: # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
  #
  # grid_iaf_irr.py
  #
  # This file is part of NEST.
  #
  # Copyright (C) 2004 The NEST Initiative
  #
  # NEST is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
  # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
  # the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
  # (at your option) any later version.
  #
  # NEST is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
  # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
  # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
  # GNU General Public License for more details.
  #
  # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  # along with NEST.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  
  """
  Create 12 freely placed iaf_psc_alpha neurons
  -----------------------------------------------
  
  BCCN Tutorial @ CNS*09
  Hans Ekkehard Plesser, UMB
  """
  
  import nest
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  
  nest.ResetKernel()
  
  pos = nest.spatial.free([nest.random.uniform(-0.75, 0.75), nest.random.uniform(-0.5, 0.5)], extent=[2., 1.5])
  
  l1 = nest.Create('iaf_psc_alpha', 12, positions=pos)
  
  nest.PrintNodes()
  
  nest.PlotLayer(l1, nodesize=50)
  
  # beautify
  plt.axis([-1.0, 1.0, -0.75, 0.75])
  plt.axes().set_aspect('equal', 'box')
  plt.axes().set_xticks((-0.75, -0.25, 0.25, 0.75))
  plt.axes().set_yticks((-0.5, 0, 0.5))
  plt.grid(True)
  plt.xlabel('Extent: 2.0')
  plt.ylabel('Extent: 1.5')
  
  plt.show()
  
  # plt.savefig('grid_iaf_irr.png')
  