def BuildPanel(self):
        """ builds basic GUI panel and popup menu"""
        self.fig   = Figure(self.figsize, dpi=self.dpi)
        # 1 axes for now
        self.gridspec = GridSpec(1,1)
        kwargs = {'facecolor': self.conf.bgcolor}
        if matplotlib.__version__ < "2.0":
            kwargs = {'axisbg': self.conf.bgcolor}

        self.axes  = self.fig.add_subplot(self.gridspec[0], **kwargs)

        self.canvas = FigureCanvas(self, -1, self.fig)

        self.printer.canvas = self.canvas
        self.set_bg(self.conf.framecolor)
        self.conf.canvas = self.canvas
        self.canvas.SetCursor(wxCursor(wx.CURSOR_CROSS))
        self.canvas.mpl_connect("pick_event", self.__onPickEvent)

        # overwrite ScalarFormatter from ticker.py here:
        self.axes.xaxis.set_major_formatter(FuncFormatter(self.xformatter))
        self.axes.yaxis.set_major_formatter(FuncFormatter(self.yformatter))

        # This way of adding to sizer allows resizing
        sizer = wx.BoxSizer(wx.VERTICAL)
        sizer.Add(self.canvas, 2, wx.LEFT|wx.TOP|wx.BOTTOM|wx.EXPAND, 0)
        self.SetAutoLayout(True)
        self.autoset_margins()
        self.SetSizer(sizer)
        self.Fit()

        canvas_draw = self.canvas.draw
        def draw(*args, **kws):
            self.autoset_margins()
            canvas_draw(*args, **kws)
        self.canvas.draw = draw
        self.addCanvasEvents()