Create Cartesian axes
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Syntax
axes
axes(Name,Value)
axes(parent,Name,Value)
ax = axes(___)
axes(cax)
Description
axes creates the default Cartesian axesin the current figure and makes it the current axes. Typically, youdo not need to create axes before plotting since graphics functionsautomatically create axes when plotting if they do not exist.
axes(Name,Value) modifiesthe axes appearance or controls the way data displays using one ormore name-value pair arguments. For example, 'FontSize',14 setsthe font size for the axes text. For a list of properties, see Axes Properties.
example
axes(parent,Name,Value) creates the axes in the figure, panel, or tab specified by parent, instead of in the current figure.
example
ax = axes(___)Axes object created. Use ax toquery and modify properties of the Axes object afterit is created. For a list of properties, see Axes Properties.
axes(cax) sets the CurrentAxes property of the parent figure to be cax. If the HandleVisibilty property of the parent figure is set to "on", then cax also becomes the current axes. This command also makes cax the first object listed in the Children property of the parent object. The parent object is typically a figure or a tiled chart layout.
Examples
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Position Multiple Axes in Figure
Open Live Script
Position two Axes objects in a figure and add a plot to each one.
Specify the position of the first Axes object so that it has a lower left corner at the point (0.1 0.1) with a width and height of 0.7. Specify the position of the second Axes object so that it has a lower left corner at the point (0.65 0.65) with a width and height of 0.28. By default, the values are normalized to the figure. Return the Axes objects as ax1 and ax2.
figureax1 = axes('Position',[0.1 0.1 0.7 0.7]);ax2 = axes('Position',[0.65 0.65 0.28 0.28]);
Add a plot to each Axes object. Specify the axes by passing it as the first input argument to the graphics function. Most graphics functions reset some axes properties, such as the tick values and labels. However, they do not reset the axes position.
contour(ax1,peaks(20))surf(ax2,peaks(20))
Make Axes the Current Axes
Open Live Script
Create two overlaid Axes objects. Then, specify the current axes and add a plot.
First create two Axes objects and specify the positions. Display the box outline around each axes. Return the Axes objects as ax1 and ax2.
figureax1 = axes('Position',[0.1 0.1 .6 .6],'Box','on');ax2 = axes('Position',[.35 .35 .6 .6],'Box','on');
Make ax1 the current axes. This action brings the axes to the front of the display and makes it the target for subsequent graphics functions. Add a line plot to the axes.
axes(ax1)x = linspace(0,10);y = sin(x);plot(x,y)
Create Axes in Tabs
Open Live Script
Create a figure with two tabs. Add axes to each tab by specifying the parent container for each one. Plot a line in the first tab and a surface in the second tab.
figuretab1 = uitab('Title','Tab1');ax1 = axes(tab1);plot(ax1,1:10)tab2 = uitab('Title','Tab2');ax2 = axes(tab2);surf(ax2,peaks)
Input Arguments
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parent — Parent container
Figure object | Panel object | Tab object | TiledChartLayout object | GridLayout object
Parent container, specified as a Figure, Panel, Tab, TiledChartLayout, or GridLayout object.
cax — Axes to make current
Axes object | PolarAxes object | GeographicAxes object | standalone visualization
Axes to make current, specified as an Axes object, a PolarAxes object, a GeographicAxes object, or a standalone visualization such as a heatmap.
If you want to make an object the current axes without changing the state of the figure, set the CurrentAxes property of the figure containing that object; for example:
fig = gcf;fig.CurrentAxes = cax;
This approach is useful if you want a figure to remain minimized or stacked below other figures, but want to specify the current axes.
Name-Value Arguments
Example: axes('Position',[.3 .3 .5 .5]) setsthe position.
Specify optional comma-separated pairs of Name,Value arguments. Name isthe argument name and Value is the correspondingvalue. Name must appear inside single quotes (''). You can specify several name and value pair argumentsas Name1,Value1,...,NameN,ValueN.
Some graphics functions change axes property values when plotting,such as the axis limits or tick values. Set axes properties afterplotting.
Note
The properties listed here are only a subset. For a full list,see Axes Properties.
More About
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Current Axes
The current axes is the default target object for many graphics commands, such as plot, title, and xlim. The following types of objects can become the current axes. Typically, it is the last one of these objects that is created, clicked on, or plotted into.
An
Axesobject.A
PolarAxesobject.A
GeographicAxesobject.A standalone visualization, which is a chart designed for a special purpose that works independently from other charts. For example, a heatmap is a standalone visualization for observing the interaction between two variables in tabular data.
The gca command returns the current axes, and the CurrentAxes property of a figure stores its current axes. Thus, if you change the current figure, the current axes also changes.
Version History
Introduced before R2006a
See Also
Properties
- Axes Properties
Functions
- axis | cla | gca | figure | clf | tiledlayout | nexttile | polaraxes
Topics
- Control Ratio of Axis Lengths and Data Unit Lengths
- Control Axes Layout
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