fig_tools¶

Figure layout, axes linking, interactive controls — the plumbing for good-looking multi-panel MATLAB figures.

Part of the Prerau Lab preraulab_utilities meta-repository. Can also be used standalone.

Layout¶

Task	Use
Lay out an M × N grid with controlled margins	`figdesign`
Open a full-screen figure	`fullfig`
Add panel labels (A, B, C, …)	`letter_label`
Add a figure-level title/labels across subplots	`outertitle`, `outerlabels`
Merge multiple figures into one	`mergefigures`
Prep a figure for print / page export	`pagefig`
Find the most-square subplot grid for N panels	`squarest_subplots`

Axes linking & limits¶

Task	Use
Link color axes across a set of axes	`linkcaxes`
Link 3-D camera + xyz limits across axes	`linkaxes3d`
Match X/Y limits across axes	`equalize_axes`
Scale color limits to an inner percentile	`climscale`
Set color limits manually	`clims`

Colorbars & annotations¶

Task	Use
Colorbar that doesn’t resize the parent axes	`colorbar_noresize`
Colorbar along the top	`topcolorbar`
Scale bar on an axis	`scaleline`
Shadow / secondary axis	`shadow_axis`
Split an axis into multiple panels	`split_axis`

Interaction¶

Task	Use
Interactive scroll/zoom/pan with mouse + keyboard	`scrollzoompan`
Capture user clicks on a figure	`get_clicks`
Slice picker UI	`slicepopup`
Zoom so content fills the axes	`zoom_fill`
Build a stacked-plot control	`stacked_plot`

Example¶

ax = figdesign(2, 3, 'margins', [0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05]);
for k = 1:6
    axes(ax(k));
    imagesc(peaks(100) + randn(100));
end
linkcaxes(ax);
climscale(ax, 0.01);
letter_label(ax, 'A', 'TopLeft');
scrollzoompan(ax(1), 'x');

Function list¶

clims, climscale, colorbar_noresize, equalize_axes, figdesign, fullfig, get_clicks, letter_label, linkaxes3d, linkcaxes, mergefigures, outerlabels, outertitle, pagefig, scaleline, scrollzoompan, shadow_axis, slicepopup, split_axis, squarest_subplots, stacked_plot, topcolorbar, zoom_fill

See help <function> at the MATLAB prompt for the full docstring of each.

Install¶

addpath('/path/to/fig_tools');

Dependencies¶

MATLAB R2020a+. No required toolboxes.

License¶

BSD 3-Clause. See LICENSE.