matplotlib.md

Matplotlib

import matplotlib as mpl
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

Nice figures

Loads and uses the functions and style sheets defined in the package nice-figures

from nice_figures import *

fig_sizes = load_style() # update rcParams, get figure size
cols = load_cols() # load dictionary of custom colours
add_numbering(ax, i=0, loc=(0.8, 0.8)) # add numbers to figure panels
add_border() # add border to figure

Useful rcParams

Here are some useful rcParams to remember:

mpl.rcParams['figure.dpi'] = 200

Colorbars

c_bar = plt.colorbar()
c_bar.set_label('colorbar label')

Get and set object attributes (e.g., color, ...)

Use plt.getp(object_handle) and plt.setp(object_handle) (see here)

>>> line, = ax.plot(x, y, color='r')
>>> plt.getp(line) # lists all available attributes
agg_filter = None
alpha = None
animated = False
...
>>> plt.getp(line, 'color') # get color attribute
'r'
>>> plt.setp(line, color='b', linewidth=2) # set color and linewidth
>>> line.get_color() # sometime specific functions exist for getting specific attributes
'b'

Figure title with subplots

E.g., https://matplotlib.org/gallery/images_contours_and_fields/image_nonuniform.html#sphx-glr-gallery-images-contours-and-fields-image-nonuniform-py

fig, axs = plt.sublots(2, 2, constrained_layout=True)
fig.suptitle('Figure title')

Note that it is important to set constrained_layout=True otherwise title may overlap with subplots.

Stacking order of plots

Use zorder to control which lines appear on top of which, with zorder < 0 appearing behind zorder > 0, e.g.,

ax.plot(x, y, zorder = 10) # appears in front
ax.plot(x, y, zorder = -5) # appears behind

Shade between lines

ax.fill_between(x, y1, y2)