Create axes in tiled positions
collapse all in page
Syntax
subplot(m,n,p)
subplot(m,n,p,'replace')
subplot(m,n,p,'align')
subplot(m,n,p,ax)
subplot('Position',pos)
subplot(___,Name,Value)
ax = subplot(___)
subplot(ax)
Description
Note
tiledlayout is recommended over subplot because it enables you to create layouts with adjustable tile spacing, tiles that reflow according to the size of the figure, and better placed colorbars and legends.
subplot(m,n,p) divides the current figure into an m-by-n grid and creates axes in the position specified by p. MATLAB® numbers subplot positions by row. The first subplot is the first column of the first row, the second subplot is the second column of the first row, and so on. If axes exist in the specified position, then this command makes the axes the current axes.
example
subplot(m,n,p, deletesexisting axes in position 'replace')p and creates new axes.
example
subplot(m,n,p, createsnew axes so that the plot boxes are aligned. This option is the defaultbehavior.'align')
subplot(m,n,p,ax) convertsthe existing axes, ax, into a subplot in the samefigure.
example
subplot( createsaxes in the custom position specified by 'Position',pos)pos. Usethis option to position a subplot that does not align with grid positions.Specify pos as a four-element vector of the form [leftbottom width height]. If the new axes overlap existing axes,then the new axes replace the existing axes.
example
subplot(___,Name,Value) modifies axes properties using one or more name-value pair arguments. Set axes properties after all other input arguments.
ax = subplot(___) creates an Axes object, PolarAxes object, or GeographicAxes object. Use ax to make future modifications to the axes.
example
subplot(ax) makesthe axes specified by ax the current axes for theparent figure. This option does not make the parent figure the currentfigure if it is not already the current figure.
example
Examples
collapse all
Upper and Lower Subplots
Open Live Script
Create a figure with two stacked subplots. Plot a sine wave in each one.
subplot(2,1,1);x = linspace(0,10);y1 = sin(x);plot(x,y1)subplot(2,1,2); y2 = sin(5*x);plot(x,y2)
Quadrant of Subplots
Create a figure divided into four subplots. Plot a sine wave in each one and title each subplot.
subplot(2,2,1)x = linspace(0,10);y1 = sin(x);plot(x,y1)title('Subplot 1: sin(x)')subplot(2,2,2)y2 = sin(2*x);plot(x,y2)title('Subplot 2: sin(2x)')subplot(2,2,3)y3 = sin(4*x);plot(x,y3)title('Subplot 3: sin(4x)')subplot(2,2,4)y4 = sin(8*x);plot(x,y4)title('Subplot 4: sin(8x)')
Subplots with Different Sizes
Open Live Script
Create a figure containing with three subplots. Create two subplots across the upper half of the figure and a third subplot that spans the lower half of the figure. Add titles to each subplot.
subplot(2,2,1);x = linspace(-3.8,3.8);y_cos = cos(x);plot(x,y_cos);title('Subplot 1: Cosine')subplot(2,2,2);y_poly = 1 - x.^2./2 + x.^4./24;plot(x,y_poly,'g');title('Subplot 2: Polynomial')subplot(2,2,[3,4]);plot(x,y_cos,'b',x,y_poly,'g');title('Subplot 3 and 4: Both')
Replace Subplot with Empty Axes
Open Live Script
Create a figure with four stem plots of random data. Then replace the second subplot with empty axes.
for k = 1:4 data = rand(1,10); subplot(2,2,k) stem(data)end
subplot(2,2,2,'replace')
Subplots at Custom Positions
Open Live Script
Create a figure with two subplots that are not aligned with grid positions. Specify a custom position for each subplot.
pos1 = [0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3];subplot('Position',pos1)y = magic(4);plot(y)title('First Subplot')pos2 = [0.5 0.15 0.4 0.7];subplot('Position',pos2)bar(y)title('Second Subplot')
Create Subplots with Polar Axes
Open Live Script
Create a figure with two polar axes. Create a polar line chart in the upper subplot and a polar scatter chart in the lower subplot.
figureax1 = subplot(2,1,1,polaraxes);theta = linspace(0,2*pi,50);rho = sin(theta).*cos(theta);polarplot(ax1,theta,rho)ax2 = subplot(2,1,2,polaraxes);polarscatter(ax2,theta,rho)
Modify Axes Properties After Creation
Open Live Script
Create a figure with two subplots. Assign the Axes objects to the variables ax1 and ax2. Specify the Axes objects as inputs to the plotting functions to ensure that the functions plot into a specific subplot.
ax1 = subplot(2,1,1);Z = peaks;plot(ax1,Z(1:20,:))ax2 = subplot(2,1,2); plot(ax2,Z)
Modify the axes by setting properties of the Axes objects. Change the font size for the upper subplot and the line width for the lower subplot. Some plotting functions set axes properties. Execute plotting functions before specifying axes properties to avoid overriding existing axes property settings. Use dot notation to set properties.
ax1.FontSize = 15;ax2.LineWidth = 2;
Make Subplot the Current Axes
Open Live Script
Create a figure with multiple subplots. Store the Axes objects in vector ax. Then make the second subplot the current axes. Create a line chart and change the axis limits for the second subplot. By default, graphics functions target the current axes.
for k = 1:4 ax(k) = subplot(2,2,k);endsubplot(ax(2))x = linspace(1,50);y = sin(x);plot(x,y,'Color',[0.1, 0.5, 0.1])title('Second Subplot')axis([0 50 -1 1])
Convert Existing Axes to Subplot
Open Live Script
Create a line chart. Then convert the axes so that it is the lower subplot of the figure. The subplot function uses the figure in which the original axes existed.
x = linspace(1,10);y = sin(x);plot(x,y)title('Sine Plot')
ax = gca;subplot(2,1,2,ax)
Convert Axes in Separate Figures to Subplots
Combine axes that exist in separate figuresin a single figure with subplots.
Create two plots in two different figures. Assign the Axes objects to the variables ax1 and ax2. Assign the Legend object to the variable lgd.
figurex = linspace(0,10);y1 = sin(x);plot(x,y1)title('Line Plot 1')ax1 = gca;
figurey2 = 2*sin(x);plot(x,y2)title('Line Plot 2')lgd = legend('2*Sin(x)');ax2 = gca;
Create copies of the two Axes objectsusing copyobj. Specify the parents of the copiedaxes as a new figure. Since legends and colorbars do not get copiedwith the associated axes, copy the legend with the axes.
fnew = figure;ax1_copy = copyobj(ax1,fnew);subplot(2,1,1,ax1_copy)copies = copyobj([ax2,lgd],fnew);ax2_copy = copies(1);subplot(2,1,2,ax2_copy)
Input Arguments
collapse all
m — Number of grid rows
1 (default) | positive integer
Number of grid rows, specified as a positive integer.
Data Types: single | double
n — Number of grid columns
1 (default) | positive integer
Number of grid columns, specified as a positive integer.
Data Types: single | double
p — Grid position for new axes
scalar | vector
Grid position for the new axes, specified as a scalar or vectorof positive integers.
If
pis a scalar positive integer,thensubplotcreates a subplot in grid positionp.If
pis a vector of positive integers,thensubplotcreates a subplot that spans the gridpositions listed inp.
Example: subplot(2,3,1) creates a subplotin position 1.
Example: subplot(2,3,[2,5]) createsa subplot spanning positions 2 and 5.
Example: subplot(2,3,[2,6]) createsa subplot spanning positions 2, 3, 5, and 6.
Data Types: single | double
pos — Custom position for new axes
four-element vector
Custom position for the new axes, specified as a four-elementvector of the form [left bottom width height].
The
leftandbottomelementsspecify the position of the bottom-left corner of the subplot in relationto the bottom-left corner of the figure.The
widthandheightelementsspecify the subplot dimensions.
Specify values between 0 and 1 thatare normalized with respect to the interior of the figure.
Note
When using a script to create subplots, MATLAB does notfinalize the Position property value until eithera drawnow command is issued or MATLAB returnsto await a user command. The Position propertyvalue for a subplot is subject to change until the script either refreshesthe plot or exits.
Example: subplot('Position',[0.1 0.1 0.45 0.45])
Data Types: single | double
ax — Existing axes to make current or convert to subplot
Axes object | PolarAxes object | GeographicAxes object | graphics object
Existing axes to make current or convert to a subplot, specified as an Axes object, a PolarAxes object, a GeographicAxes object, or a graphics object with an PositionConstraint property, such as a HeatmapChart object.
To create empty polar or geographic axes in a subplot position, specify ax as the polaraxes or geoaxes function. For example, subplot(2,1,2,polaraxes).
Name-Value Arguments
Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.
Before R2021a, use commas to separate each name and value, and enclose Name in quotes.
Example: subplot(m,n,p,'XGrid','on')
Some plotting functions override property settings. Consider setting axes properties after plotting. The properties you can set depend on the type of axes:
For Cartesian axes, see Axes Properties.
For polar axes, see PolarAxes Properties.
For geographic axes, see GeographicAxes Properties.
Tips
To clear the contents of the figure, use
clf.For example, you might clear the existing subplot layout from thefigure before creating a new subplot layout.To overlay axes, use the
axescommandinstead. Thesubplotfunction deletes existingaxes that overlap new axes. For example,subplot('Position',[.35.35 .3 .3])deletes any underlying axes, butaxes('Position',[.35.35 .3 .3])positions new axes in the middle of the figurewithout deleting underlying axes.subplot(111)is an exception andnot identical in behavior tosubplot(1,1,1). Forreasons of backwards compatibility,subplot(111)isa special case of subplot that does not immediately create axes, butsets up the figure so that the next graphics command executesclfreset. The next graphics command deletes all the figurechildren and creates new axes in the default position.subplot(111)doesnot return anAxesobject and an error occurs ifcode specifies a return argument.
Alternative Functionality
Use the tiledlayout and nexttile functions to create a configurable tiling of plots. The configuration options include:
Control over the spacing between the plots and around the edges of the layout
An option for a shared title at the top of the layout
Options for shared x- and y-axis labels
An option to control whether the tiling has a fixed size or variable size that can reflow
For more information, see Combine Multiple Plots.
Version History
Introduced before R2006a
See Also
Functions
- axes | cla | clf | figure | gca | tiledlayout | nexttile
Properties
- Axes Properties | PolarAxes Properties | GeographicAxes Properties
Topics
- Combine Multiple Plots
MATLAB Command
You clicked a link that corresponds to this MATLAB command:
Run the command by entering it in the MATLAB Command Window. Web browsers do not support MATLAB commands.
Select a Web Site
Choose a web site to get translated content where available and see local events and offers. Based on your location, we recommend that you select: .
You can also select a web site from the following list:
Americas
- América Latina (Español)
- Canada (English)
- United States (English)
Europe
- Belgium (English)
- Denmark (English)
- Deutschland (Deutsch)
- España (Español)
- Finland (English)
- France (Français)
- Ireland (English)
- Italia (Italiano)
- Luxembourg (English)
- Netherlands (English)
- Norway (English)
- Österreich (Deutsch)
- Portugal (English)
- Sweden (English)
- Switzerland
- Deutsch
- English
- Français
- United Kingdom (English)
Contact your local office
