Re: [matplotlib-devel] sub-sub-plots, sub-sub-sub-plots, etc.

[Benjamin R. <ben...@ou...>]

On Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 5:09 PM, Kynn Jones <ky...@gm...> wrote:

> I need to generate a fairly complex chart, for which I need the ability to
> specify not only subplots, but also sub-subplots, and even
> sub-sub-sub-plots.  (Our group has found such charts useful in the past, but
> they were generated using horrific MATLAB code.)
>
> I'll try to describe what I want to do in a bit more detail (it's messy).
>
> First imagine a simple plot (just a simple X-Y line graph connecting 3-4
> datapoints).  I'll call this a level-0 plot.  Now, join ~10 of these level-0
> plots side-by-side (with no space between the plots).  This new aggregate is
> a level-1 plot.  Next stack ~10 level-1 plots vertically, again, with no
> space between them.  The resulting aggregate is a level-2 plot.  Finally
> arrange ~10 of these level-2 plots side-by-side, with some spacing between
> them.  The desired final product is this level-3 plot.
>
> Without knowing much about the internals of matplotlib, it seems to me that
> the best way to do this would be to define a container class that can have
> itself as one of the contained elements.  In this way, a containment
> hierarchy of arbitrary depth could be defined.  But it is my understanding
> that there is no immediate way to do this in matplotlib now, so I'd have to
> implement it myself.
>
> I could use some guidance to the source code.
>
> What I need to clarify is the following.  First consider some simple plot
> A: it has axes, data points, tick marks, labels, etc., and for all these
> elements there are associated absolute x-y coordinates on the canvas.  If
> now we make this plot A one of the subplots in a collection of, say, 12
> subplots, arranged as 3 rows of 4 subplots each, all the x-y coordinates
> associated with the original plot A will have to be translated and scaled,
> so that the subplot lands in the right place on the canvas, and has the
> appropriate size.  This process of translation and scaling is what I want to
> pinpoint: What exactly is the connection between running the add_subplot
> method and the translation+scaling that it entails?
>
> What would be a good entry point for me to answer the questions above by
> reading the source code?
>
> TIA!
>
> ~kj
>
>
Looks like you are talking about an arbitrarily deep hierarchical
subplotting feature.  I am not exactly sure how feasible/unfeasible this is,
but a good place to start might be to take a look at the axes_grid toolkit
that does a lot of very advanced axes organizational tricks.

http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid/index.html

I hope this proves useful, or at least inspires you for ideas on how to
accomplish what you are looking for cleanly.  And, as always, patches are
always welcome!

Ben Root