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DensityPlot Properties

Density plot appearance and behavior

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DensityPlot properties control the appearance and behavior of a DensityPlot object. By changing property values, you can modify certain aspects of the density plot. Use dot notation to query and set properties.

dp = geodensityplot(1:10,1:10);
f = dp.FaceColor;
dp.FaceColor = "red";

Create a density plot in geographic coordinates by using the geodensityplot function.

Density

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Radius of influence on the density calculation, in meters, specified as a numeric scalar.

Control how the Radius property is set, specified as one of these values:

  • 'auto' — MATLAB® controls the value of the Radius property.

  • 'manual' — You manually control the value of the Radius property. When you set the Radius property, MATLAB sets this property to 'manual'.

Weights assigned to data, specified as an empty array, a numeric scalar, or a numeric vector. If you specify a numeric vector, the length of the vector must match the lengths of LatitudeData and LongitudeData.

The WeightData property typically contains additional data that is related to the location data in LatitudeData and LongitudeData.

Variable linked to WeightData, specified as a character vector or string scalar containing a MATLAB workspace variable name. MATLAB evaluates the variable in the base workspace to generate the WeightData.

By default, there is no linked variable, so the value is an empty character vector, ''. If you link a variable, then MATLAB does not update the WeightData values immediately. To force an update of the data values, use the refreshdata function.

Note

If you change one data source property to a variable that contains data of a different dimension, you might cause the function to generate a warning. The geodensityplot does not render the graph until you have changed all data source properties to appropriate values.

Color and Transparency

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Face transparency, specified as one of these values:

  • 'interp' — Use interpolated transparency based on the density values.

  • Scalar in the range [0, 1] — Use uniform transparency across all the faces. A value of 1 is opaque and a value of 0 is completely transparent. Values between 0 and 1 are semitransparent.

The appearance of the density plot depends on both the FaceAlpha and FaceColor properties. This table shows how different combinations of FaceAlpha and FaceColor affect the appearance of the plot.

Values of FaceColor and FaceAlphaEffectSample Density Plot

  • FaceAlpha is "interp"

  • FaceColor is an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short name

The density plot uses one color and conveys density by varying the transparency.

Density plot in blue with varying transparency

  • FaceAlpha is "interp"

  • FaceColor is "interp"

The density plot conveys density by varying the transparency and the color.

Density plot with varying transparency and a colormap that starts at dark blue and transitions to light blue, bright green, orange, yellow, and dark red. The blue regions of the plot are almost completely transparent. The red regions of the plot are opaque.

  • FaceAlpha is a scalar value

  • FaceColor is "interp"

The density plot uses one transparency value and conveys density by varying the color.

Density plot with consistent opacity and a colormap that starts at dark blue and transitions to light blue, bright green, orange, yellow, and dark red. The opacity makes the density plot look like a rectangle.

For more information about controlling the transparency of a density plot, see Adjust Transparency of Geographic Density Plots.

Face color, specified as one of these options:

  • 'interp' — Use interpolated coloring based on the density values. MATLAB chooses colors from the colormap of the parent axes. When you choose this option, the appearance of the density plot also depends on the value of the FaceAlpha property. For more information, see the FaceAlpha property.

  • An RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short name — Apply one color to the density plot. When you choose this option, the value of FaceAlpha must be "interp".

RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes are useful for specifying custom colors.

  • An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]; for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

  • A hexadecimal color code is a character vector or a string scalar that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Thus, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and hexadecimal color codes.

Color NameShort NameRGB TripletHexadecimal Color CodeAppearance
"red""r"[1 0 0]"#FF0000"

Sample of the color red

"green""g"[0 1 0]"#00FF00"

Sample of the color green

"blue""b"[0 0 1]"#0000FF"

Sample of the color blue

"cyan" "c"[0 1 1]"#00FFFF"

Sample of the color cyan

"magenta""m"[1 0 1]"#FF00FF"

Sample of the color magenta

"yellow""y"[1 1 0]"#FFFF00"

Sample of the color yellow

"black""k"[0 0 0]"#000000"

Sample of the color black

"white""w"[1 1 1]"#FFFFFF"

Sample of the color white

Here are the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for the default colors MATLAB uses in many types of plots.

RGB TripletHexadecimal Color CodeAppearance
[0 0.4470 0.7410]"#0072BD"

Sample of RGB triplet [0 0.4470 0.7410], which appears as dark blue

[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]"#D95319"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980], which appears as dark orange

[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]"#EDB120"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.9290 0.6940 0.1250], which appears as dark yellow

[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]"#7E2F8E"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.4940 0.1840 0.5560], which appears as dark purple

[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]"#77AC30"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.4660 0.6740 0.1880], which appears as medium green

[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]"#4DBEEE"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.3010 0.7450 0.9330], which appears as light blue

[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]"#A2142F"

Sample of RGB triplet [0.6350 0.0780 0.1840], which appears as dark red

Control how the FaceColor property is set, specified as one of these values:

  • "auto" — MATLAB controls the value of the FaceColor property by using the SeriesIndex property of the DensityPlot object and the ColorOrder property of the axes.

  • "manual" — You set the value of the FaceColor property directly, or indirectly as a function argument when you create the DensityPlot object.

If you change the value of the FaceColor property manually, MATLAB changes the value of the FaceColorMode property to "manual".

Series index, specified as a positive whole number or "none". This property is useful for reassigning the face colors of DensityPlot objects so that they match the colors of other objects.

By default, the value of the SeriesIndex property is a number that corresponds to its order of creation, starting at 1. MATLAB uses the number to calculate an index for assigning the face color when you call plotting functions. The index refers to the rows of the array stored in the ColorOrder property of the axes. Any objects in the axes that have the same SeriesIndex number will have the same color.

A SeriesIndex value of "none" corresponds to a neutral color that does not participate in the indexing scheme.

How Manual Color Assignment Overrides SeriesIndex Behavior

To manually control fill color, set the FaceColor property of the DensityPlot object to a color value, such as a color name or RGB triplet.

When you manually set the fill color of an object, MATLAB disables automatic color selection for that object and allows your color to persist, regardless of the value of the SeriesIndex property. The FaceColorMode property indicates whether the colors have been set manually (by you) or automatically. A value of "manual" indicates manual selection, and a value of "auto" indicates automatic selection.

To enable automatic selection again, set the SeriesIndex property to a positive whole number, and set the FaceColorMode property to "auto".

In some cases, MATLAB sets the SeriesIndex value to 0, which also disables automatic color selection.

Geographic Coordinate Data

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Latitude coordinates in degrees, specified as a numeric vector with elements in the range [–90, 90] or as an empty ([]) array. The vector can contain NaN values. The sizes of LatitudeData and LongitudeData must match.

Data Types: single | double

Variable linked to LatitudeData, specified as a character vector or string scalar containing a MATLAB workspace variable name. MATLAB evaluates the variable in the base workspace to generate the LatitudeData.

By default, there is no linked variable, so the value is an empty character vector, ''. If you link a variable, then MATLAB does not update the LatitudeData values immediately. To force an update of the data values, use the refreshdata function.

Note

If you change one data source property to a variable that contains data of a different dimension, you might cause the function to generate a warning. The geodensityplot does not render the graph until you have changed all data source properties to appropriate values.

Longitude coordinates in degrees, specified as a numeric vector or an empty ([]) array. The vector can contain NaN values. The sizes of LongitudeData and LatitudeData must match.

The span of the longitude values must be less than or equal to 360 degrees.

Data Types: single | double

Variable linked to LongitudeData, specified as a character vector, or string scalar containing a MATLAB workspace variable name. MATLAB evaluates the variable in the base workspace to generate the LongitudeData.

By default, there is no linked variable, so the value is an empty character vector, ''. If you link a variable, then MATLAB does not update the LongitudeData values immediately. To force an update of the data values, use the refreshdata function.

Note

If you change one data source property to a variable that contains data of a different dimension, you might cause the function to generate a warning. The geodensityplot does not render the graph until you have changed all data source properties to appropriate values.

Legend

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Legend label, specified as a character vector or string scalar. The legend does not display until you call the legend command. If you do not specify the text, then legend sets the label using the form 'dataN'.

This property is read-only.

Control for including or excluding the object from a legend, returned as an Annotation object. Set the underlying IconDisplayStyle property to one of these values:

  • 'on' — Include the object in the legend (default).

  • 'off' — Do not include the object in the legend.

For example, to exclude a graphics object, go, from the legend set the IconDisplayStyle property to 'off'.

go.Annotation.LegendInformation.IconDisplayStyle = 'off';

Alternatively, you can control the items in a legend using the legend function. Specify the first input argument as a vector of the graphics objects to include. If you do not specify an existing graphics object in the first input argument, then it does not appear in the legend. However, graphics objects added to the axes after the legend is created do appear in the legend. Consider creating the legend after creating all the plots to avoid extra items.

Interactivity

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State of visibility, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • 'on' — Display the object.

  • 'off' — Hide the object without deleting it. You still can access the properties of an invisible object.

Context menu, specified as a ContextMenu object. Use this property to display a context menu when you right-click the object. Create the context menu using the uicontextmenu function.

Note

If the PickableParts property is set to 'none' or if the HitTest property is set to 'off', then the context menu does not appear.

Selection state, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • 'on' — Selected. If you click the object when in plot edit mode, then MATLAB sets its Selected property to 'on'. If the SelectionHighlight property also is set to 'on', then MATLAB displays selection handles around the object.

  • 'off' — Not selected.

Display of selection handles when selected, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • 'on' — Display selection handles when the Selected property is set to 'on'.

  • 'off' — Never display selection handles, even when the Selected property is set to 'on'.

Callbacks

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Mouse-click callback, specified as one of these values:

  • Function handle

  • Cell array containing a function handle and additional arguments

  • Character vector that is a valid MATLAB command or function, which is evaluated in the base workspace (not recommended)

Use this property to execute code when you click the object. If you specify this property using a function handle, then MATLAB passes two arguments to the callback function when executing the callback:

  • Clicked object — Access properties of the clicked object from within the callback function.

  • Event data — Empty argument. Replace it with the tilde character (~) in the function definition to indicate that this argument is not used.

For more information on how to use function handles to define callback functions, see Create Callbacks for Graphics Objects.

Note

If the PickableParts property is set to 'none' or if the HitTest property is set to 'off', then this callback does not execute.

Object creation function, specified as one of these values:

  • Function handle.

  • Cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.

  • Character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Create Callbacks for Graphics Objects.

This property specifies a callback function to execute when MATLAB creates the object. MATLAB initializes all property values before executing the CreateFcn callback. If you do not specify the CreateFcn property, then MATLAB executes a default creation function.

Setting the CreateFcn property on an existing component has no effect.

If you specify this property as a function handle or cell array, you can access the object that is being created using the first argument of the callback function. Otherwise, use the gcbo function to access the object.

Object deletion function, specified as one of these values:

  • Function handle.

  • Cell array in which the first element is a function handle. Subsequent elements in the cell array are the arguments to pass to the callback function.

  • Character vector containing a valid MATLAB expression (not recommended). MATLAB evaluates this expression in the base workspace.

For more information about specifying a callback as a function handle, cell array, or character vector, see Create Callbacks for Graphics Objects.

This property specifies a callback function to execute when MATLAB deletes the object. MATLAB executes the DeleteFcn callback before destroying the properties of the object. If you do not specify the DeleteFcn property, then MATLAB executes a default deletion function.

If you specify this property as a function handle or cell array, you can access the object that is being deleted using the first argument of the callback function. Otherwise, use the gcbo function to access the object.

Callback Execution Control

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Callback interruption, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

This property determines if a running callback can be interrupted. There are two callback states to consider:

  • The running callback is the currently executing callback.

  • The interrupting callback is a callback that tries to interrupt the running callback.

MATLAB determines callback interruption behavior whenever it executes a command that processes the callback queue. These commands include drawnow, figure, uifigure, getframe, waitfor, and pause.

If the running callback does not contain one of these commands, then no interruption occurs. MATLAB first finishes executing the running callback, and later executes the interrupting callback.

If the running callback does contain one of these commands, then the Interruptible property of the object that owns the running callback determines if the interruption occurs:

  • If the value of Interruptible is 'off', then no interruption occurs. Instead, the BusyAction property of the object that owns the interrupting callback determines if the interrupting callback is discarded or added to the callback queue.

  • If the value of Interruptible is 'on', then the interruption occurs. The next time MATLAB processes the callback queue, it stops the execution of the running callback and executes the interrupting callback. After the interrupting callback completes, MATLAB then resumes executing the running callback.

Note

Callback interruption and execution behave differently in these situations:

  • If the interrupting callback is a DeleteFcn, CloseRequestFcn, or SizeChangedFcn callback, then the interruption occurs regardless of the Interruptible property value.

  • If the running callback is currently executing the waitfor function, then the interruption occurs regardless of the Interruptible property value.

  • If the interrupting callback is owned by a Timer object, then the callback executes according to schedule regardless of the Interruptible property value.

Note

When an interruption occurs, MATLAB does not save the state of properties or the display. For example, the object returned by the gca or gcf command might change when another callback executes.

Callback queuing, specified as 'queue' or 'cancel'. The BusyAction property determines how MATLAB handles the execution of interrupting callbacks. There are two callback states to consider:

  • The running callback is the currently executing callback.

  • The interrupting callback is a callback that tries to interrupt the running callback.

The BusyAction property determines callback queuing behavior only when both of these conditions are met:

  • The running callback contains a command that processes the callback queue, such as drawnow, figure, uifigure, getframe, waitfor, or pause.

  • The value of the Interruptible property of the object that owns the running callback is 'off'.

Under these conditions, the BusyAction property of the object that owns the interrupting callback determines how MATLAB handles the interrupting callback. These are possible values of the BusyAction property:

  • 'queue' — Puts the interrupting callback in a queue to be processed after the running callback finishes execution.

  • 'cancel' — Does not execute the interrupting callback.

Ability to capture mouse clicks, specified as one of these values:

  • 'visible' — Capture mouse clicks only when visible. The Visible property must be set to 'on'. The HitTest property determines if the DensityPlot object responds to the click or if an ancestor does.

  • 'all' — Capture mouse clicks regardless of visibility. The Visible property can be set to 'on' or 'off'. The HitTest property determines if the DensityPlot object responds to the click or if an ancestor does.

  • 'none' — Cannot capture mouse clicks. Clicking the DensityPlot object passes the click to the object below it in the current view of the figure window, which is typically the axes or the figure. The HitTest property has no effect.

If you want an object to be clickable when it is underneath other objects that you do not want to be clickable, then set the PickableParts property of the other objects to 'none' so that the click passes through them.

Response to captured mouse clicks, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

  • 'on' — Trigger the ButtonDownFcn callback of the DensityPlot object. If you have defined the ContextMenu property, then invoke the context menu.

  • 'off' — Trigger the callbacks for the nearest ancestor of the DensityPlot object that has one of these:

    • HitTest property set to 'on'

    • PickableParts property set to a value that enables the ancestor to capture mouse clicks

Note

The PickableParts property determines if the DensityPlot object can capture mouse clicks. If it cannot, then the HitTest property has no effect.

This property is read-only.

Deletion status, returned as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

MATLAB sets the BeingDeleted property to 'on' when the DeleteFcn callback begins execution. The BeingDeleted property remains set to 'on' until the component object no longer exists.

Check the value of the BeingDeleted property to verify that the object is not about to be deleted before querying or modifying it.

Parent/Child

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Parent, specified as a GeographicAxes object.

The object has no children. You cannot set this property.

Visibility of the object handle in the Children property of the parent, specified as one of these values:

  • 'on' — Object handle is always visible.

  • 'off' — Object handle is invisible at all times. This option is useful for preventing unintended changes by another function. Set the HandleVisibility to 'off' to temporarily hide the handle during the execution of that function.

  • 'callback' — Object handle is visible from within callbacks or functions invoked by callbacks, but not from within functions invoked from the command line. This option blocks access to the object at the command line, but permits callback functions to access it.

If the object is not listed in the Children property of the parent, then functions that obtain object handles by searching the object hierarchy or querying handle properties cannot return it. Examples of such functions include the get, findobj, gca, gcf, gco, newplot, cla, clf, and close functions.

Hidden object handles are still valid. Set the root ShowHiddenHandles property to 'on' to list all object handles regardless of their HandleVisibility property setting.

Identifiers

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This property is read-only.

Type of graphics object, returned as 'densityplot'. Use this property to find all objects of a given type within a plotting hierarchy, for example, searching for the type using findobj.

Object identifier, specified as a character vector or string scalar. You can specify a unique Tag value to serve as an identifier for an object. When you need access to the object elsewhere in your code, you can use the findobj function to search for the object based on the Tag value.

User data, specified as any MATLAB array. For example, you can specify a scalar, vector, matrix, cell array, character array, table, or structure. Use this property to store arbitrary data on an object.

If you are working in App Designer, create public or private properties in the app to share data instead of using the UserData property. For more information, see Share Data Within App Designer Apps.

Version History

Introduced in R2018b

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See Also

Functions

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