polarbubblechart

Polar bubble chart

Since R2020b

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Syntax

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c)

polarbubblechart(tbl,thetavar,rhovar,sizevar)

polarbubblechart(tbl,thetavar,rhovar,sizevar,cvar)

polarbubblechart(pax,___)

polarbubblechart(___,Name,Value)

bc = polarbubblechart(___)

Description

Vector and Matrix Data

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz) displays colored circular markers (bubbles) at the locations specified by the vectors theta and rho. The bubble sizes are specified by sz.

To plot one set of coordinates, specify theta, rho, and sz as vectors of equal length.
To plot multiple sets of coordinates on the same set of axes, specify at least one of theta, rho, or sz as a matrix.

example

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c) specifies the colors of the bubbles. You can specify one color for all the bubbles, or you can vary the color. For example, you can plot all red bubbles by specifying c as 'red'.

example

Table Data

polarbubblechart(tbl,thetavar,rhovar,sizevar) plots the variables thetavar and rhovar from the table tbl and uses the variable sizevar for the bubble sizes. To plot one data set, specify one variable each for thetavar, rhovar, and sizevar. To plot multiple data sets, specify multiple variables for at least one of those arguments. The arguments that specify multiple variables must specify the same number of variables.

example

polarbubblechart(tbl,thetavar,rhovar,sizevar,cvar) plots the specified variables from the table using the colors specified in the variable cvar. To specify colors for multiple data sets, specify cvar as multiple variables. The number of variables must match the number of data sets.

example

Additional Options

polarbubblechart(pax,___) displays the bubble chart in the target axes pax. Specify the axes before all other input arguments.

example

polarbubblechart(___,Name,Value) specifies BubbleChart properties using one or more name-value arguments. Specify the properties after all other input arguments. For a list of properties, see BubbleChart Properties.

example

bc = polarbubblechart(___) returns the BubbleChart object. Use bc to modify properties of the chart after creating it. For a list of properties, see BubbleChart Properties.

example

Examples

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Plot Random Bubbles

Open Live Script

Define a set of bubble coordinates as the vectors th and r. Define sz as a vector of bubble sizes. Then create a bubble chart of these values.

th = linspace(0,2*pi,10);
r = rand(1,10);
sz = rand(1,10);
polarbubblechart(th,r,sz);

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

Specify Bubble Colors

Open Live Script

Define a set of bubble coordinates as the vectors th and r. Define sz as a vector of bubble sizes. Then create a bubble chart and specify the color as red. By default, the bubbles are partially transparent.

th = 1:10;
r = rand(1,10);
sz = rand(1,10);
polarbubblechart(th,r,sz,'red');

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

For a custom color, you can specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code. For example, the hexadecimal color code '#7031BB', specifies a shade of purple.

polarbubblechart(th,r,sz,'#7031BB');

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

You can also specify a different color for each bubble. For example, specify a vector to select colors from the figure's colormap.

c = 1:10;
polarbubblechart(th,r,sz,c)

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

Specify Bubble Transparency and Outline Color

Open Live Script

Define a set of bubble coordinates as the vectors th and r. Define sz as a vector of bubble sizes. Then create a bubble chart. By default, the bubbles are 60% opaque, and the edges are completely opaque with the same color.

th = linspace(0,2*pi,10);
r = rand(1,10);
sz = rand(1,10);
polarbubblechart(th,r,sz);

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

You can customize the opacity and the outline color by setting the MarkerFaceAlpha and MarkerEdgeColor properties, respectively. One way to set a property is by specifying a name-value pair argument when you create the chart. For example, you can specify 20% opacity by setting the MarkerFaceAlpha value to 0.20.

bc = polarbubblechart(th,r,sz,'MarkerFaceAlpha',0.20);

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

If you create the chart by calling the polarbubblechart function with a return argument, you can use the return argument to set properties on the chart after creating it. For example, you can change the outline color to purple.

bc.MarkerEdgeColor = [0.5 0 0.5];

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

Add a Bubble Legend

Open Live Script

Define a data set that shows the incoming air traffic at a certain airport over a certain period of time.

Define theta as a vector of angles of approach for the incoming planes.
Define altitude as a vector of altitudes.
Define planesize as a vector of plane sizes, measured in the number of passengers.

Then display the data in a bubble chart with a bubble legend that shows the relationship between the bubble sizes and the number of passengers on the planes.

theta = repmat([0 pi/2 7*pi/6],1,4) + 0.25*randn(1,12);
altitude = randi([13000 43000],1,12);
planesize = randi([75 500],[1 12]);
polarbubblechart(theta,altitude,planesize)
bubblelegend('Number of Passengers','Location','eastoutside')

Figure contains an axes object and an object of type bubblelegend. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

Plot Data from a Table

Open Live Script

A convenient way to plot data from a table is to pass the table to the polarbubblechart function and specify the variables you want to plot. For example, create a table with four variables. Plot the 'Th' and 'R1' variables, and vary the bubble sizes according to the 'Sz' variable.

% Create a table of random numbers
Th = linspace(0,2*pi,10)';
R1 = randi([0 10],10,1);
R2 = randi([20 30],10,1);
Sz = rand(10,1);
tbl = table(Th,R1,R2,Sz);

% Create polar bubble chart
polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R1','Sz')

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

You can also plot multiple variables at the same time. For example, plot two sets of radius values by specifying the rhovar argument as the cell array {'R1','R2'}. Then add a legend. The legend labels match the variable names.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th',{'R1','R2'},'Sz')
legend

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains 2 objects of type bubblechart.

Plot Table Data with Custom Colors

Open Live Script

You can plot data from a table and customize the colors by specifying the cvar argument when you call the polarbubblechart function.

For example, create a table with four variables of random numbers, and plot the Th and R variables. Vary the bubble sizes according to the Sz variable, and vary the colors according to the Colors variable.

% Create a table of random numbers
Th = linspace(0,2*pi,10)';
R = randi([0 10],10,1);
Sz = rand(10,1);
Colors = rand(10,1);
tbl = table(Th,R,Sz,Colors);

% Create polar bubble chart
polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R','Sz','Colors')

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object contains an object of type bubblechart.

Display Bubbles in Different Axes on the Same Scale

Open Live Script

Define two data sets showing the incoming air traffic at two different airports over a certain period of time.

Define theta1 and theta2 as vectors containing the angles of approach for the incoming planes.
Define planesize1 and planesize2 as a vectors of plane sizes, measured in the number of passengers.
Define altitude1 and altitude2 as vectors containing the altitudes for the planes.

theta1 = repmat([0 pi/2 7*pi/6],1,4) + 0.25*randn(1,12);
theta2 = repmat([pi pi/6 3*pi/2],1,4) + 0.25*randn(1,12);
planesize1 = randi([75 500],[1 12]);
planesize2 = randi([1 50],[1 12]);
altitude1 = randi([13000 43000],1,12);
altitude2 = randi([13000 85000],1,12);

Create a tiled chart layout so you can visualize the data side-by-side. Then, create a polar axes object in the first tile, plot the data for the first airport, and add a title. Then repeat the process in the second tile for the second airport.

t = tiledlayout(1,2);
pax1 = polaraxes(t);
polarbubblechart(pax1,theta1,altitude1,planesize1)
title('Airport A')

pax2 = polaraxes(t);
pax2.Layout.Tile = 2;
polarbubblechart(pax2,theta2,altitude2,planesize2);
title('Airport B')

Figure contains 2 axes objects. Polaraxes object 1 contains an object of type bubblechart. Polaraxes object 2 contains an object of type bubblechart.

Reduce all the bubble sizes to make it easier to see all the bubbles. In this case, change the range of diameters to be between 5 and 20 points.

bubblesize(pax1,[5 20])
bubblesize(pax2,[5 20])

Figure contains 2 axes objects. Polaraxes object 1 contains an object of type bubblechart. Polaraxes object 2 contains an object of type bubblechart.

The planes at Airport A are generally much smaller than at Airport B, but the bubble sizes do not reflect this information in the preceding charts. This is because the smallest and largest bubbles map to the smallest and largest data points in each of the axes. To display the bubbles on the same scale, define a vector called allsizes that includes the plane sizes at both airports. Then use the bubblelim function to reset the scaling for both charts.

allsizes = [planesize1 planesize2];
newlims = [min(allsizes) max(allsizes)];
bubblelim(pax1,newlims)
bubblelim(pax2,newlims)

Figure contains 2 axes objects. Polaraxes object 1 contains an object of type bubblechart. Polaraxes object 2 contains an object of type bubblechart.

Input Arguments

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`theta` — theta values
scalar | vector | matrix

theta values, specified as a scalar, vector, or matrix. The size and shape of theta depends on the shape of your data. This table describes the most common situations.

Type of Bubble Chart How to Specify Coordinates

Single bubble

Type of Bubble Chart	How to Specify Coordinates
Single bubble	Specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as scalars. For example: polarbubblechart(pi/2,0.5,1)
One set of bubbles	Specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as any combination of row or column vectors of the same length. For example: theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2]; rho = [1; 2; 3]; sz = [10 11 12]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)
Multiple sets of bubbles that are different colors	If all the data sets share the same `theta` or `rho` values, specify the shared coordinates as a vector and the other coordinates as a matrix. The length of the vector must match one of the dimensions of the matrix. For example, plot two data sets that share the same `theta` and `sz` values. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2]; rho = [4 5 6; 7 8 9]; sz = [1 2 3]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz) If the matrices are square, `polarbubblechart` plots a separate set of bubbles for each column in the matrix. Alternatively, specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as matrices of equal size. In this case, `polarbubblechart` plots the columns of the matrices. For example, plot three data sets. theta = [0 pi/6 pi/2; pi/8 pi/4 pi]; rho = [1 2 3; 4 5 6]; sz = [10 20 30; 40 50 60]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

Specify theta, rho, and sz as scalars. For example:

polarbubblechart(pi/2,0.5,1)

One set of bubbles

Specify theta, rho, and sz as any combination of row or column vectors of the same length. For example:

theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2];
rho = [1; 2; 3];
sz = [10 11 12];
polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

Multiple sets of bubbles that are different colors

If all the data sets share the same theta or rho values, specify the shared coordinates as a vector and the other coordinates as a matrix. The length of the vector must match one of the dimensions of the matrix. For example, plot two data sets that share the same theta and sz values.

theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2];
rho = [4 5 6; 7 8 9];
sz = [1 2 3];
polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

If the matrices are square, polarbubblechart plots a separate set of bubbles for each column in the matrix.

Alternatively, specify theta, rho, and sz as matrices of equal size. In this case, polarbubblechart plots the columns of the matrices. For example, plot three data sets.

theta = [0 pi/6 pi/2; pi/8 pi/4 pi];
rho = [1 2 3; 4 5 6];
sz = [10 20 30; 40 50 60];
polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

`rho` — rho values
scalar | vector | matrix

rho values, specified as a scalar, vector, or matrix. The size and shape of rho depends on the shape of your data. This table describes the most common situations.

Type of Bubble Chart How to Specify Coordinates

Single bubble

Type of Bubble Chart	How to Specify Coordinates
Single bubble	Specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as scalars. For example: polarbubblechart(pi/2,0.5,1)
One set of bubbles	Specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as any combination of row or column vectors of the same length. For example: theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2]; rho = [1; 2; 3]; sz = [10 11 12]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)
Multiple sets of bubbles that are different colors	If all the data sets share the same `theta` or `rho` values, specify the shared coordinates as a vector and the other coordinates as a matrix. The length of the vector must match one of the dimensions of the matrix. For example, plot two data sets that share the same `theta` and `sz` values. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2]; rho = [4 5 6; 7 8 9]; sz = [1 2 3]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz) If the matrices are square, `polarbubblechart` plots a separate set of bubbles for each column in the matrix. Alternatively, specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as matrices of equal size. In this case, `polarbubblechart` plots the columns of the matrices. For example, plot three data sets. theta = [0 pi/6 pi/2; pi/8 pi/4 pi]; rho = [1 2 3; 4 5 6]; sz = [10 20 30; 40 50 60]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

Specify theta, rho, and sz as scalars. For example:

polarbubblechart(pi/2,0.5,1)

One set of bubbles

Specify theta, rho, and sz as any combination of row or column vectors of the same length. For example:

theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2];
rho = [1; 2; 3];
sz = [10 11 12];
polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

Multiple sets of bubbles that are different colors

theta = [0 pi/4 pi/2];
rho = [4 5 6; 7 8 9];
sz = [1 2 3];
polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

If the matrices are square, polarbubblechart plots a separate set of bubbles for each column in the matrix.

Alternatively, specify theta, rho, and sz as matrices of equal size. In this case, polarbubblechart plots the columns of the matrices. For example, plot three data sets.

theta = [0 pi/6 pi/2; pi/8 pi/4 pi];
rho = [1 2 3; 4 5 6];
sz = [10 20 30; 40 50 60];
polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

`sz` — Bubble sizes
numeric scalar | vector | matrix

Bubble sizes, specified as a numeric scalar, vector, or matrix. The way you specify the size depends on how you specify theta and rho and how you want the chart to look. This table describes the most common situations.

Type of Bubble Chart	`theta` and `rho`	`sz`	Example
One set of bubbles	Vectors of the same length	A vector with the same length as `theta` and `rho`	Specify `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` as vectors. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 2 3 4]; sz = [10 20 30 40]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)
Multiple sets of bubbles that have varied coordinates and bubble sizes	At least one of `theta` or `rho` is a matrix for plotting multiple data sets	A matrix that has the same size as the `theta` or `rho` matrix	Specify `theta` as a vector and `rho` and `sz` as matrices. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 5; 2 6; 3 7; 4 8]; sz = [10 20; 30 40; 50 60; 70 80]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)
Multiple sets of bubbles, where all the coordinates are shared, but the sizes are different for each set	Vectors of the same length	A matrix with at least one dimension that matches the lengths of `theta` and `rho`	Specify `theta` and `rho` as vectors and `sz` as a matrix. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 2 3 4]; sz = [10 20; 30 40; 50 60; 70 80]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)
Multiple sets of bubbles, where the coordinates vary in at least one dimension, but the sizes are shared between sets	At least one of `theta` or `rho` is a matrix for plotting multiple data sets	A vector with the same number of elements as there are bubbles in each data set	Specify `theta` as a vector, `rho` as a matrix, and `sz` as vector. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 5; 2 6; 3 7; 4 8]; sz = [10 20 30 40]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

`c` — Bubble color
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]` (default) | color name | RGB triplet | matrix of RGB triplets | vector of colormap indices

Bubble color, specified as a color name, RGB triplet, matrix of RGB triplets, or a vector of colormap indices.

Color name — A color name such as "red", or a short name such as "r".
RGB triplet — 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]. RGB triplets are useful for creating custom colors.
Matrix of RGB triplets — A three-column matrix in which each row is an RGB triplet.
Vector of colormap indices — A vector of numeric values that is the same length as the theta and rho vectors.

The way you specify the color depends on your preferred color scheme and whether you are plotting one set of bubbles or multiple sets of bubbles. This table describes the most common situations.

Color Scheme	How to Specify the Color	Example
Use one color for all the bubbles.	Specify a color name or a short name from the table below, or specify one RGB triplet.	Display one set of bubbles, and specify the color as `'red'`. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 2 3 4]; sz = [10 20 30 40]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,'red') Display two sets of bubbles, and specify the color as red using the RGB triplet `[1 0 0]`. theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 5; 2 6; 3 7; 4 8]; sz = [10 20; 30 40; 50 60; 70 80]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,[1 0 0])
Assign different colors to each bubble using a colormap.	Specify a row or column vector of numbers. The numbers map into the current colormap array. The smallest value maps to the first row in the colormap, and the largest value maps to the last row. The intermediate values map linearly to the intermediate rows. If your chart has three bubbles, specify a column vector to ensure the values are interpreted as colormap indices. You can use this method only when `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` are all vectors.	Create a vector `c` that specifies four colormap indices. Display four bubbles using the colors from the current colormap. Then, change the colormap to `winter`. c = [1 2 3 4]; theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 2 3 4]; sz = [10 20 30 40]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c) colormap(gca,"winter")
Create a custom color for each bubble.	Specify an m-by-3 matrix of RGB triplets, where m is the number of bubbles. You can use this method only when `theta`, `rho`, and `sz` are all vectors.	Create a matrix `c` that specifies RGB triplets for green, red, gray, and purple. Then create a bubble chart using those colors. c = [0 1 0; 1 0 0; 0.5 0.5 0.5; 0.6 0 1]; theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 2 3 4]; sz = [10 20 30 40]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c)
Create a different color for each data set.	Specify an n-by-3 matrix of RGB triplets, where n is the number of data sets. You can use this method only when at least one of `theta`, `rho`, or `sz` is a matrix.	Create a matrix `c` that contains two RGB triplets. Then display two sets of bubbles using those colors. c = [1 0 0; 0.6 0 1]; theta = [0 pi/4 pi/3 pi/2]; rho = [1 5; 2 6; 3 7; 4 8]; sz = [10 20; 30 40; 50 60; 70 80]; polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c)

Color Names and RGB Triplets for Common Colors

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`

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

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

`tbl` — Source table
table | timetable

Source table containing the data to plot, specified as a table or a timetable.

`thetavar` — Table variables containing theta values
one or more table variable indices

Table variables containing the theta values, specified as one or more table variable indices.

Specifying Table Indices

Use any of the following indexing schemes to specify the desired variable or variables.

Indexing Scheme Examples

Indexing Scheme	Examples
Variable names: A string, character vector, or cell array. A `pattern` object.	`"A"` or `'A'` — A variable named `A` `["A","B"]` or `{'A','B'}` — Two variables named `A` and `B` `"Var"+digitsPattern(1)` — Variables named `"Var"` followed by a single digit
Variable index: An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table. A vector of numbers. A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing `0` or `false` values.	`3` — The third variable from the table `[2 3]` — The second and third variables from the table `[false false true]` — The third variable
Variable type: A `vartype` subscript that selects variables of a specified type.	`vartype("categorical")` — All the variables containing categorical values

Variable names:

A string, character vector, or cell array.
A pattern object.

"A" or 'A' — A variable named A
["A","B"] or {'A','B'} — Two variables named A and B
"Var"+digitsPattern(1) — Variables named "Var" followed by a single digit

Variable index:

An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table.
A vector of numbers.
A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing 0 or false values.

3 — The third variable from the table
[2 3] — The second and third variables from the table
[false false true] — The third variable

Variable type:

A vartype subscript that selects variables of a specified type.

vartype("categorical") — All the variables containing categorical values

Plotting Your Data

The table variables you specify can contain any numeric data type.

To plot one data set, specify one variable each for thetavar, rhovar, sizevar, and optionally cvar. For example, create a table with four variables. Plot the Th and R1 variables, and vary the bubble sizes according to the Sz variable.

% Create a table of random numbers
Th = linspace(0,2*pi,10)';
R1 = randi([0 10],10,1);
R2 = randi([20 30],10,1);
Sz = rand(10,1);
tbl = table(Th,R1,R2,Sz);

% Create polar bubble chart
polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R1','Sz')

To plot multiple data sets together, specify multiple variables for at least one of thetavar, rhovar, sizevar, or optionally cvar. If you specify multiple variables for more than one argument, the number of variables must be the same for each of those arguments.

For example, plot the Th variable on the theta-axis and the R1 and R2 variables on the r-axis. Specify the Sz variable for the bubble sizes.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th',{'R1','R2'},'Sz')

You can also use different indexing schemes for the table variables. For example, specify thetavar as a variable name, rhovar as an index number, and sizevar as a logical vector.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th',2,[false false true])

`rhovar` — Table variables containing rho values
one or more table variable indices

Table variables containing the rho values, specified as one or more table variable indices.

Specifying Table Indices

Use any of the following indexing schemes to specify the desired variable or variables.

Indexing Scheme Examples

Indexing Scheme	Examples
Variable names: A string, character vector, or cell array. A `pattern` object.	`"A"` or `'A'` — A variable named `A` `["A","B"]` or `{'A','B'}` — Two variables named `A` and `B` `"Var"+digitsPattern(1)` — Variables named `"Var"` followed by a single digit
Variable index: An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table. A vector of numbers. A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing `0` or `false` values.	`3` — The third variable from the table `[2 3]` — The second and third variables from the table `[false false true]` — The third variable
Variable type: A `vartype` subscript that selects variables of a specified type.	`vartype("categorical")` — All the variables containing categorical values

Variable names:

A string, character vector, or cell array.
A pattern object.

"A" or 'A' — A variable named A
["A","B"] or {'A','B'} — Two variables named A and B
"Var"+digitsPattern(1) — Variables named "Var" followed by a single digit

Variable index:

An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table.
A vector of numbers.
A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing 0 or false values.

3 — The third variable from the table
[2 3] — The second and third variables from the table
[false false true] — The third variable

Variable type:

A vartype subscript that selects variables of a specified type.

vartype("categorical") — All the variables containing categorical values

Plotting Your Data

The table variables you specify can contain any numeric data type.

% Create a table of random numbers
Th = linspace(0,2*pi,10)';
R1 = randi([0 10],10,1);
R2 = randi([20 30],10,1);
Sz = rand(10,1);
tbl = table(Th,R1,R2,Sz);

% Create polar bubble chart
polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R1','Sz')

For example, plot the Th variable on the theta-axis and the R1 and R2 variables on the r-axis. Specify the Sz variable for the bubble sizes.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th',{'R1','R2'},'Sz')

You can also use different indexing schemes for the table variables. For example, specify thetavar as a variable name, rhovar as an index number, and sizevar as a logical vector.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th',2,[false false true])

`sizevar` — Table variables for bubble sizes
one or more table variable indices

Table variables containing the bubble size data, specified as one or more table variable indices.

Specifying Table Indices

Use any of the following indexing schemes to specify the desired variable or variables.

Indexing Scheme Examples

Indexing Scheme	Examples
Variable names: A string, character vector, or cell array. A `pattern` object.	`"A"` or `'A'` — A variable named `A` `["A","B"]` or `{'A','B'}` — Two variables named `A` and `B` `"Var"+digitsPattern(1)` — Variables named `"Var"` followed by a single digit
Variable index: An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table. A vector of numbers. A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing `0` or `false` values.	`3` — The third variable from the table `[2 3]` — The second and third variables from the table `[false false true]` — The third variable
Variable type: A `vartype` subscript that selects variables of a specified type.	`vartype("categorical")` — All the variables containing categorical values

Variable names:

A string, character vector, or cell array.
A pattern object.

"A" or 'A' — A variable named A
["A","B"] or {'A','B'} — Two variables named A and B
"Var"+digitsPattern(1) — Variables named "Var" followed by a single digit

Variable index:

An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table.
A vector of numbers.
A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing 0 or false values.

3 — The third variable from the table
[2 3] — The second and third variables from the table
[false false true] — The third variable

Variable type:

A vartype subscript that selects variables of a specified type.

vartype("categorical") — All the variables containing categorical values

Plotting Your Data

The table variables you specify can contain any type of numeric values.

If you are plotting one data set, specify one variable for sizevar. For example, create a table with four variables. Plot the Th and R variables, and vary the bubble sizes according to the Sz1 variable.

% Create a table of random numbers
Th = linspace(0,2*pi,10)';
R = randi([0 10],10,1);
Sz1 = rand(10,1);
Sz2 = rand(10,1);
tbl = table(Th,R,Sz1,Sz2);

% Create polar bubble chart
polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R','Sz1')

If you are plotting multiple data sets, you can specify multiple variables for at least one of thetavar, rhovar, sizevar, or optionally cvar. If you specify multiple variables for more than one argument, the number of variables must be the same for each of those arguments.

For example, plot the Th variable on the theta-axis and the R variable on the r-axis. Specify the Sz1 and Sz2 variables for the bubble sizes. The resulting plot shows two sets of bubbles with the same coordinates, but different bubble sizes.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R',{'Sz1','Sz2'})

`cvar` — Table variables for bubble colors
one or more table variable indices

Table variables containing the bubble color data, specified as one or more table variable indices.

Specifying Table Indices

Use any of the following indexing schemes to specify the desired variable or variables.

Indexing Scheme Examples

Indexing Scheme	Examples
Variable names: A string, character vector, or cell array. A `pattern` object.	`"A"` or `'A'` — A variable named `A` `["A","B"]` or `{'A','B'}` — Two variables named `A` and `B` `"Var"+digitsPattern(1)` — Variables named `"Var"` followed by a single digit
Variable index: An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table. A vector of numbers. A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing `0` or `false` values.	`3` — The third variable from the table `[2 3]` — The second and third variables from the table `[false false true]` — The third variable
Variable type: A `vartype` subscript that selects variables of a specified type.	`vartype("categorical")` — All the variables containing categorical values

Variable names:

A string, character vector, or cell array.
A pattern object.

"A" or 'A' — A variable named A
["A","B"] or {'A','B'} — Two variables named A and B
"Var"+digitsPattern(1) — Variables named "Var" followed by a single digit

Variable index:

An index number that refers to the location of a variable in the table.
A vector of numbers.
A logical vector. Typically, this vector is the same length as the number of variables, but you can omit trailing 0 or false values.

3 — The third variable from the table
[2 3] — The second and third variables from the table
[false false true] — The third variable

Variable type:

A vartype subscript that selects variables of a specified type.

vartype("categorical") — All the variables containing categorical values

Plotting Your Data

The table variables you specify can contain values of any numeric type. Each variable can be:

A column of numbers that linearly map into the current colormap.
A three-column array of RGB triplets. RGB triplets are three-element vectors whose values specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of specific colors. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]. For example, [0.5 0.7 1] specifies a shade of light blue.

If you are plotting one data set, specify one variable for cvar. For example, create a table with six variables of random numbers. Plot the Th and R1 variables. Vary the bubble sizes according to the Sz variable, and vary the colors according to the Color1 variable.

% Create a table of random numbers
Th = linspace(0,2*pi,10)';
R1 = randi([0 10],10,1);
R2 = randi([20 30],10,1);
Sz = rand(10,1);
Color1 = rand(10,1);
Color2 = rand(10,1);
tbl = table(Th,R1,R2,Sz,Color1,Color2);

% Create polar bubble chart
polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th','R1','Sz','Color1')

If you are plotting multiple data sets, you can specify multiple variables for at least one of thetavar, rhovar, sizevar, or cvar. If you specify multiple variables for more than one argument, the number of variables must be the same for each of those arguments.

For example, plot the Th variable on the theta-axis and the R1 and R2 variables on the r-axis. Vary the bubble sizes according to the Sz variable. Specify the Color1 and Color2 variables for the colors. The resulting plot shows two sets of bubbles with the same theta-coordinates and bubble sizes, but different r-coordinates and colors.

polarbubblechart(tbl,'Th',{'R1','R2'},'Sz',{'Color1','Color2'})

`pax` — Target axes
`PolarAxes` object

Target axes, specified as a PolarAxes object. If you do not specify the axes, MATLAB plots into the current axes, or it creates a PolarAxes object if one does not exist.

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: bubblechart([1 2 3],[4 10 9],[1 2 3],'MarkerFaceColor','red') creates red bubbles.

Note

The properties listed here are only a subset. For a complete list, see BubbleChart Properties.

`MarkerEdgeColor` — Marker outline color
`"flat"` (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `"r"` | `"g"` | `"b"` | ...

Marker outline color, specified "flat", an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short name. The default value of "flat" uses colors from the CData property.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

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 string scalar or character vector 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. Therefore, 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 Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`
`"none"`	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	No color

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

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

Example: [0.5 0.5 0.5]

Example: "blue"

Example: "#D2F9A7"

`MarkerFaceColor` — Marker fill color
`'flat'` (default) | `'auto'` | `'none'` | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

Marker fill color, specified as 'flat', 'auto', an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short name. The 'flat' option uses the CData values. The 'auto' option uses the same color as the Color property for the axes.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

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 string scalar or character vector 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. Therefore, 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 Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`"red"`	`"r"`	`[1 0 0]`	`"#FF0000"`
`"green"`	`"g"`	`[0 1 0]`	`"#00FF00"`
`"blue"`	`"b"`	`[0 0 1]`	`"#0000FF"`
`"cyan"`	`"c"`	`[0 1 1]`	`"#00FFFF"`
`"magenta"`	`"m"`	`[1 0 1]`	`"#FF00FF"`
`"yellow"`	`"y"`	`[1 1 0]`	`"#FFFF00"`
`"black"`	`"k"`	`[0 0 0]`	`"#000000"`
`"white"`	`"w"`	`[1 1 1]`	`"#FFFFFF"`
`"none"`	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	No color

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

RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]`	`"#0072BD"`
`[0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]`	`"#D95319"`
`[0.9290 0.6940 0.1250]`	`"#EDB120"`
`[0.4940 0.1840 0.5560]`	`"#7E2F8E"`
`[0.4660 0.6740 0.1880]`	`"#77AC30"`
`[0.3010 0.7450 0.9330]`	`"#4DBEEE"`
`[0.6350 0.0780 0.1840]`	`"#A2142F"`

Example: [0.3 0.2 0.1]

Example: 'green'

Example: '#D2F9A7'

`LineWidth` — Width of marker edge
`0.5` (default) | positive value

Width of marker edge, specified as a positive value in point units.

Example: 0.75

`MarkerEdgeAlpha` — Marker edge transparency
`1` (default) | scalar in range `[0,1]` | `'flat'`

Marker edge transparency, specified as a scalar in the range [0,1] or 'flat'. A value of 1 is opaque and 0 is completely transparent. Values between 0 and 1 are semitransparent.

To set the edge transparency to a different value for each point in the plot, set the AlphaData property to a vector the same size as the XData property, and set the MarkerEdgeAlpha property to 'flat'.

`MarkerFaceAlpha` — Marker face transparency
`0.6` (default) | scalar in range `[0,1]` | `'flat'`

Marker face transparency, specified as a scalar in the range [0,1] or 'flat'. A value of 1 is opaque and 0 is completely transparent. Values between 0 and 1 are partially transparent.

To set the marker face transparency to a different value for each point, set the AlphaData property to a vector the same size as the XData property, and set the MarkerFaceAlpha property to 'flat'.

Version History

Introduced in R2020b

expand all

R2022b: Plots created with tables preserve special characters in legend labels

When you pass a table and one or more variable names to the polarbubblechart function, the legend labels now display any special characters that are included in the table variable names, such as underscores. Previously, special characters were interpreted as TeX or LaTeX characters.

For example, if you pass a table containing a variable named Sample_Number to the polarbubblechart function and then display a legend, the underscore appears in the legend label. In R2022a and earlier releases, the underscore is interpreted as a subscript.

Release Label for Table Variable "Sample_Number"

Release	Label for Table Variable `"Sample_Number"`
R2022b
R2022a

R2022b

R2022a

To display legend labels with TeX or LaTeX formatting, call the legend function with the desired label strings after plotting. For example:

legend(["Sample_Number" "Another_Legend_Label"])

R2022a: Plot multiple data sets at once using matrices

The polarbubblechart function now accepts combinations of vectors and matrices for the coordinates and size data. As a result, you can visualize multiple data sets at once rather than using the hold function between plotting commands.

R2021b: Pass tables directly to `polarbubblechart`

Create plots by passing a table to the polarbubblechart function followed by the variables you want to plot. When you specify your data as a table, the axis labels and the legend (if present) are automatically labeled using the table variable names.

polarbubblechart

Syntax

Description

Vector and Matrix Data

Table Data

Additional Options

Examples

Plot Random Bubbles

Specify Bubble Colors

Specify Bubble Transparency and Outline Color

Add a Bubble Legend

Plot Data from a Table

Plot Table Data with Custom Colors

Display Bubbles in Different Axes on the Same Scale

Input Arguments

theta — theta values scalar | vector | matrix

rho — rho values scalar | vector | matrix

sz — Bubble sizes numeric scalar | vector | matrix

c — Bubble color [0 0.4470 0.7410] (default) | color name | RGB triplet | matrix of RGB triplets | vector of colormap indices

Color Names and RGB Triplets for Common Colors

tbl — Source table table | timetable

thetavar — Table variables containing theta values one or more table variable indices

Specifying Table Indices

Plotting Your Data

rhovar — Table variables containing rho values one or more table variable indices

Specifying Table Indices

Plotting Your Data

sizevar — Table variables for bubble sizes one or more table variable indices

Specifying Table Indices

Plotting Your Data

cvar — Table variables for bubble colors one or more table variable indices

Specifying Table Indices

Plotting Your Data

pax — Target axes PolarAxes object

Name-Value Arguments

MarkerEdgeColor — Marker outline color "flat" (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | "r" | "g" | "b" | ...

MarkerFaceColor — Marker fill color 'flat' (default) | 'auto' | 'none' | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | 'r' | 'g' | 'b' | ...

LineWidth — Width of marker edge 0.5 (default) | positive value

MarkerEdgeAlpha — Marker edge transparency 1 (default) | scalar in range [0,1] | 'flat'

MarkerFaceAlpha — Marker face transparency 0.6 (default) | scalar in range [0,1] | 'flat'

Version History

R2022b: Plots created with tables preserve special characters in legend labels

R2022a: Plot multiple data sets at once using matrices

R2021b: Pass tables directly to polarbubblechart

See Also

Functions

Properties

Topics

`theta` — theta values
scalar | vector | matrix

`rho` — rho values
scalar | vector | matrix

`sz` — Bubble sizes
numeric scalar | vector | matrix

`c` — Bubble color
`[0 0.4470 0.7410]` (default) | color name | RGB triplet | matrix of RGB triplets | vector of colormap indices

`tbl` — Source table
table | timetable

`thetavar` — Table variables containing theta values
one or more table variable indices

`rhovar` — Table variables containing rho values
one or more table variable indices

`sizevar` — Table variables for bubble sizes
one or more table variable indices

`cvar` — Table variables for bubble colors
one or more table variable indices

`pax` — Target axes
`PolarAxes` object

`MarkerEdgeColor` — Marker outline color
`"flat"` (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `"r"` | `"g"` | `"b"` | ...

`MarkerFaceColor` — Marker fill color
`'flat'` (default) | `'auto'` | `'none'` | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | `'r'` | `'g'` | `'b'` | ...

`LineWidth` — Width of marker edge
`0.5` (default) | positive value

`MarkerEdgeAlpha` — Marker edge transparency
`1` (default) | scalar in range `[0,1]` | `'flat'`

`MarkerFaceAlpha` — Marker face transparency
`0.6` (default) | scalar in range `[0,1]` | `'flat'`

R2021b: Pass tables directly to `polarbubblechart`