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thetalim

Set or query theta-axis limits for polar axes

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Syntax

thetalim(limits)
thetalim(limitmode)
tl = thetalim
m = thetalim("mode")
___ = thetalim(pax,___)

Description

Specify Limits

thetalim(limits) specifies the theta-axis limits for the current polar axes. Specify limits as a two-element vector of the form [thetamin thetamax], where thetamax is a numeric value greater than thetamin.

example

thetalim(limitmode) specifies automatic or manual limit selection. The limitmode can have either of two values:

  • "auto" — Enable automatic limit selection. MATLAB® chooses the theta-axis limits.

  • "manual" — Freeze the theta-axis limits at their current value.

example

Query Limits

tl = thetalim returns a two-element vector containing the limits for the current polar axes.

m = thetalim("mode") returns the current value of the limits mode, which is either 'auto' or 'manual'. By default, the mode is automatic unless you specify limits or set the mode to manual.

Specify Target Axes

___ = thetalim(pax,___) uses the polar axes object specified by pax instead of the current polar axes. Specify pax as the first input argument. Include additional input or output arguments only if the original syntax supported them.

example

Examples

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Open Live Script

Create a polar plot and change the theta-axis limits.

theta = linspace(0,pi);
rho = theta/10;
polarplot(theta,rho)
thetalim([0 180])

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

Set the limits back to the original values. 

thetalim('auto')

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

Open Live Script

Set the limits for a specific polar axes by specifying the polar axes object as the first input to thetalim. Otherwise, thetalim sets the limits for the current axes.

pax = polaraxes;
thetalim(pax,[0 180])

Figure contains an axes object with type polaraxes. The polaraxes object is empty.

Input Arguments

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Minimum and maximum limits, specified as a two-element vector of the form [thetamin thetamax]. When you specify the limits, the ThetaLim property for the polar axes object updates to the specified values.

Example: [0 1]

Limit mode, specified as one of the following values:

  • "auto" — Enable automatic limit selection, which is based on the total span of the data. MATLAB chooses the theta-axis limits.

  • "manual" — Freeze the limits at the current values.

When you specify this argument, MATLAB sets the ThetaLimMode property of the axes to the value you specify. However, the ThetaLimMode property changes to "manual" whenever you set the theta-axis limits explicitly, either by calling thetalim(limits), or by setting the value of the ThetaLim property on the axes.

Polar axes, or an array of polar axes. If you do not specify this argument, then thetalim modifies the current axes (provided that the current axes is a polar axes object).

Output Arguments

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Current limits, returned as a two-element vector of the form [thetamin thetamax]. Querying the limits returns the value of the ThetaLim property for the polar axes object.

Current limits mode, returned as one of these values:

  • 'auto' — Limits automatically update to reflect changes in the data.

  • 'manual' — Limits do not automatically update.

Querying the theta-axis limits mode returns the value of the ThetaLimMode property for the polar axes object.

Version History

Introduced in R2016a

See Also

Functions

Properties