The problem, as the error message indicates, is that HeatmapChart objects cannot be a child of UIAxes. It's just not supported (yet?). Here are your options.
Option 1) copy the HeatmapChart to the App and replace the app UIAxes
HeatmapChart objects can be hosted by a uifigure (which is what App Designer uses). Follow this demo
% Create a fake app
app.UIFigure = uifigure();
app.UIAxes = uiaxes(app.UIFigure);
% Create a heatmap in an external figure
tempFig = figure(); % or figure('Visible','Off')
hmo = heatmap(magic(20), 'Parent', tempFig);
% Copy heatmapChart to app (it will be in the wrong position for now)
hmoCopy = copyobj(hmo, app.UIFigure);
% Reposition the heatmapChart over your existing axes
set(hmoCopy, 'Units', app.UIAxes.Units, 'OuterPosition', app.UIAxes.OuterPosition)
% or... 'Position', app.UIAxes.Position)
% Replace UIAxes handle with the heatmapChart handle and delete UIAxes
delete(app.UIAxes)
app.UIAxes = hmo;
Option 2) use an alternative to heatmap
imagesc(), image(), histogram2(__,'DisplayStyle','tile') and other functions are similar to heatmap() and are supported by uiaxes so you can plot them directly on your app. Don't forget to provide the axis handle as an imput: imagesc(app.UIAxes, __)
Remaining Q&A
Great questions!
on what objects can i show a heatmap?
The heatmap function produces a HeatmapChart object that can be a child of a Figure, Panel, Tab, or TiledChartLayout object which is explained under the "Parent" section of heatmap page.
how can i show two different plots simultaneously?
If you want to plot something on an axes that already contains graphics, you just need to execute "hold(axis_handle, 'on')" and then proceed with plotting. However, remember that a heatmapChart is not axes so you can't plot on it. Use one of the alternatives I mentioned in option 2 of my answer.
is it possible to add a heatmap to my gui thru the "design view"?
No. But option 1 above shows you how to add it programmatically.
i guess what i see in the "Component Library" is only the basics.
More or less. Just know that figures and uifigures are different creatures. Some objects and functions are supported by both while others are only supported by one.
Is there a document that has all (or even only the basic) app designer components their "fields" that could be changed, and maybe even a short example on how to use them?
Start here
- https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/app-designer/component-gallery.html
- https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/creating_guis/choose-components-for-your-app-designer-app.html
Go to the 2nd link. It contains links to the properties of each component. Choose one of them and scroll to the very bottom of the page to the "See Also" section. There's usually a link to the object there which contains examples .
