How to plot a dot as a sphere like those in OriginLab?

As shown below, in Origin one can choose the dot shape as a sphere which looks like a solid, fancy! So how can Matlab also do this? Thanks!

Answer 1

[DGM]

There isn't such an option for plot() or scatter() objects:

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/creating_plots/specify-line-and-marker-appearance-in-plots.html

https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/matlab.graphics.chart.primitive.scatter-properties.html

But there may be some workarounds.

You could sort of fake a highlight like so:

x = linspace(0,1,10);
y = x.^2;

% plot the lines
plot(x,y,'k'); hold on

% plot the markers
scatter(x,y,50,'k','filled')
scatter(x-0.005,y(1,:)+0.005,10,'w','filled')

xlim([-0.01 1])
ylim([0 1.01])

Or you could do it the expensive way and make actual spheres

clf
x = linspace(0,1,10);
y = x.^2;

% plot the lines
plot(x,y,'k'); hold on

% plot the markers
scale = 0.015;
[xx yy zz] = sphere(20);
xx = xx*scale;
yy = yy*scale;
zz = zz*scale;
for k = 1:numel(x)
    surf(xx+x(k),yy+y(k),zz)
end

shading flat
colormap([1 1 1]*0.7)
lightangle(gca,-135,45)
lighting gouraud
material([0.3 1 1])

xlim([-0.01 1])
ylim([0 1.01])

You could also create any small image and place copies of it as markers. Note the use of transparency and the fact that the marker will appear upside-down.

clf
x = linspace(0,1,10);
y = x.^2;

% plot the lines
plot(x,y,'k'); hold on

% place actual marker images
[mk,~,alph] = imread('sphmarker.png'); % sphere
%[mk,~,alph] = imread('sphmarker2.png'); % smiley
markerrad = 0.015;
for k = 1:numel(x)
    im = imagesc(x(k)+[-1 1]*markerrad,y(k)+[-1 1]*markerrad,mk);
    im.AlphaData = alph;
end

You might also be able to look an the FEX and see if someone has a solution that would work.

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/39487-custom-marker-plot

[chris shen]

Super!

[chris shen]

Btw Matlab really should improve the ability of plotting. Otherwise how can it compete with Python?