Make same axes for subplots?

Hi,

I have attached subplots with 1 row and 3 columns. For all subplots, I have identical X and Y axes. Is it possible to remove the Y axis of subplot 2 and 3 and just keep that for subplot 1 because it had same limit for all, so I just want to use common Y-axis for all subplots?

Thanks, Sahil

Answer 1

[dpb]

Presuming hF is the handle of the figure and hAx is the array of axes handles you saved when you created the subplots, you can do one of several effects depending on just what you want...

1. set(hAx(2:3),{'YTickLabel'},{[]}) % remove only labels leaving ticks
2. set(hAx(2:3),{'YTick'},{[]}) % remove ticks and labels from y axis
3. set(hAx(2:3),{'YColor'},{hF.Color}); % remove the appearance of the y-axes entirely

You can also modify the 'Position' property to increase width of each and LH start point of the two right most to close up the spacing if desired.

Example adjusting limits

hAx=arrayfun(@(ix) subplot(1,3,ix),1:3);     % make three subplots
hF=gcf;                                      % get figure handle
set(hAx(2:3),{'YColor'},{hF.Color})          % hide axes for 2, 3
pos=get(hAx,'position');                     % return the positions

Above is 3-element cell array for the three subplot axes.

In each position vector, the values are Left, Bottom, Width, Height so right side of axis position is pos(1)+pos(3)

>> pos{:}
ans =
    0.1300    0.1100    0.2134    0.8150
ans =
    0.4108    0.1100    0.2134    0.8150
ans =
    0.6916    0.1100    0.2134    0.8150

rt=pos{3}(1)+pos{3}(3)-pos{1}(1);       % rightmost axis RH end position
delt=pos{2}(1)-(pos{1}(1)+pos{1}(3));   % delta between 2 and 1; 3 and 2
delt=delt/2;                            % let's halve the present spacing
wnew=pos{1}(3)+delt;                    % so make the new width for all 3
pos{1}(3)=wnew;
pos{2}(3)=wnew;
pos{3}(3)=wnew;
pos{2}(1)=pos{1}(1)+pos{1}(3)+delt/2;   % set LH position of second,
pos{3}(1)=pos{2}(1)+pos{2}(3)+delt/2;   % third; split delta to match
set(hAx(1),'Position',pos{1})           % now set the three new positons
set(hAx(2),'Position',pos{2})
set(hAx(3),'Position',pos{3})

I'm certain one could sit down and derive the algebra to compute the LH positions more directly; I just did this by manipulating the corner and width to set the next one at end of previous + the difference.

For comparison, after the above machinations

>> cell2mat(pos)
ans =
  0.1300    0.1100    0.2471    0.8150
  0.3939    0.1100    0.2471    0.8150
  0.6579    0.1100    0.2471    0.8150
>>

It's observed that what has changed is the first and third columns; the first being Left, the third Width. Width is constant but larger (wider) and Left is adjusted to account but diff(pos(:,1)) is still constant to evenly space each horizontally but leaving the first at same position to leave room for the visible tick labels.

Result is

>>

[Sahil Bajaj]

Hi DB,

Thanks for your response, its really helpful. However, I am unsure how to modify 'Position' property to increase width of each plot. Can you please give me an example? I am interested in reducing the space between those subplots.

[Sahil Bajaj]

Great, thanks ! This is really helpful.

[dpb]

You're welcome...it's another one of those things that I suggested some 20+ yr ago TMW should make a way to do such machinations far more easily than by having to do all the grunt work at this level.