polarbubblechart

Polar bubble chart

Syntax

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz)

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c)

polarbubblechart(___,Name,Value)

polarbubblechart(pax,___)

bc = polarbubblechart(___)

Description

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz) displays colored circular markers (bubbles) at the locations specified by the vectors theta and rho. Specify the bubble sizes as the vector sz. The vectors theta, rho, and sz must be the same length.

polarbubblechart(theta,rho,sz,c) specifies the colors of the bubbles.

• To use one color for all the bubbles, specify a color name, a hexadecimal color code, or an RGB triplet.

• To assign a different color to each bubble, specify a vector the same length as theta and rho. Alternatively, you can specify a three-column matrix of RGB triplets. the number of rows in the matrix must match the length of theta and rho.

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

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

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.

Examples

Plot Random Bubbles

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);

Specify Bubble Colors

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');

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');

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)

Specify Bubble Transparency and Outline Color

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);

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);

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];

Add a Bubble Legend

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')

Display Bubbles in Different Axes on the Same Scale

Define two data sets showing the incoming air traffic at two different airports over a certian 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')

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])

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)

Input Arguments

theta — theta values

scalar | vector

theta values, specified as a numeric scalar or vector the same length as rho.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64

rho — rho values

scalar | vector

rho values, specified as a numeric scalar or vector the same length as theta.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64

sz — Bubble sizes

scalar | vector

Bubble sizes, specified as a numeric scalar or vector the same length as theta and rho.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64

c — Bubble color

[0 0.4470 0.7410] (default) | RGB triplet | color name | hexadecimal color code | three-column matrix of RGB triplets | vector

Bubble color, specified as an RGB triplet, a color name, a hexadecimal color code, a matrix of RGB triplets, or a vector of colormap indices. You can display all the bubbles with the same color, or you can display each bubble with a different color. By default, the bubbles are filled with partially transparent color, and the edges of the bubbles are opaque.

Display the Bubbles with the Same Color

Specify one of the following values to display all the bubbles with the same color:

• RGB triplet — 1-by-3 row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of a color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]; for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

• Hexadecimal color code — Character vector or a string scalar 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. Thus, the color codes '#FF8800', '#ff8800', '#F80', and '#f80' are equivalent.

• Color name or short name — Color name or short name from the table below.

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'

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'

Display the Bubbles with Different Colors

Specify one of the following values to assign a different color to each bubble:

• Three-column matrix of RGB triplets — Each row of the matrix specifies an RGB triplet color for the corresponding bubble. The values in each row specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1]. The number of rows must equal the length of the coordinate vectors.

• Vector of colormap indices — An m-by-1 vector of numbers that index into the current colormap. The values in the vector cover the full range of the colormap. The length of c must equal the length of the coordinate vectors. To change the colormap for the axes, use the colormap function.

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 Pair Arguments

Specify optional comma-separated pairs of Name,Value arguments. Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name must appear inside quotes. You can specify several name and value pair arguments in any order as Name1,Value1,...,NameN,ValueN.

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 character vector or a string scalar 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. Thus, 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 character vector or a string scalar 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. Thus, 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'.