How to add pairs of graphs (generated through a function) to adjacent subplots?

How to add pairs of graphs (generated through a function) to adjacent subplots?

The function "myfunction" produces two graphs, saved as Fig1 and Fig2. At every iteration of the loop for, i.e. i = 1, 3, 5, I would like to add Fig1 and Fig2 to two adjacent subplots, i.e. subplot(3,2,i) and subplot(3,2,i+1), respectively. I tried to do that with the following code, but it does not perform what I would like:

for i = [1 3 5]
    [Fig1,Fig2] = myfunction;
    subplot(3,2,i);   Fig1;
    subplot(3,2,i+1); Fig2;
end

function [Fig1,Fig2] = myfunction
    Fig1 = figure; plot(1:10,rand(10,1));
    Fig2 = figure; scatter(1:10,rand(10,1));
end

Any suggestion, to get the following (desired) output?

[Sim]

Obviously, without "myfunction" the subplot does what I want (but I would need to add both Fig1 and Fig2 with "myfunction", as I showed in my post):

for i = [1 3 5]
    subplot(3,2,i);   plot(1:10,rand(10,1));
    subplot(3,2,i+1); scatter(1:10,rand(10,1));
end

Answer 1

[Voss]

One way is to modify myfunction to take two axes as inputs and plot into those.

figure();

for i = [1 3 5]
    
    ax1 = subplot(3,2,i);
    ax2 = subplot(3,2,i+1);
    
    myfunction_new([ax1,ax2]); % myfunction_new defined below
    
end

If you cannot modify myfunction, then you can use copyobj to copy the contents of each figure's axes into a subplot axes. This won't copy legends or colorbars, but you can try to adapt it. I think modifying myfunction is probably the better idea.

f = figure();

for i = [1 3 5]
    
    [Fig1,Fig2] = myfunction(); % myfunction defined below (same as in your question)
    
    figure(f)
    ax1 = subplot(3,2,i);
    copyobj(allchild(get(Fig1,'CurrentAxes')),ax1);
    
    ax2 = subplot(3,2,i+1);
    copyobj(allchild(get(Fig2,'CurrentAxes')),ax2);
    
    delete([Fig1,Fig2]);
    
end

function myfunction_new(ax)
    
    if ~nargin || numel(ax) < 2
        % If fewer than two axes are given, create two new figures and store
        % their axes. (This reproduces the current behavior of myfunction,
        % which takes no inputs and always creates two new figures.)
        figure()
        ax = gca();
        figure()
        ax(2) = gca();
    end
    
    plot(ax(1),1:10,rand(10,1));
    scatter(ax(2),1:10,rand(10,1));
    
end

function [Fig1,Fig2] = myfunction
    Fig1 = figure; plot(1:10,rand(10,1));
    Fig2 = figure; scatter(1:10,rand(10,1));
end

[Sim]

Thanks a lot @Voss! :-)

Just a doubt... I was trying your solution related to myfunction_new(ax), with subtightplot instead of the embedded matlab function of subplot, just by adding this line of code at the very beginning

subplot = @(m,n,p) subtightplot (m, n, p, [0.001 0], [0.01 0.001], [0.01 0.01]);

However, I got the following erorr:

Undefined function 'subtightplot' for input arguments of type 'double'.

Error in Myfunction>@(m,n,p)subtightplot(m,n,p,[0.001,0],[0.01,0.001],[0.01,0.01]) (line 4)
subplot = @(m,n,p) subtightplot (m, n, p, [0.001 0], [0.01 0.001], [0.01 0.01]);

Error in Myfunction (line 7)
    ax1 = subplot(3,2,i);

Do you know if your solution related to myfunction_new(ax) could still work, somehow, with subtightplot?

In case, I can open a new thread, i.e. a new question.. no problem... :-)

[Dyuman Joshi]

Did you download and copy-paste the FEX file in the current directory?

[Sim]

sorryyyy, such a stupid quesiton!! I forgot to add

addpath('/Users/.../subtightplot');

Everything works in my machine, also by using subtightplot :-) :-)

Many thanks @Dyuman Joshi for reminding me this :-) :-)

[Sim]

Would it be possible to add one input here, just besides "ax"?

function myfunction_new(ax)

[Voss]

Sure, you can make myfunction_new take as many inputs and return as many outputs as you like; whatever gets the job done.

[Dyuman Joshi]

You are welcome!

And yes, you can modify the function according to your requirements.

[Sim]

Got it, thank you both @Voss and @Dyuman Joshi! An example:

figure();
for i = [1 3 5] 
    ax1 = subplot(3,2,i);
    ax2 = subplot(3,2,i+1);
    new_input = rand(10,1);
    myfunction_new([ax1,ax2],new_input);
end

function myfunction_new(ax,new_input)
    if ~nargin || numel(ax) < 2
        % If fewer than two axes are given, create two new figures and store
        % their axes. (This reproduces the current behavior of myfunction,
        % which takes no inputs and always creates two new figures.)
        figure()
        ax = gca();
        figure()
        ax(2) = gca();
    end

    % left subplots (left SPs)
    hold(ax(1),'on')
    yyaxis(ax(1),'left')
    plot(ax(1),1:10,new_input,'b-o')
    plot(ax(1),1:10,rand(10,1),'r-.o')
    ylim(ax(1),[0 1])
    ax(1).YAxis(1).Color = 'b';
    ax(1).YAxis(2).Color = 'r';
    xlabel(ax(1),'X label (left SP)')
    ax(1).YAxis(1).Label.String = 'Y1 label (left SP)';
    ax(1).YAxis(2).Label.String = 'Y2 label (left SP)';
    hold(ax(1),'off')

    % right subplots (right SPs)
    hold(ax(2),'on') 
    bar(ax(2),1:10,new_input)
    scatter(ax(2),1:10,rand(10,1),"green",'filled') 
    xlabel(ax(2),'X label (right SP)')
    ylabel(ax(2),'Y label (right SP)')
    hold(ax(2),'off')
end