biChordChart (bidirectional chord diagram | 有向弦图)

Plot bidirectional/directed/self-loop/self-links chord diagram (绘制 有向/双向 弦图/和弦图)

Plot bidirectional/directed/self-loop/self-links chord diagram (绘制 有向/双向 弦图/和弦图)

Cover

Basic usage

dataMat=randi([0,8],[5,5]);

% 创建弦图对象(Create bichord diagram object and draw)
BCC=biChordChart(dataMat,'Arrow','on');
BCC=BCC.draw();

% 添加刻度(Show ticks and tick labels)
BCC.tickState('on')
BCC.tickLabelState('on')

% 修改字体，字号及颜色(Set font properties)
BCC.setFont('FontName','Cambria','FontSize',17)

The automatic adjustment of scale density

rng(1)
dataMat=randi([0,5],[8,8]);

CList=[ 75,146,241; 252,180, 65; 224, 64, 10;   5,100,146; 191,191,191;
        26, 59,105; 255,227,130;  18,156,221; 202,107, 75;   0, 92,219;
       243,210,136;  80, 99,129; 241,185,168; 224,131, 10; 120,147,190]./255;

figure('Units','normalized','Position',[.02,.05,.6,.85])
% TickMode 'value'(default)/'linear'/auto
BCC = biChordChart(dataMat, 'Arrow','on', 'CData',CList,...
    'TickMode','auto', 'SSqRatio',-30/100, 'OSqRatio',80/100);
BCC=BCC.draw();

% 添加刻度
BCC.tickState('on')
BCC.tickLabelState('on')

Square, tick, label radius | square ratio

Add highlight arrow

rng(1)
dataMat=randi([1,8], [4,4]);

% 创建弦图对象(Create bichord diagram object)
BCC=biChordChart(dataMat,'Arrow','on','Sep',1/12);

% 开始绘图(Start drawing)
BCC=BCC.draw();

% 添加刻度(Show ticks and tick labels)
BCC.tickState('on')
BCC.tickLabelState('on')

% 修改字体，字号及颜色(Set font properties)
BCC.setFont('FontName','Cambria','FontSize',17)
BCC.addHighlightArrow(2, 3)
BCC.addHighlightArrow(2, 1)
BCC.addHighlightArrow(4, 4)

Highlight chords originating from a specific node

dataMat = rand([15, 15]);
dataMat(dataMat > .2) = 0;
CList = [ 67,115,181; 173,136, 76; 156, 66, 43;  25, 88,124; 136,142,151; 
    37, 63,100; 175,164,115;  32,121,169; 143, 92, 82;  22, 83,168; 
    167,154,118;  70, 87,114; 166,139,138; 156,106, 43;  94,116,151]./255;

figure('Units','normalized', 'Position',[.02,.05,.6,.85])
BCC = biChordChart(dataMat, 'Arrow','on', 'CData',CList);
BCC = BCC.draw();

BCC.tickState('on')
BCC.setFont('FontName','Cambria', 'FontSize',17, 'Color',[0,0,0])

% Modify chord color (修改弦颜色)
BCC.setChord('FaceColor',[ 54, 69, 92]./255 ,'FaceAlpha',.07)
% Highlight chords originating from a specific node (高亮以某节点为源的弦)
[~, N] = max(sum(dataMat > 0, 2));
BCC.setChord(N, [], 'FaceColor',CList(N,:), 'FaceAlpha',.6)

A colorful demo

dataMat = rand([9, 9]); dataMat(dataMat > .7) = 0;
dataMat(eye(9) == 1) = (rand([1,9]) + .2).*3;

CList = [.85,.23,.24; .96,.39,.18; .98,.63,.22; .99,.80,.26; .70,.76,.21; 
    .24,.74,.71; .27,.65,.84; .09,.37,.80; .64,.40,.84];

figure('Units','normalized', 'Position',[.02,.05,.6,.85])
BCC = biChordChart(dataMat, 'Arrow','on', 'CData',CList, 'TickMode','linear');
BCC.LinearMinorTick = 'on';
BCC = BCC.draw();

BCC.tickState('on')
BCC.tickLabelState('on')
BCC.setFont('FontName','Cambria', 'FontSize',17)
BCC.setChord('FaceAlpha',.7)

Another colorful demo

rng(2)
dataMat = rand([12, 12]);
dataMat(dataMat < .85) = 0;
dataMat(7,:) = 1.*(rand(1, 12) + .1);
dataMat(11,:) = .6.*(rand(1, 12) + .1);
dataMat(12,:) = [2.*(rand(1 ,10) + .1), 0, 0];

CList = [repmat([49,49,49],[10,1]); 235,28,34; 19,146,241]./255;

figure('Units','normalized', 'Position',[.02,.05,.6,.85])
BCC = biChordChart(dataMat, 'Arrow','off', 'CData',CList);
BCC = BCC.draw();

BCC.tickState('on')
BCC.setFont('FontName','Cambria', 'FontSize',17)
BCC.setChord('FaceAlpha',.78, 'EdgeColor',[0,0,0])
BCC.setSquare('EdgeColor',[0,0,0], 'LineWidth',2)

Reproduction of a Nature figure example

% Reproduced from: 
% Merchant, A.T., King, S.H., Nguyen, E. et al. 
% Semantic design of functional de novo genes from a genomic language model. 
% Nature 649, 749–758 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09749-7

see demo16.m for detail:

Reproduction of another Nature figure example

% Data source : 
% Lake, B.B., Menon, R., Winfree, S. et al. 
% An atlas of healthy and injured cell states and niches in the human kidney. 
% Nature 619, 585–594 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05769-3
% https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05769-3
% 41586_2023_5769_MOESM9_ESM.xlsx | sheet : panel_d_chordplot

see demo11.m for detail: