Arrange figures into a grid

"arrangeFigures" arranges figures into a grid on a screen. No input parameters required, but possible for fine tuning.

Purpose

'arrangeFigures' arranges figures into a grid on a screen. No input parameters required, but possible for fine tuning.

Features

Detects all figures with HandleVisibility='on'. This is on purpose, because in most cases you don't want to move e.g. GUIs .

Without fine tuning parameters all figures are placed on the total screen of the second monitor. If the second monitor doesn't exist, the primary monitor is used.

Syntax

arrangeFigures   %Automatic mode

or

arrangeFigures(frame_position, monitor,  aspectRatio, hFigs, numRows, numCols, removeMenu)% Full fine tuning

Fine tuning

All parameters are optional.

1.) frame_position: position where the figures are placed, vector [x-position, y-position, width, height], optional

numbers >= 1 are treated as pixels

numbers < 1 are treated as relative values, e.g. width = 0.5 means half of the screen width

Any value set to 0 will be set to a value for use of the remaining space

The default value for the y-position is set 40 for the task bar of Windows system.

frame_position = 0 -> the full screen is used

2.) monitor: number of the monitor to display the figures, integer number, optional

monitor = 0 or monitor not found -> use by preference the second monitor (default)

If the default monitor is not present, use primary monitor

3.) aspectRatio: aspect ration (width/height) of figures, double number, optional

aspectRatio set -> force figure size, the frame width or height may be partially empty

aspectRatio = 0 or not set -> fill out the available frame_position

4.) hFigs: a vector with the figure handles, optional

hFigs = 0 -> all figures that have HandleVisibility='on' (e.g. no GUI) are arranged in a grid.

Matlab's default is HandleVisibility='on'. If you want all figures, uncomment line 117.

5.) numRows: number of rows for the grid, integer number, optional

numRows = 0 -> the number of colums is calculated according to the number of columns

6.) numCols: number of columns for the grid, integer number, optional

numCols = 0 -> the number of rows is calculated accordingly

numRows = 0 and numCols = 0 or not set -> both calculated according to the disponible area.

7.) removeMenu: remove the menu bar and the tool bar, string or 0, optional

'yes' -> remove the menu bar and the tool bar. Warning: Both bars are permanently removed.

Any other string or number will not affect the figures.

For easy setting of the parameters and preview of the layout you may use the included GUI.

REMARKS

All input parameters are optional. If you have a trailing paremeter set, the previous parameters must all have the placehoder 0.

For example:

arrangeFigures(0.5, 2, 0, 0, 3 )   % arranges the figures on the right half of the second screen, 3 rows

. The two zeros in the middle are place holders.

EXAMPLE

Seven or eight figures are arranged into a grid.

 numFigures = 7;
     hFigs = zeros(numFigures,1);
     x = 0:0.01:2*pi;
     for i = 1:numFigures
         hFigs(i) = figure;
         plot(x, sin(i*x));
     end
     
     figure('Position',[100,100,2000,900]); plot(x, x); % Extra figure not in fig_list
     arrangeFigures(0,0,0,hFigs)          % Arrange the selected figures on the screen
     pause(2)
     arrangeFigures                       % Arrange all figures automaticly on the screen
     pause(2) 
     arrangeFigures([0.6,0.4],2,10/9,0,2) % [0.6,0.4]: Put all figures on the upper right side of the screen.
                                          % 2: Use second monitor
                                          %    If the second monitor is not present, use primary monitor.
                                          % 10/9: Force the aspect ratio (width/height) to 10/9.
                                          % 0: Process all figures with HandleVisibility='on'.
                                          % 2: Put all figures in 2 rows.

You may also be interrested in a file to close many figures:

https://de.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/61974-gui-to-close-all-open-figures-except-those-selected