Matlab, short for Matrix Laboratory, is a programming platform designed specifically for engineers and scientists. The heart of Matlab is the MATLAB language, a matrix-based language allowing the most natural expression of computational mathematics. One particular task that often arises when dealing with graphs or plots is managing the axes. Dealing with axes might sound trivial, but it’s crucial for the good visualization of our data. Deleting an axis, for instance, changes the aesthetics of a plot to make it more visually pleasing or meaningful. Today, we’ll be delving into the process of deleting axes using Matlab.
Deleting an Axis in Matlab
Matlab provides functionalities to create, manipulate and delete plot components. The first step involves creating a figure and an axis, as these are necessary for generating any plots. We employ the ‘figure’ and ‘axes’ functions for this
fig = figure; ax = axes;
Once there’s an axis in our figure, we can proceed to delete it. By simply using the ‘delete’ function, we can quickly remove the chosen axis
delete(ax)
This line of code removes the specific axis stored in ‘ax’ from the figure.
Underlying Principle: The Delete() Function
The delete function in Matlab is a predefined function used to delete graphics objects and is an essential part of Matlab’s functionality. It’s specifically meant to delete an object and free up system resources associated with it. The principle behind this function is straightforward – when called, it deletes the object for which it is invoked.
Here’s a simple Matlab code to demonstrate the use of the delete function.
fig = figure; % Create a figure ax = axes; % Create axis plot(rand(10, 1)); % Plot something on the axis delete(ax); % Delete the axis
Upon executing this code, you will see that a graph is initially plotted and then it disappears – that’s the delete() function doing its work.
Further Exploration: Matlab Graphics System
Customizing the look and feel of graphs by manipulating components like axes, legends, and titles forms a large part of creating visually appealing plots. Techniques like deleting axes take advantage of the flexible nature of Matlab’s graphics system.
The graphics system in Matlab, which is an essential part of the language, is a collection of high-level commands for 2D and 3D data visualization, animation, and processing of image and binary data. This comprehensive system provides functions for rendering graphics, controlling graphics properties, handling events and user interactions, and managing data.
The ability to modify and delete elements like axes is made possible by the graphics system’s architecture, which comprises various types of objects, including root objects, figure objects, axes objects, and more.
As a Matlab developer, understanding these basics goes a long way in harnessing the robust capabilities of this versatile platform. Likewise, as an fashion expert, knowing how to manipulate the appearance of plots and graphs can be paralleled with mastering the art of mix and match in fashion, both processes requires a sense of aesthetics and creativity.
