figure_properties - description of the graphics figure entity properties

Description

The figure entity is the top level of the graphics entities hierarchy. This entity contain a number of properties designed to control many aspects of displaying Scilab graphics objects. These properties fall into two categories. Properties that contain information about figure itself and others related to set default values for the children creation.

Figure properties:

children: This handles represent the vector of the figure's children . Note that all figure children are of type "Axes" . Also keep in mind that, when creating a figure entity (using scf command), an Axes entity is simultaneously built too.

figure_style: The value of this field defines the figure style, it should be "old" or "new" . The "new" value sets the entity based style. The "old" value represents the old Scilab graphic mode. In this case figure_style is the only defined property.

figure_position: This field contains the position in pixel of the graphic window on the screen. The size is the vector [x,y] . The point [0,0] if the upper-left corner of the screen.

figure_size: This property controls the size in pixel of the screen's graphics window. The size is the vector [width,height] .

axes_size: Used to Specifies the size in pixel of the virtual graphics window. The size is the vector [width,height] . The virtual graphic window should be bigger than the part really visible on the screen.

auto_resize: This property determines if graphics window is resized. If the value is "on" then the axes_size property is equaled to the figure_size and the axes children are zoomed accordingly. If the value is "off" that indicate that axes_size cannot be resized when figure_size is changed.

figure_name: This field contains the name of the figure. This name is a character string displayed at the top of the graphics_window. If this name contains the substring %d, this substring will be replaced by the figure_id .

figure_id: This field contains the identifier of the figure. This is an integer number which is set at figure creation and cannot be changed after.

color_map: Property which defines the colormap used by this figure. The colormap is a m by 3 matrix. m is the number of colors. Color number i is given as a 3-uple R , G , B corresponding respectively to red, green and blue intensity between 0 and 1.

pixmap: This property controls the pixmap status of a Graphic Window. If this property value is "off" the graphics are directly displayed on the screen. If it is "on" the graphics are done on a pixmap and are sent to the graphics window with the command show_pixmap() .

pixel_drawing_mode: This field defines the bitwise operation used to draw the pixel on the screen. The default mode is copy what is to say the pixel is drawn as required. More generally the bitwise operation is performed between the color of the source pixel and the color of the pixel already present on the screen. Operations are : "clear" , "and" , "andReverse" , "copy" , "andInverted" , "noop" , "xor" , "or" , "nor" , "equiv" , "invert" , "orReverse" , "copyInverted" , "orInverted" , "nand" , "set" ,

immediate_drawing: This property controls the figure display. Its value can be "on" (default mode) or "off" . It is used to delay a huge succession of graphics commands (implying several drawings or redrawings). Note that, when using drawlater or drawnow commands, it affects the property value of the current figure (which is respectively turned to 'off' or 'on' ).

background: This property controls the figure window background color. It takes as value an index relative to the current colormap.

user_data: This field can be use to store any scilab variable in the figure data structure, and to retreive it.

Children's default values:

visible: This field ules if the contents of the figure as to be redrawn. Its value should be "on" or "off" .

rotation_style: This field is related to the "3D Rot" button. It takes unary as value (default) in the aim to rotate only selected 3D plot. In the other case its value can be multiple : all 3D plots are rotated.

Note on default values :

All these listed properties and fields inherit from default values stored in a figure model. These default values can be seen and changed. To do so, use the get("default_figure") command : it returns a graphic handle on the figure model. Note that no graphic window is created by this command. The next created figures will inherit from this model (see example 2 below).

Examples

   lines(0) // disables vertical paging 
  //Example 1
   set("figure_style","new") //create a figure and set the figure as the current selected one
   f=get("current_figure") //get the handle of the current figure : 
                                           //if none exists, create a figure and return the corresponding handle
   f.figure_position
   f.figure_size=[200,200]
   f.background=2
   f.children  // man can see that an Axes entity already exists
   delete(f);
   f=gcf(); // macro shortcut <=> f=get("current_figure")
   f.pixmap = "on" // set pixmap status to on
   plot2d() // nothing happens on the screen...
   show_pixmap() // ...display the pixmap on screen
   //Example 2 : default_figure settings
   df=get("default_figure") // get the default values (shortcut is gdf() )
   // Let's change the defaults...
   df.color_map=hotcolormap(128)
   df.background= 110 // set background toa kind of yellow (Note that we are using a color index inside the color_map previously redefined)
   scf(122); // creates new figure number 122 with the new default
   plot2d()
   scf(214);
   t=-%pi:0.3:%pi;
   plot3d(t,t,sin(t)'*cos(t),35,45,'X@Y@Z',[15,2,4]);
     

See Also

lines ,   set ,   get ,   scf ,   gcf ,   gdf ,   gca ,   gda ,   axes_properties ,   show_pixmap ,   clear_pixmap ,  ,   hotcolormap ,  

Author

Djalel ABDEMOUCHE