copy axes to clipboard

Hello. I am wanting top copy several plots from my gui. One plot is on a uipanel and the other is a graph on an axes component. I have tried the axes component first using :

     currAxes = handles.axes1
     newFig = figure('visible','off');
     newHandle = copyobj(currAxes,newFig);
     print(newFig,'-dmeta');
     delete(newFig);

It sort of works. The issues are: 1: It only copies one of the yaxis (the plot on axes1 is a plot with two yaxis, using plotyy). 2: It copies with a large box around it.

The attached image shows the result of the copy, and the actual graph I want copied.

Am I using the correct method? Thanks Jason

[muhammad zulhelmy]

how can i copy data from axes2, then display to axes3 ??

Answer 1

[Orion]

if you're using GUIDE, don't forget to get and restore the handles structure with guidata

function Your_plot_Pushbutton(hObject, eventdata, handles)
% code,code,code
[AX,H1,H2] = plotyy(A,B,A,C,'plot'); 
handles.yyaxis=AX;

% save the changes to the structure
guidata(hObject,handles)

and then you can retrieve it in the copy function

function Your_copy_Pushbutton(hObject, eventdata, handles)

hAX=handles.yyaxis;

[Jason]

Hi, Im sorry to keep bugging you over this - im still getting errors.

Its a shame there isn't a copycanvas command as in c++ where you can give vectors of box you want to copy on the screen.

heres my copy code:

hAX=handles.yyaxis;
   newFig = figure('visible','on');
   % copy the axes in the 2nd figure
   hcop = copyobj(hAx,newFig); 
   axes(hcop(2)); % to put the second axe (transparent) in first plan
  % resize if needed the dimensions of the axes to fill screen
  % with the value you want (Normalized)
   set(findall(newFig,'Type','Axes'),'Position',[ 0.100    0.1100    0.8  0.8150]);
   % metacopy
   print(newFig,'-dmeta');

and the error

Undefined function or variable 'hAx'.

Error in Montage>pushbutton21_Callback (line 1725)
   hcop = copyobj(hAx,newFig);

If I view hax, I get: hAX =

1x2 Axes array:

    Axes    Axes

Undefined function or variable 'hAx'.

Error in Montage>pushbutton21_Callback (line 1725) hcop = copyobj(hAx,newFig);

does this indicate that hAX is empty.

Im actually plotting in a loop, outside the loop I assign AX to handles.yyaxis

[Jason]

Well spotted, it was the end of the day...tired!!

It now works BUT I can't get the same aspect ratio as the original graph. If I attempt to reduce the height by:

   set(findall(newFig,'Type','Axes'),'Position',[ 0.100    0.1100    0.8  0.3]);

its the correct shape, but now are larger area is copied.

If, I put back set(findall(newFig,'Type','Axes'),'Position',[ 0.100 0.1100 0.8 0.8150]);

and change the size of the figure on creation so it itself is rectangular and matches the real aspect ratio

       newFig = figure('Position',[600 600 800 100],'visible','on');

it still copes an almost square graph, when I paste it in ppt or word and try and squash it, it looks all wrong.

[Orion]

If you know the size ( let say in pixel) of the original axe : PosOrigAxe.

use these dimensions to create the new figure.

newFig = figure('Position',[10 10 PosOrigAxe(3:4)],'visible','on');

then for the copies of the axe, which are in Normalized units, make them full the figure.

set(findall(newFig,'Type','Axes'),'Position',[0 0 1 1]);

[Jason]

so PosOrigAxe(3:4) would be replace with

handles.axes1(3:4) in my case??

[Orion]

I'm more thinking of something like :

OrigUnits = get(handles.axes1,'Units'); % save the orginial unit used
set(handles.axes1,'Units','Pixels'); % change it to pixel
PosOrigAxe = get(handles.axes1,'Position'); % get the position
set(handles.axes1,'Units',OrigUnits); % restore the unit

Now, the information that you're interested in : PosOrigAxe(3) (width) and PosOrigAxe(4) (height). these are the dimensions, in pixels, of your original axe. Use it to create the figure.

another way to write it :

newFig = figure('Position',[10 10 PosOrigAxe(3) PosOrigAxe(4)],'visible','on');

the values 10 and 10 are not important, it's just to specify the origin of the figure, but you don't need it, because, it will be invisible, so you can specify any other value.

[Jason]

Ok I see now. This works, but now when I paste it, it loose its aspect ratio, again resizing then squashes the text

[Orion]

let's get done with this :

full demo (works with my machine/screen). I add the variable MyRatioToReDraw which allows to keep the ratio Width/height of the axe, but you can make the new figure bigger or smaller, according the need of the metacopy.

clear all
close all
x = 0:0.01:20;
y1 = 200*exp(-0.05*x).*sin(x);
y2 = 0.8*exp(-0.5*x).*sin(10*x);
figure % new figure
[hAx,hLine1,hLine2] = plotyy(x,y1,x,y2);
set(gcf,'Position',[240   248   981   250]);
OrigUnits = get(hAx(1),'Units'); % save the orginial unit used
set(hAx(1),'Units','Pixels'); % change it to pixel
PosOrigAxe = get(hAx(1),'Position'); % get the position
set(hAx(1),'Units',OrigUnits); % restore the unit
MyRatioToReDraw = 0.5; % to make the copy 2 times bigger, or any other value. find the one who suits you
newFig = figure('visible','on','Position',[50 50 MyRatioToReDraw*PosOrigAxe(3:4)]);

%%copy the axes in the 2nd figure
hcop = copyobj(hAx,newFig); 
axes(hcop(2)); % to put the second axe (transparent) in first plan

%%resize if needed the dimensions of the axes to almost the fill screen
% with the value you want (Normalized)
set(findall(newFig,'Type','Axes'),'Position',[ 0.1 0.1 .8 .8 ]); 

%%metacopy
print(newFig,'-dmeta');

[Jason]

when you do the paste, does it remain with the same width to height ratio?

[Orion]

I paste it in Paint and get the exact copy of my newfigure.

See the attached image.

In the top the result of the metacopy in paint. just below, the newfigure, created by the example with MyRatioToReDraw = 1.2

[Jason]

Thats very strange. when I keep the newFig open, it does indeed duplicate as required

But when I do a paste into either paint or ppt, it stretches vertically, but not the text (so I can't then compress it back)

I have noticed, if I use the edit menu in figure 1 and do a copy, then IT DOES paste properly into paint and powerpoint

[Orion]

If you do the paste with a random figure and plot.

fig = figure('Position',[240   148   981   150]);
plot(sin(0:0.01:10));

print(fig,'-dmeta');

Is the paste also stretched ?

If so, then the problem is inside the print function, and i don't know what's the problem will be.

Otherwise, the problem is within the figure you created, and you'll have to check the differents properties to find which one is bugging you.

With the example I posted, is the copy stretched ?

[Jason]

Yes, it is also stretched. I think you have kindly spent too much of your time helping me and I am very grateful. Im going to try and search if there is away to evoke the paste from edit menu as that seems to work, but it means havign to view the figure.

Thankyou again for your kind help. Jason

[Orion]

So, gook luck.

And I get one last Idea.

You can try the same callback as in the edit menu of the figure, which seem to work on your machine. It works for me.

Replace the call to print with editmenufcn.

%%metacopy
% print(newFig,'-dmeta');
editmenufcn(newFig,'EditCopyFigure')

[Jason]

Perfect,thankyou again! Jason

Answer 2

[Orion]

Hi,

Actually, plotyy creates 2 superimposed axes objects (see the doc about the differents outputs arguments).

So you need to copy all the axes in the new fig.

with your code

    currAxes = handles.axes1
    newFig = figure('visible','off');
    newHandle = copyobj(currAxes,newFig);
    print(newFig,'-dmeta');

you are only copying one axe, so it's logical that you miss the second.

you may need to do something like:

    AllAxes = findall(gcf,'Type','Axes') % get all the axes
    newFig = figure('visible','off');
    newHandle = copyobj(AllAxes,newFig); % copy all axes in the figure to print
    print(newFig,'-dmeta');

[Jason]

Hi, thankyou for pointing out the behaviour of plotyy.

In your code, you are finding the handles of the type "Axes". The problem with my application is besides this graph, I also have about 5 other axes components that will obviously also be picked up. How do I limit your findall command to just handles.axes1?

This also explains why when I do a cla , only the one plot clears. How can I clear both plots?. Could I use the following but not use delete, instead cla?

delete(get(handles.axes2,'children'))

Thanks Jason

Answer 3

[Orion]

In the prototype of plotyy

[AX,H1,H2] = plotyy(...)

AX is a vector containing the handles of the 2 axes objects created by plotyy.

so when you stock your data, you could do

handles.axesplotyy_1 = AX(1); 
handles.axesplotyy_2 = AX(2);

and then use these handles the way you need.

   AxesToCopy = [handles.axesplotyy_1 handles.axesplotyy_2]; 
   newFig = figure('visible','off');
   newHandle = copyobj(AxesToCopy,newFig);

then do the same to delete/cla

delete([handles.axesplotyy_1 handles.axesplotyy_2]) % destroy both axes

[Jason]

Hello. Its still not copying all the data, it now has the 2nd y axis labels and tickmarks. Its also still inside a much larger frame thats also being copied, as per original image at top of this thread?

Answer 4

[Orion]

my bad, i went a little fast in my explanation.

So, with an example

x = 0:0.01:20;
y1 = 200*exp(-0.05*x).*sin(x);
y2 = 0.8*exp(-0.5*x).*sin(10*x);

figure % new figure
[hAx,hLine1,hLine2] = plotyy(x,y1,x,y2);

newFig = figure('visible','on');

% copy the axes in the 2nd figure
hcop = copyobj(hAx,newFig); 
axes(hcop(2)); % to put the second axe (transparent) in first plan

% resize if needed the dimensions of the axes to fill screen
% with the value you want (Normalized)
set(findall(newFig,'Type','Axes'),'Position',[ 0.100    0.1100    0.8  0.8150]);

% metacopy
print(newFig,'-dmeta');

[Jason]

I actually do the plotting in one pushbutton callback, and then want to copy it with another, so should I save the hAx to the handles structure, use "userdata", or shoudl I use setappdata and then getappdata?

Thanks

[Orion]

it's really up to you, depending on your "coding style".

Personnaly, I like to use setappdata/getappdata, when manipulating handles between multiple figures.

use setappdata in the plot function

then getappdata in the copy function

[Jason]

hmmmm. I thought I knew how to use the handles structure to hold variables.

This is my plot:

    [AX,H1,H2] = plotyy(A,B,A,C,'plot');

set to handles structure so can use outside this callback

      handles.yyaxis=AX;

and to retrieve in a different button callback

     hAX=handles.yyaxis;

and I get the error: Reference to non-existent field 'yyaxis'.

Error in Montage>pushbutton21_Callback (line 1719)
   hAX=handles.yyaxis;     %extract axis from handles structure

Answer 5

[Orion]

Matlab is clear,

Undefined function or variable 'hAx'.

when you do

hcop = copyobj(hAx,newFig);

you are using hAx, but you created the variable with hAX : X instead of x.

hourra for the end of the day.