How to get more color gradient on a surface plot?

I have made a surface plot. The color gradient is mostly dark blue. How can I adjust the color gradient to get more colors?

Adjusting the color map in the plot tools does not work.

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

You need to manually build a non linear colormap. Attach your data and script so people can show you how.

[Al]

xm=linspace(min(Data1),max(Data1),10)
ym=linspace(min(Data2),max(Data2),10)

[Xm,Ym]=meshgrid(xm,ym)

Zm=reshape(Data3, [10,10])

%figure
% Create axes
axes1 = axes('Parent',figure,'ZScale','log','ZMinorTick','on',...
    'ZMinorGrid','on');
view(axes1,[67.5 4]);
grid(axes1,'on');
hold(axes1,'all');

surf(Xm,Ym,Zm);

[Image Analyst]

I think after you clicked "Choose file" you forgot to click "Attach file" because your data never got attached.

[Al]

see attached file. Thank you!

[Walter Roberson]

Question: if you switch to linear scale for your Z but you surf on log(Zm) then does your plot come out better?

[Al]

When I switch to the linear scale the color gradient stays exactly the same but it looks like the color gradient is a good match for the linear scale. Since it is so flat. (see attached picture)

[Walter Roberson]

Right but try with surf(Xm, Ym, log(Zm)) with the the axis set to linear instead of log.

[Al]

That did it!. Thank you. Do you know how I can get the Z axis to have the correct scale. I tried to scale it. That took care of the positive values but not the negative. (scaled version not shown)

[Walter Roberson]

Okay, now try this:

surf(Xm, Ym, Zm, log10(Zm));

with ZScale set to 'log'

[Al]

It gave some errors and no plot output

Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In rotate3d>localRotateOrbitMotionFcn at 981
In rotate3d>rotaMotionFcn at 909
In hgfeval at 62
In uitools.uimode.schema>localEvaluateMotionCallback at 265
In uitools.uimode.schema>@(obj,evd)(localEvaluateMotionCallback(obj,evd,valueProposed)) at 247 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In plotchild at 26
In toolsmenufcn>LUpdateToolsMenu at 280
In toolsmenufcn at 110
In editmenufcn>localPost at 214
In editmenufcn at 38 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In plotchild at 26
In toolsmenufcn>LUpdateToolsMenu at 280
In toolsmenufcn at 110
In editmenufcn>localPost at 214
In editmenufcn at 38 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In plotchild at 26
In toolsmenufcn>LUpdateToolsMenu at 280
In toolsmenufcn at 110
In editmenufcn>localPost at 214
In editmenufcn at 38 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In getfigurefordesktopclient>fig2client at 21
In getfigurefordesktopclient at 12 
Warning: Negative data ignored 
> In graphics\private\prepare at 43
In print>LocalPrint at 264
In print at 233
In C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2014a\toolbox\matlab\graphics\hgexport.p>hgexport at 895
In filemenufcn>localSaveExportHelper at 214
In filemenufcn>localSaveExport at 333
In filemenufcn at 56 
Warning: Negative data ignored

[Walter Roberson]

I don't think you did what I asked. I think you did

surf(Xm, Ym, log10(Zm)); set(gca,'ZScale','log');

or else

 surf(Xm, Ym, log10(Zm), Zm); set(gca,'ZScale','log');

or else

 surf(Xm, Ym, log10(Zm), log10(Zm)); set(gca,'ZScale','log');

but what I asked for was

 surf(Xm, Ym, Zm, log10(Zm)); set(gca,'ZScale','log');

You would only get the error you did if you had negative Zm or negative log10(Zm) in the third position in conjunction with log axis.

[Al]

The one you asked for works. Thank you.

   surf(Xm, Ym, Zm, log10(Zm)); set(gca,'ZScale','log');