How can I swith between plots in the same plot window?

I have a time-lapse matrix. Each column is a region of interest (Roi) and each row is the time point value. I need to quickly visualize each trace individually. Is there a way to plot all the traces at the same time but have only one at a time selected for visualization so I can move quickly through the traces just by clicking the up/down buttons to move through selections?

Answer 1

[Rik]

You can plot all the lines and toggle the visibility with the KeyPressFcn of the figure, which sets the Visible property of the line objects that plot returns.

Edit: see an example below

f=figure(1);clf(1)
h=plot(rand(4,2));axis([1 3 0 1])
handles=struct('f',f,'h',h);
handles.visible_index=1;%keep track of which plot is selected
set(h,'Visible','off');
set(h(handles.visible_index),'Visible','on');
guidata(f,handles)
set(f,'KeyPressFcn',@SetVisibility)

function SetVisibility(hObject,eventdata)
switch eventdata.Key
    case {'uparrow','up'}
        direction=1;
    case {'downarrow','down'}
        direction=-1;
    otherwise
        return
end
handles=guidata(hObject);

%set the old plot to invisible
set(handles.h(handles.visible_index),'Visible','off');

%find the new index to be set
handles.visible_index=mod(handles.visible_index+direction,length(handles.h));
if handles.visible_index==0,handles.visible_index=length(handles.h);end

%set the new plot to visible
set(handles.h(handles.visible_index),'Visible','on');

%optional: set the title to the index value
title(sprintf('selected plot: %d',handles.visible_index))

guidata(hObject,handles)
end

[Madina Makhmutova]

Dear Rik,thank you SO SO SO much!!! This is extremely helpful and is working!!!!

[Madina Makhmutova]

Hello Rik,

I have a follow up question. How can I adjust the script if I need to scroll through more than one array comparing corresponding lines in the same window? if I change the h variable to the following:

y1=rand(4,2);
y2=rand(4,2);
y3=rand(4,2);
x=([1 3 0 1]);
h=plot(x,y1,'y',x,y2,'k',x,y3,'r');

it will plot lines sequentially after the button click. How can I bring 3 lines in the same graph and have the new 3 lines appear after the button click?

[Rik]

Just as a note for future reference (in response to your email): I am receiving notifications, although I did choose to disable email notifications. That way I can keep track of the questions that get updates, but only when I have time to actually reply.

The code below is the adapted version. If you make sure h is a matrix where each row should be displayed simultaneously, this will do that for you. Don't forget to explicitly code a range for the axes (like I did with axis([1 4 0 1]) below). This will prevent the axes to jump around when you hide plots.

f=figure(1);clf(1)
y1=rand(4,2);
y2=rand(4,2);
y3=rand(4,2);
x=1:4;
h=plot(x,y1,'y',x,y2,'k',x,y3,'r');

h=reshape(h,2,3);

axis([1 4 0 1])
handles=struct('f',f,'h',h);
handles.visible_index=1;%keep track of which plot is selected
set(h,'Visible','off');
set(h(handles.visible_index,:),'Visible','on');
guidata(f,handles)
set(f,'KeyPressFcn',@SetVisibility)
function SetVisibility(hObject,eventdata)
switch eventdata.Key
    case {'uparrow','up'}
        direction=1;
    case {'downarrow','down'}
        direction=-1;
    otherwise
        return
end
handles=guidata(hObject);
%set the old plot to invisible
set(handles.h(handles.visible_index,:),'Visible','off');
%find the new index to be set
handles.visible_index=mod(handles.visible_index+direction,size(handles.h,1));
if handles.visible_index==0,handles.visible_index=size(handles.h,1);end
%set the new plot to visible
set(handles.h(handles.visible_index,:),'Visible','on');
%optional: set the title to the index value
title(sprintf('selected plot: %d',handles.visible_index))
guidata(hObject,handles)
end

[Madina Makhmutova]

Dear Rik,thank you very much! This works nicely!