Yet another create, numbered, figures with visible off

I have a loop.

reuses figures, as matlab grinds to a halt with too many figures open.

Currently by numbering

inside for loop

figure(3)
plot, 
print

end loop

.

Now sick of figures poping up, would like to get on with other things, want to make "visible","off"

figure(k,'Visible",'Off');

--> Numeric figure handles not supported with parameter-value pairs.

Message is clear enough. Annoying enough. Seems no particular reason for not allowing it.

.

Can obviously create handles, save handles and reuse handles, but that's way more messy than just numbering.

Any elegant suggestions?

[nanren888]

Ok, throughly confused.

fH = figure('Visible','off'): - works

fH =

Figure (8) with properties:

Number: 8

Name: ''

Color: [0.9400 0.9400 0.9400]

Position: [1640 1638 560 420]

Units: 'pixels'

Show all properties

.

figure(fH): - makes ift visble again - ok

but

figure(fH,'Visible','off'):

==>

Error using figure

Numeric figure handles not supported with parameter-value pairs.

How do you return to a figure without making it visible?

[madhan ravi]

“How do you return to a figure without making it visible?”

By its handle.

[nanren888]

Well thanks for the informative response. These forums are made or broken on the friendliness and usefulness of responses.

Answer 1

[Adam Danz]

You can use a 2-liner.

f = figure(1); 
f.Visible = 'off'; 

Or, you could put it into a function so that you can use a 1-liner (that references a 2-lined function).

function h = invisibleFig(n)
    % n is a positive integer
    h = figure(n); 
    h.Visible = 'off'; 
end

now create a new figure with

invisibleFig(1)

Alternatively, don't specify the figure number and use the figure handle instead. This is almost always the better approach.

h = figure('Visible','off'); 

Recap

Try each section below to become familiar with these methods. The key is to use the figure handle (h, in my lines below).

To create a figure,

h = figure(); 

To create an invisible figure,

h = figure('Visible','off'); 

To set the visibility on,

h.Visible = 'on';  % = 'off' to turn back off 
% or 
set(h, 'Visible', 'on') % or 'off' to turn back off

To make a figure current,

figure(h)
% or
set(0,'CurrentFigure',h)

If you want to control the figure number and the visibility you must do that in two lines. However, it's rarely necessary to control the figure number. Use the figure handle instead.

h = figure(1); 
h.Visible = 'off';  % or 'on' to turn back on 

Lastly, and importantly, use the figure handle to specify a parent of an axes or any other object being added to the figure.

Example:

h = figure(); 
ax = axes(h); 

[nanren888]

Thanks for your reponse.

each time you use figure() it makes it visible again. Hiding it again, after visbile might work, I guess if the system didn't drawnow();

Use a handle?

I think that's what I did, when I tried, as in the comment.

The question is how do I return to it, to reuse it?

As above

fH = figure('Visible','off'): - works & returns a handle

But

figure(fH): - makes it visble again - so can't select the figure this way

And

figure(fH,'Visible','off'):

==>

Error using figure

Numeric figure handles not supported with parameter-value pairs.

So can't return to the figure this way.

.

I may be missing something obvious: hence the question. Happy to have someone tell me this.

.

I guess

(1) Maybe no way to do it elegantly, using figure(), eg need such as plot(ax, ....) which means changing every plot call :(

(2) set(0,'CurrentFigure',fH) ?

OK set(0,'CurrentFigure',fH) appears to select the figure, but not make it visible.

[Adam Danz]

Sounds like you're working in circles and missing the point :)

I added a "recap" section to my answer to walk you through several options to manipulate the visibility of figures and control which figure is current. If there's something I'm missing, I'd be glad to help further.

Answer 2

[nanren888]

set(0,'CurrentFigure',fH) appears to select the figure, but not make it visible.