3D surface plot
surf() // sample surf(Z) surf(X, Y, Z) surf(X, Y, fun) surf(X, Y, list(fun, params)) surf(.., colors) surf(.., <GlobalProperty>) surf(.., colors, <GlobalProperty>) surf(axes_handle,...)
two vectors of real numbers, of lengths nx
and ny
; or two real matrices of sizes ny
x nx
:
They define the data grid (horizontal coordinates of the grid nodes).
All grid cells are quadrangular but not necessarily rectangular.
By default, X = 1:size(Z,2)
and
Y = 1:size(Z,1)
are used.
a real matrix explicitly defining the heights of nodes, of sizes
ny
xnx
.
handle of a function, as in surf(x,y, myFun)
where the
expected syntax of myFun
is Z=myFun(X,Y)
.
If the 2D function fun
to plot needs some parameters
as input arguments, the function and its parameters can be specified
through a list, as in surf(x,y, list(delip, -0.4))
or
surf(x,y, list(myfun, a,b))
with
Z = myFun(X,Y, a,b)
If X
or/and Y
are grid-generating
vectors while fun(…)
expects only input matrices,
surf(…)
automatically generates matrices from
X
or/and Y
and properly calls
fun(…)
.
an optional real matrix defining a colors value for each
(X(j),Y(i))
point of the grid (see description
below).
Sequence of couple statements {PropertyName,PropertyValue}
that defines
global objects' properties applied to all the curves created by this
plot. For a complete view of the available properties (see
GlobalProperty).
Handle of the graphical axes where the surface must be drawn.
The default axes used is the active gca()
one.
surf
draws a colored parametric surface using a grid
whose nodes coordinates are defined by X
and Y
.
At each node of this grid, a Z coordinate is given using the Z
matrix.
surf
has been created to better handle Matlab syntax.
To improve graphical compatibility, Matlab users should use
surf
rather than plot3d.
Data entry specification :
In this paragraph and to be clearer, we won't mention
GlobalProperty
optional arguments as they do not interfere
with entry data (except for "Xdata"
, "Ydata"
and
"Zdata"
property, see GlobalProperty). It is
assumed that all those optional arguments could be present too.
X
or Y
can be :
a) a vector : if X
is a vector,
length(X
)=nx
. Respectively, if Y
is a vector, length(Y
)=ny
.
b) a matrix : in this case, size(X
) (or
size(Y
)) must equal size(Z
).
Color entry specification :
As stated before, the surface is created over a rectangular grid
support. Let consider two independent variables i
and
j
such as :
a) 1 <= i <= ny and 1 <= j <= nx b) i-1,j-1 ---- i-1,j ---- i-1,j+1 ---… | | | | | i direction i,j-1 ----- i,j ----- i,j+1 ---… | | | | | : : : ............> j direction
This imaginary rectangular grid is used to build the real surface
support onto the XY
plane. Indeed,
X
,Y
and Z
data have the same size
(even if X
or Y
is vector, see below) and can be
considered as 3 functions x(i,j)
, y(i,j)
and
z(i,j)
specifying the desired surface. If X
or
Y
are vectors, they are internally treated to produce good
matrices matching the Z
matrix dimension (and the grid is
forcibly a rectangular region).
Considering the 3 functions x(i,j)
, y(i,j)
and z(i,j)
, the portion of surface defining between two
consecutive i
and j
is called a patch.
By default, when no colors matrix is added to a surf call, the colors
parameter is linked to the Z
data. When a colors
matrix is given, it can be applied to the patch in two different ways : at
the vertices or at the center of each patch.
That is why, if Z
is a [ny
xnx
]
matrix, the C colors
matrix dimension can be
[ny
xnx
] (one color defined per vertex) or
[ny-1
xnx-1
] (one color per patch).
Color representation also varies when specifying some GlobalPropery:
The FaceColor
property sets the shading mode : it can
be'interp'
or 'flat'
(default mode). When
'interp'
is selected, we perform a bilinear color
interpolation onto the patch. If size(C
) equals
size(Z
)-1 (i.e. we provided only one color per patch) then
the color of the vertices defining the patch is set to the given color of
the patch.
When 'flat'
(default mode) is enabled we use a color
faceted representation (one color per patch). If size(C
)
equals size(Z
) (i.e. we provided only one color per
vertices), the last row and column of C
are ignored.
The GlobalProperty
arguments should be used to customize
the surface. Here is a brief description on how it works:
This option may be used to specify how all the surfaces are
drawn. It must always be a couple statement constituted of a string
defining the PropertyName
, and its associated value
PropertyValue
(which can be a string or an integer or...
as well depending on the type of the PropertyName
). Note
that you can set multiple properties : the face & edge color,
color data, color data mapping, marker color (foreground and
background), the visibility, clipping and thickness of the edges of
the surface... (see GlobalProperty )
Note that all these properties can be (re-)set through the surface entity properties (see surface_properties).
![]() | By default, successive surface plots are superposed. To clear the previous
plot, use Enter the command |
With a function:
function z=mySurf(x, y, a, b) if ~isdef("a","l"), a = 1, end if ~isdef("b","l"), b = 1, end z = a*x.*sin(y) + b*y.*cos(x); endfunction clf subplot(121), surf(-5:0.2:5, -3:0.2:3, mySurf) // without parameters subplot(122), surf(-5:0.2:5, -3:0.2:3, list(mySurf, 2,-1)) // with parameters gcf().color_map = jetcolormap(100); set(gcf(), "axes_size", [800 350], "rotation_style","multiple"); gca().rotation_angles = [40 -60]; | ![]() | ![]() |
surf(Z):
// Z initialisation Z= [0.0001 0.0013 0.0053 -0.0299 -0.1809 -0.2465 -0.1100 -0.0168 -0.0008 -0.0000 0.0005 0.0089 0.0259 -0.3673 -1.8670 -2.4736 -1.0866 -0.1602 -0.0067 0.0000 0.0004 0.0214 0.1739 -0.3147 -4.0919 -6.4101 -2.7589 -0.2779 0.0131 0.0020 -0.0088 -0.0871 0.0364 1.8559 1.4995 -2.2171 -0.2729 0.8368 0.2016 0.0130 -0.0308 -0.4313 -1.7334 -0.1148 3.0731 0.4444 2.6145 2.4410 0.4877 0.0301 -0.0336 -0.4990 -2.3552 -2.1722 0.8856 -0.0531 2.6416 2.4064 0.4771 0.0294 -0.0137 -0.1967 -0.8083 0.2289 3.3983 3.1955 2.4338 1.2129 0.2108 0.0125 -0.0014 -0.0017 0.3189 2.7414 7.1622 7.1361 3.1242 0.6633 0.0674 0.0030]; clf // simple surface subplot(121) surf(Z); // Note that X and Y are determined by Z dimensions // same surface with red face color and blue edges subplot(122) surf(Z,'facecol','red','edgecol','blu'); gcf().axes_size = [850 400]; | ![]() | ![]() |
surf(X, Y, Z):
// X and Y initialisation // NB: here, X has the same lines and Y the same columns X=[-3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000]; Y=[-3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000]; Z= [0.0001 0.0013 0.0053 -0.0299 -0.1809 -0.2465 -0.1100 -0.0168 -0.0008 -0.0000 0.0005 0.0089 0.0259 -0.3673 -1.8670 -2.4736 -1.0866 -0.1602 -0.0067 0.0000 0.0004 0.0214 0.1739 -0.3147 -4.0919 -6.4101 -2.7589 -0.2779 0.0131 0.0020 -0.0088 -0.0871 0.0364 1.8559 1.4995 -2.2171 -0.2729 0.8368 0.2016 0.0130 -0.0308 -0.4313 -1.7334 -0.1148 3.0731 0.4444 2.6145 2.4410 0.4877 0.0301 -0.0336 -0.4990 -2.3552 -2.1722 0.8856 -0.0531 2.6416 2.4064 0.4771 0.0294 -0.0137 -0.1967 -0.8083 0.2289 3.3983 3.1955 2.4338 1.2129 0.2108 0.0125 -0.0014 -0.0017 0.3189 2.7414 7.1622 7.1361 3.1242 0.6633 0.0674 0.0030 0.0002 0.0104 0.1733 1.0852 2.6741 2.6725 1.1119 0.1973 0.0152 0.0005 0.0000 0.0012 0.0183 0.1099 0.2684 0.2683 0.1107 0.0190 0.0014 0.0000]; scf(3) surf(X,Y,Z) | ![]() | ![]() |
surf(X,Y,Z) on a cylindrical grid.. Facets are still quadrangular:
theta = 0:15:360; r = 25:5:100; [R,T] = ndgrid(r,theta); X = R.*cosd(T); Y = R.* sind(T); Z = sinc(R/8); clf surf(X, Y, Z) gcf().color_map = coolcolormap(50); gca().rotation_angles=[195 -155]; | ![]() | ![]() |
//LineSpec and GlobalProperty examples: Z= [ 0.0001 0.0013 0.0053 -0.0299 -0.1809 -0.2465 -0.1100 -0.0168 -0.0008 -0.0000 0.0005 0.0089 0.0259 -0.3673 -1.8670 -2.4736 -1.0866 -0.1602 -0.0067 0.0000 0.0004 0.0214 0.1739 -0.3147 -4.0919 -6.4101 -2.7589 -0.2779 0.0131 0.0020 -0.0088 -0.0871 0.0364 1.8559 1.4995 -2.2171 -0.2729 0.8368 0.2016 0.0130 -0.0308 -0.4313 -1.7334 -0.1148 3.0731 0.4444 2.6145 2.4410 0.4877 0.0301 -0.0336 -0.4990 -2.3552 -2.1722 0.8856 -0.0531 2.6416 2.4064 0.4771 0.0294 -0.0137 -0.1967 -0.8083 0.2289 3.3983 3.1955 2.4338 1.2129 0.2108 0.0125 -0.0014 -0.0017 0.3189 2.7414 7.1622 7.1361 3.1242 0.6633 0.0674 0.0030 0.0002 0.0104 0.1733 1.0852 2.6741 2.6725 1.1119 0.1973 0.0152 0.0005 0.0000 0.0012 0.0183 0.1099 0.2684 0.2683 0.1107 0.0190 0.0014 0.0000]; xdel(winsid()) // destroy all existing figures surf(Z,Z+5) // colors array specified e=gce(); e.cdata_mapping='direct' // default is 'scaled' relative to the colormap e.color_flag=3; // interpolated shading mode. The default is 4 ('flat' mode) for surf | ![]() | ![]() |
X = [ -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.0000 -0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.6667 2.3333 3.0000]; Y= [ -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -3.0000 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -2.3333 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.6667 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -1.0000 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 -0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 0.3333 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.0000 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 1.6667 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 2.3333 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000 3.0000]; Z= [ 0.0001 0.0013 0.0053 -0.0299 -0.1809 -0.2465 -0.1100 -0.0168 -0.0008 -0.0000 0.0005 0.0089 0.0259 -0.3673 -1.8670 -2.4736 -1.0866 -0.1602 -0.0067 0.0000 0.0004 0.0214 0.1739 -0.3147 -4.0919 -6.4101 -2.7589 -0.2779 0.0131 0.0020 -0.0088 -0.0871 0.0364 1.8559 1.4995 -2.2171 -0.2729 0.8368 0.2016 0.0130 -0.0308 -0.4313 -1.7334 -0.1148 3.0731 0.4444 2.6145 2.4410 0.4877 0.0301 -0.0336 -0.4990 -2.3552 -2.1722 0.8856 -0.0531 2.6416 2.4064 0.4771 0.0294 -0.0137 -0.1967 -0.8083 0.2289 3.3983 3.1955 2.4338 1.2129 0.2108 0.0125 -0.0014 -0.0017 0.3189 2.7414 7.1622 7.1361 3.1242 0.6633 0.0674 0.0030 0.0002 0.0104 0.1733 1.0852 2.6741 2.6725 1.1119 0.1973 0.0152 0.0005 0.0000 0.0012 0.0183 0.1099 0.2684 0.2683 0.1107 0.0190 0.0014 0.0000]; scf(2) surf(X,Y,Z,'colorda',ones(10,10),'edgeco','cya','marker','penta','markersiz',20,'markeredg','yel','ydata',56:65) | ![]() | ![]() |
Z= [ 0.0001 0.0013 0.0053 -0.0299 -0.1809 -0.2465 -0.1100 -0.0168 -0.0008 -0.0000 0.0005 0.0089 0.0259 -0.3673 -1.8670 -2.4736 -1.0866 -0.1602 -0.0067 0.0000 0.0004 0.0214 0.1739 -0.3147 -4.0919 -6.4101 -2.7589 -0.2779 0.0131 0.0020 -0.0088 -0.0871 0.0364 1.8559 1.4995 -2.2171 -0.2729 0.8368 0.2016 0.0130 -0.0308 -0.4313 -1.7334 -0.1148 3.0731 0.4444 2.6145 2.4410 0.4877 0.0301 -0.0336 -0.4990 -2.3552 -2.1722 0.8856 -0.0531 2.6416 2.4064 0.4771 0.0294 -0.0137 -0.1967 -0.8083 0.2289 3.3983 3.1955 2.4338 1.2129 0.2108 0.0125 -0.0014 -0.0017 0.3189 2.7414 7.1622 7.1361 3.1242 0.6633 0.0674 0.0030 0.0002 0.0104 0.1733 1.0852 2.6741 2.6725 1.1119 0.1973 0.0152 0.0005 0.0000 0.0012 0.0183 0.1099 0.2684 0.2683 0.1107 0.0190 0.0014 0.0000]; scf(10) axfig10=gca(); surf(axfig10,Z,'ydat',[100:109],'marker','d','markerfac','green','markeredg','yel') // draw onto the axe of figure 10 | ![]() | ![]() |
Version | Description |
6.0.2 | The "Foreground", "markForeground", and "markBackground" global properties colors can now be specified as named colors chosen in the full predefined colors list, or by their "#RRGGBB" hexadecimal codes, or by their colormap indices. surf(X,Y,fun..) and surf(X,Y,list(fun, params)) syntaxes added. |