How to change the linewidth in a figure before actually plotting some?

This question maybe a bit like the link below, but this didn't work for me... http://nl.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/102530-how-can-i-change-the-default-settings-for-the-linewidth-property-before-i-plot-a-figure-in-matlab

I'm working on a matlab function that automatically opens your figure in full screen mode and on a second monitor if present. So far, everything works fine. I already achieved to set the fontsize inside the function, so whitout plotting anything and without making xlabel(..) etc.:

% Fontsize used at the figure
if ~exist('fontsize_manual','var')|| isempty(fontsize_manual)
    set(gca,'FontSize',16)
else
    set(gca,'Fontsize',fontsize_manual)
end

Now is my question: Can I change in a same way the linewidth of the lines that will by plotted in the figure? So also here, predefining the linewidth inside the function and later on in your script plotting some lines etc. I do prefer this works only for the figure you're working on, so that you can change this 'default' for each figure and save them all with different linewidth and fontsizes if needed.

I tried the line below, but that only changed the linewidth of the axis.

    set(gca,'LineWidth',2)

Is there anyone who can help me solving this problem?

Answer 1

[dpb]

Use the technique of the referenced page but set the default for the figure in question --

set(gca,'DefaultLineLineWidth',2)

NB: the default properties are named in run-on fashion--the name of the object you're setting then the property within that object all preceded with the keyword 'Default'. Here that's

Default:Line:LineWidth

to separate the subsets visually. I think it would've been easier if TMW had used such nomenclature or a structure form instead (and probably the parsing internally would've been simpler as well).

[Ruben]

That was the only one I did not tried. This actually worked for the first figure and not for the second time I call the function in a matlab session. However, changing 'gca' into 'gcf' gave the required result for both figures! Thanx!

[Ruben]

But now I run into a new problem... The code below in found accidentally by solving the previous problem:

set(gca,'LineWidth',3)

It turned out this changes the width of the axes. But now the problem... Also here this works only on the first figure. (see figure)

If I also put this code in my session after the plotting in the second figure, the width in the second figure changes. Looks like the right handle isn't reached, or something like that, inside the function, when making the second figure. Do you have any idea what could be wrong here?

[Ruben]

same holds for:

set(gca,'FontName','Arial')

[dpb]

Yes, you've got to be certain you're looking at the right object-- gca and gcf are what they say--the CURRENT axes or figure which may (or may not) actually be the one you're aiming to modify when your code makes the call.

When doing stuff like this you need to always save the handles of the objects when created and use those to ensure you modify the desired one.

How to solve the above problem specifically would depend on seeing the code that generated the figures in sequence and in context.

[Ruben]

This will be (a part of) the plotting in the test-session...

figuur1=fancy_figure('open','figuur1',[],[],[],[]);
  lijn1=plot(x(4:5),[epsilon(4) epsilon(4)],'k');%,'linewidth',2);
  figuur2=fancy_figure('open','figuur2',[],[],[],5);
  plot(x(4:5),[epsilon(4) epsilon(4)],'k')

       And this will be the function that I seperately saved as fancy_figure.m

    function [figure_handle]= fancy_figure(action,figure_handle,...
        save_name,save_format,fontsize_manual,linewidth_manual)

windows 7 tested and matlab R2014a

    %%Function code for plotting full screen figure and do this on second monitor if present.
    % If the 'action' input argument equals 'save' the figure will be saved
    % with the settings requested.

    switch action
        case 'open'
            %%Open a figure on full screen and on the second monitor if present.
            % Format of monitor_positions in pixels: [xMin yMin xMax yMax]
            mon_pos = get(0,'MonitorPositions');                       
            size_monitor = size(mon_pos);

            if (size_monitor(1) > 1)
                figure_handle = figure('Position', [mon_pos(2,1:2) 50 50]);
                pause(0.1);
                set(get(handle(gcf),'JavaFrame'),'Maximized',1);       
            else
                figure_handle=figure;
                pause(0.01);
                set(get(handle(gcf),'JavaFrame'),'Maximized',1);
            end

            % Fontsize used at the figure
            if ~exist('fontsize_manual','var')|| isempty(fontsize_manual)
                set(gca,'FontSize',16)
                set(gca,'FontName','Dotum')
            else
                set(gca,'Fontsize',fontsize_manual)
                set(gca,'FontName','Dotum')
            end

[dpb]

Well, your code is rife with what I said specifically to not do... :)

...
if (size_monitor(1) > 1)
  figure_handle = figure('Position', [mon_pos(2,1:2) 50 50]);
  pause(0.1);
  set(get(handle(gcf),'JavaFrame'),'Maximized',1);
  ...

Here you just created a figure and save its handle but then turn around and use gcf instead of that specific handle. While this particular one is going to be ok since they are inline, it's poor practice.

On down just a little ways, the source of your problem is

% Fontsize used at the figure
if ~exist('fontsize_manual','var')|| isempty(fontsize_manual)
  set(gca,'FontSize',16)
  set(gca,'FontName','Dotum')
  ...

where you have created a figure but there is no axes object on it as yet. Hence gca gets the last axis that was drawn upon, not the one that will (eventually, presumably) be created on that figure.

I repeat, you have to be sure you're addressing the object you want...

[dpb]

And, the calling sequence you show of

figuur1=fancy_figure('open','figuur1',[],[],[],[]);
lijn1=plot(x(4:5),[epsilon(4) epsilon(4)],'k');%,'linewidth',2);
figuur2=fancy_figure('open','figuur2',[],[],[],5);
...

causes the first figure to be opened, then an axes is created and plotted onto with plot prior to the subsequent call to fancy_figure. At that point, that is the current axis and the handle which gca will return...

[Ruben]

That was indeed the kind of code badness I expected that would give the 'strange' result and I slowly get your explanation. Maybe I have some time left this weekend XD

Do you get the point, what I want to reach with this function? If yes, do you have a smart idea or can you explain short what I maybe can do better, more careful etc?

[dpb]

Primarily it looks like everywhere you have a gca you really want something that goes back to your original question and to probably try to set defaults for the just-created figure using

set(figure_handle,'DefaultLineLineWidth',2)

or the desired property/properties on the various other objects besides Line. You'll have to investigate which are and are not inherited from the figure; I don't know that otomh. In the initial query the linewidth property is; I've not investigated for the various font properties from whom they get derived. But, if you can't get to them from the figure then you'll have to have another level at which you create and save the right handles for the axes if you do want to make these dependent on specific figures and axes within those figures rather than global.

It's all doable; you just have to figure out where is the highest point in the object hierarchy you can do so. Try the figure first, obviously, but as soon as you use gca you've gone to an axes level, not figure so you'll have to see if it works substituting gcf first, then switch to the actual figure. If gcf fails because of invalid property then you've got to make the axes object and use (and save) that handle that's tied with the given parent figure.

Answer 2

[Robert Cumming]

set(0,'DefaultLineLineWidth',2)

This will set the line width for all plots in the current session

The technique your using in @dpb answer only sets the current axes (i.e. gca).

[Ruben]

Yeah, but I would have the freedom to choose the linewidth of the plotted object per figure... (A) So the answer @dpb is more suitable for my problem.

Answer 3

[Salvador Castaneda]

This however, was great for mine, thanks