Trying to plot two graphs in Live with a for loop, the second graph overwrites the first graph, Cannot produce 2 separate graphs.

I have a 2 data blocks of 15 lines. From each data block I want to plot 5 lines using 'hold'. The code plots the first graph properly, then overwrites the forst graph with the second graph. I have tried every configuration of using figure handles as shown on the help files but none prevent the overwrite. I have attached the code for plottinf two graphs, each base on a 15x9 array. Can anyone point out my error and/or suggest a method to have both graphs appear? I did this in Live/2023b. Any help appreciated!

% Plotting two Separate graphs
clear;clc;

L1=  2.0; dL = 0.5; L2 = 2.5;  nL=(L2-L1)/dL+1;       % two L values column 2 in data array
r1=  0.8; dr = 0.1; r2 = 1.2;  nr=round((r2-r1)/dr+1);% five r values column 3
t1=  0.2; dt = 0.1; t2 = 0.4;  nt=(t2-t1)/dt+1;       % three t values column 4

% No of array elements
nrowstotal= nL*nr*nt; % total rows in data array
nrowsblk  = r*nt;     % number of rows of data in each block to be plotted
nblks     = nL;       % number of blocks of data (2 as shown in dat() )

% Two data blocks, 1-15 and 16-30 
% separate graph for each

dat=[
   1 2.00 0.80 0.200 0.303 0.642 0.493 0.149   3922
   2 2.00 0.80 0.300 0.151 0.790 0.686 0.104   2865
   3 2.00 0.80 0.400 0.079 0.911 0.844 0.066   2102
   4 2.00 0.90 0.200 0.361 0.766 0.563 0.203   4227
   5 2.00 0.90 0.300 0.189 0.941 0.792 0.149   3173
   6 2.00 0.90 0.400 0.105 1.089 0.985 0.104   2417
   7 2.00 1.00 0.200 0.419 0.899 0.633 0.265   4500
   8 2.00 1.00 0.300 0.226 1.100 0.897 0.203   3448
   9 2.00 1.00 0.400 0.133 1.275 1.126 0.149   2696
  10 2.00 1.10 0.200 0.477 1.040 0.704 0.336   4745
  11 2.00 1.10 0.300 0.265 1.268 1.003 0.265   3696
  12 2.00 1.10 0.400 0.160 1.470 1.267 0.203   2946
  13 2.00 1.20 0.200 0.536 1.189 0.774 0.415   4969
  14 2.00 1.20 0.300 0.303 1.444 1.108 0.336   3922
  15 2.00 1.20 0.400 0.189 1.673 1.407 0.265   3173
  16 2.50 0.80 0.200 0.303 0.802 0.616 0.187   3922
  17 2.50 0.80 0.300 0.151 0.987 0.858 0.130   2865
  18 2.50 0.80 0.400 0.079 1.139 1.056 0.083   2102
  19 2.50 0.90 0.200 0.361 0.958 0.704 0.254   4227
  20 2.50 0.90 0.300 0.189 1.176 0.990 0.187   3173
  21 2.50 0.90 0.400 0.105 1.361 1.232 0.130   2417
  22 2.50 1.00 0.200 0.419 1.123 0.792 0.332   4500
  23 2.50 1.00 0.300 0.226 1.376 1.122 0.254   3448
  24 2.50 1.00 0.400 0.133 1.594 1.407 0.187   2696
  25 2.50 1.10 0.200 0.477 1.300 0.880 0.420   4745
  26 2.50 1.10 0.300 0.265 1.585 1.253 0.332   3696
  27 2.50 1.10 0.400 0.160 1.837 1.583 0.254   2946
  28 2.50 1.20 0.200 0.536 1.486 0.968 0.518   4969
  29 2.50 1.20 0.300 0.303 1.805 1.385 0.420   3922
  30 2.50 1.20 0.400 0.189 2.091 1.759 0.332   3173];

%% Plot Data
% nt = no pf rows to be plotted
% No of array elements
    ntotal= nL*nr*nt;  % total number of rows in data array
    nblk  = 2;         % two separate sets of data in the array
s=1; % Start at line 1 for first data set
for blk=1:1:nblk       % first data blk of 15 lines

    bL = s;            % 1st line of data set
    bd = nr*nt;        % increment
    bU = bL+bd-1;      % last line of data set
    a  = dat(bL:bU,:); % create data set to be plotted
    ntotal = bU;       % total number of data lines in a set
%% Start plot loop
    for k=1:nt:bd      % plot lines
        k1=k;          % start data row
        k2=k1+nt-1;    % end data row
        figure(blk);   % ID plot
         plot(a(k1:k2,4),a(k1:k2,6))
         xlabel('tw')
         ylabel('Total Mass')
         title(['Length: ' num2str(a(1,2)) ' in'])
         grid;
         hold on % hold plot open for additional lines
    end % next line on graph
    hold off
    % Next block of data
    s=s+nt*nr; % Jump to line 16 for 2nd data set
end % Next figure

[Star Strider]

@Randall Lilko — You indicated that there was apparently nothing with your code to begin with, after I ran it and couldn’t detect any errors, and so asked what the problem was

Answer 1

[Arjun]

Hi @Randall Lilko,

I see that you are trying to produce two separate graphs but somehow your second graph is overwriting the first one.

I do not really see any issue with the code that is leading to this overwriting.

However, after running multiple times I discovered that sometimes previous figures are not properly closed in MATLAB which can cause issues with the new figures.

Kindly run this command before running the code:

% Close all the figures
close all;

This command will forcefully close all the existing figures and then your code should run fine.

I hope this helps!

[Randall]

Arjun, Thanks for your quick response and useful advice, much appreciated!

[Arjun]

Welcome, I am glad that it helped!