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Organization of Graphics Objects

Graphics objects are the basic drawing elements used by MATLAB to display data. Each instance of an object is associated with a unique identifier called a handle. Using this handle, you can manipulate the characteristics (called object properties) of an existing graphics object. You can also specify values for properties when you create a graphics object.

These objects are organized into a hierarchy, as shown by the following diagram.

The hierarchical nature of Handle Graphics is based on the interdependencies of the various graphics objects. For example, to draw a line object, MATLAB needs an axes object to orient and provide a frame of reference to the line. The axes, in turn, needs a figure window to display the axes and its child objects.


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