Figure Windows :: Graphics (Getting Started)

Getting Started

Figure Windows

Graphing functions automatically open a new figure window if there are no figure windows already on the screen. If a figure window exists, MATLAB uses that window for graphics output. If there are multiple figure windows open, MATLAB targets the one that is designated the "current figure" (the last figure used or clicked in).

To make an existing figure window the current figure, you can click the mouse while the pointer is in that window or you can type

```
figure(n)
```

where n is the number in the figure title bar. The results of subsequent graphics commands are displayed in this window.

To open a new figure window and make it the current figure, type

```
figure
```

Clearing the Figure for a New Plot

When a figure already exists, most plotting commands clear the axes and use this figure to create the new plot. However, these commands do not reset figure properties, such as the background color or the colormap. If you have set any figure properties in the previous plot, you might want to use the clf command with the reset option,

```
clf reset
```

before creating your new plot to restore the figure's properties to their defaults.

For More Information See Figure Properties and Graphics Window -- the Figure in the MATLAB documentation for information on figures.

Adding Plots to an Existing Graph Multiple Plots in One Figure