Controlling the Axes :: Graphics (Getting Started)

Getting Started

Controlling the Axes

The axis command provides a number of options for setting the scaling, orientation, and aspect ratio of graphs. You can also set these options interactively. See Editing Plots for more information.

Setting Axis Limits

By default, MATLAB finds the maxima and minima of the data and chooses the axis limits to span this range. The axis command enables you to specify your own limits:

```
axis([xmin xmax ymin ymax])
```

or for three-dimensional graphs,

```
axis([xmin xmax ymin ymax zmin zmax])
```

Use the command

```
axis auto
```

to reenable MATLAB automatic limit selection.

Setting Axis Aspect Ratio

axis also enables you to specify a number of predefined modes. For example,

```
axis square
```

makes the x-axis and y-axis the same length:

```
axis equal
```

makes the individual tick mark increments on the x-axes and y-axes the same length. This means

```
plot(exp(i*[0:pi/10:2*pi]))
```

followed by either axis square or axis equal turns the oval into a proper circle:

```
axis auto normal
```

returns the axis scaling to its default automatic mode.

Setting Axis Visibility

You can use the axis command to make the axis visible or invisible.

```
axis on
```

makes the axes visible. This is the default.

```
axis off
```

makes the axes invisible.

Setting Grid Lines

The grid command toggles grid lines on and off. The statement

```
grid on
```

turns the grid lines on, and

```
grid off
```

turns them back off again.

For More Information See the axis and axes reference pages and Axes Properties in the MATLAB documentation.

Multiple Plots in One Figure Axis Labels and Titles