Documentation

axis(limits) specifies the limits for the current axes. Specify the limits as vector of four, six, or eight elements.

axis style uses a predefined style to set the limits and scaling. For example, specify the style as equal to use equal data unit lengths along each axis.

axis mode sets whether the axes automatically chooses the limits or not. Specify the mode as manual, auto, or one of the semiautomatic options, for example, 'auto x'.

axis ydirection controls the placement of the coordinate system origin and the direction of increasing y values. Set ydirection to ij to place the origin at the upper left corner of the axes. The y values increase from top to bottom. Set ydirection to xy to place the origin at the lower left corner. The y values increase from bottom to top. This is the default value.

axis visibility controls the visibility of the axes or polar axes background. Set visibility to off to turn off the display of the axes background. Plots in the axes still display. Set visibility to on to display the axes background. This is the default value.

lim = axis returns the x-axis and y-axis limits for the current axes. For 3-D axes, it also returns the z-axis limits. For polar axes, it returns the theta-axis and r-axis limits.

[m,v,d] = axis('state') returns the current settings for the axis limit selection, the axes visibility, and the y-axis direction.

Note: This syntax will be removed in a future release. Use the XLimMode, YLimMode, ZLimMode, Visible, and YDir properties of the axes to the get values instead.

___ = axis(ax,___) uses the axes or polar axes specified by ax instead of the current axes. Specify ax as the first input argument. You can include additional input or output arguments only if the original syntax supported them. Use single quotes around input arguments that are character vectors, for example, axis(ax,'equal').

Examples

Set Axis Limits

Plot the sine function.

x = linspace(0,2*pi);
y = sin(x);
plot(x,y,'-o')

Change the axis limits so that the x-axis ranges from to $2\pi$ and the y-axis ranges from -1.5 to 1.5.

axis([0 2*pi -1.5 1.5])

Use Semiautomatic Axis Limits

Create a plot. Set the limits for the x-axis and set the minimum y-axis limit. Use an automatically calculated value for the maximum y-axis limit.

x = linspace(-10,10,200);
y = sin(4*x)./exp(.1*x);
plot(x,y)
axis([-10 10 0 inf])

Set Axis Limits for Multiple Axes

Create a figure with two subplots. Plot a sine wave in each subplot. Then, set the axis limits for the subplots to the same values.

x1 = linspace(0,10,100);
y1 = sin(x1);
ax1 = subplot(2,1,1);
plot(ax1,x1,y1)

x2 = linspace(0,5,100);
y2 = sin(x2);
ax2 = subplot(2,1,2);
plot(ax2,x2,y2)

axis([ax1 ax2],[0 10 -1 1])

Display Plot Without Axes Background

Plot a surface without displaying the axes lines and background.

surf(peaks)
axis off

Use Tight Axis Limits and Return Values

Plot a surface. Set the axis limits to equal the range of the data so that the plot extends to the edges of the axes.

surf(peaks)
axis tight

Return the values of the current axis limits.

l = axis

l =

    1.0000   49.0000    1.0000   49.0000   -6.5466    8.0752

Change Direction of Coordinate System

Create a checkerboard plot and change the direction of the coordinate system.

First, create the plot using the summer colormap. By default, the x values increase from left to right and the y values increase from bottom to top.

C = eye(10);
pcolor(C)
colormap summer

Reverse the coordinate system so that the y values increase from top to bottom.

axis ij

Retain Current Axis Limits When Adding New Plots

Plot a sine wave.

x = linspace(0,10);
y = sin(x);
plot(x,y)

Add another sine wave to the axes using hold on. Keep the current axis limits by setting the limits mode to manual.

y2 = 2*sin(x);
hold on
axis manual
plot(x,y2)
hold off

If you want the axes to choose the appropriate limits, set the limits mode back to automatic.

axis auto

Input Arguments

`limits` — Axis limits
four-element vector | six-element vector | eight-element vector

Axis limits, specified as a vector of four, six, or eight elements.

For Cartesian axes, specify the limits in one of these forms:

[xmin xmax ymin ymax] — Set the x-axis limits to range from xmin to xmax. Set the y-axis limits to range from ymin to ymax.
[xmin xmax ymin ymax zmin zmax] — Also set the z-axis limits to range from zmin to zmax.
[xmin xmax ymin ymax zmin zmax cmin cmax] — Also set the color limits. cmin is the data value that corresponds to the first color in the colormap. cmax is the data value that corresponds to the last color in the colormap.

For partially automatic limits, use inf or -inf for the limits you want the axes to choose automatically. For example, axis([-inf 10 0 inf]) lets the axes choose the appropriate minimum x-axis limit and maximum y-axis limit. It uses the specified values for the maximum x-axis limit and minimum y-axis limit.

If the x-axis, y-axis, or z-axis displays datetime or duration values, then use the xlim, ylim, and zlim functions to set the limits instead.

For polar axes, specify the limits in this form:

[thetamin thetamax rmin rmax] — Set the theta-axis limits to range from thetamin to thetamax. Set the r-axis limits to range from rmin to rmax.

If you specify the limits, then the XLim, YLim, ZLim, and CLim properties for the axes object change to the specified values. Or if you are working with polar axes, then the ThetaLim and RLim properties change. Also, the associated mode properties change to 'manual'.

Example: [0 1 0 1]

Example: [0 1 0 1 0 1]

`mode` — Manual, automatic, or semiautomatic selection of axis limits
`manual` | `auto` | `'auto x'` | `'auto y'` | `'auto z'` | `'auto xy'` | `'auto xz'` | `'auto yz'`

Manual, automatic, or semiautomatic selection of axis limits, specified as one of the values in this table.

Value	Description	Axes Properties That Change
`manual`	Freeze all axis limits at their current values.	Sets `XLimMode`, `YLimMode`, and `ZLimMode` to `'manual'`. If you are working with a polar axes, then this option sets `ThetaLimMode` and `RLimMode` to `'manual'`.
`auto`	The axes automatically chooses all axis limits.	Sets `XLimMode`, `YLimMode`, and `ZLimMode` to `'auto'`. If you are working with a polar axes, then this option sets `ThetaLimMode` and `RLimMode` to `'auto'`.
`'auto x'`	The axes automatically chooses the x-axis limits.	Sets `XLimMode` to `'auto'`.
`'auto y'`	The axes automatically chooses the y-axis limits.	Sets `YLimMode` to `'auto'`.
`'auto z'`	The axes automatically chooses the z-axis limits.	Sets `ZLimMode` to `'auto'`.
`'auto xy'`	The axes automatically chooses the x-axis and y-axis limits.	Sets `XLimMode` and `YLimMode` to `'auto'`.
`'auto xz'`	The axes automatically chooses the x-axis and z-axis limits.	Sets `XLimMode` and `ZLimMode` to `'auto'`.
`'auto yz'`	The axes automatically chooses the y-axis and z-axis limits.	Sets `YLimMode` and `ZLimMode` to `'auto'`.

You cannot use these options with polar axes.

`style` — Axis limits and scaling
`tight` | `fill` | `equal` | `image` | `square` | `vis3d` | `normal`

Axis limits and scaling, specified as one of these values.

Value	Description	Axes Properties That Change
`tight`	Fit the axes box tightly around the data by setting the axis limits equal to the range of the data.	`XLimMode`, `YLimMode`, and `ZLimMode` change to `'auto'`. If you are working with a polar axes, then `ThetaLimMode` and `RLimMode` change. The limits automatically update to incorporate new data added to the axes. To keep the limits from changing when using `hold on`, use `axis tight manual`.
`equal`	Use the same length for the data units along each axis.	Sets `DataAspectRatio` to `[1 1 1]`, sets `PlotBoxAspectRatio` to `[3 4 4]`, and sets the associated mode properties to manual. Disables the "stretch-to-fill" behavior.
`image`	Use the same length for the data units along each axis and fit the axes box tightly around the data.	Sets `DataAspectRatio` to `[1 1 1]`and sets the associated mode property to manual. Disables the "stretch-to-fill" behavior.
`square`	Use axis lines with equal lengths. Adjust the increments between data units accordingly.	Sets `PlotBoxAspectRatio` to `[1 1 1]` and sets the associated mode property to manual. Disables the "stretch-to-fill" behavior.
`fill`	Enable the "stretch-to-fill" behavior (the default). The lengths of each axis line fill the position rectangle defined in the `Position` property of the axes.	Sets the plot box aspect ratio mode and data aspect ratio mode properties to auto.
`vis3d`	Freeze the aspect ratio properties.	Sets the plot box aspect ratio mode and data aspect ratio mode properties to manual.
`normal`	Restore the default behavior.	Sets the plot box aspect ratio mode and data aspect ratio mode properties to auto.

For more information on the plot box aspect ratio and the data aspect ratio, see the PlotBoxAspectRatio and DataAspectRatio properties for the axes.

You can combine style options. The options are evaluated from left to right, so subsequent options can overwrite properties set by prior ones.

You cannot use these options with polar axes, except for the axis tight and axis normal commands.

`ydirection` — y-axis direction
`xy` (default) | `ij`

y-axis direction, specified as one of these values:

xy — Default direction. For axes with a 2-D view, the y-axis is vertical with values increasing from bottom to top.
ij — Reverse direction. For axes with a 2-D view, the y-axis is vertical with values increasing from top to bottom.

You cannot use these options with polar axes.

`visibility` — Axes lines and background visibility
`on` (default) | `off`

Axes lines and background visibility, specified as either on or off. Specifying the visibility sets the Visible property of the axes object or polar axes object to the specified value.

`ax` — Axes or polar axes objects
scalar | vector

Axes or polar axes objects, specified as a scalar or a vector. If you do not specify an axes, then axis sets the limits for the current axes (gca).

When you specify an axes, use single quotes around other input arguments that are character vectors.

Example: axis(ax,'tight')

Example: axis(ax,limits)

Example: axis(ax,'manual')

Output Arguments

`lim` — Current limit values
four-element vector | six-element vector

Current limit values, returned as a four-element or six-element vector. For Cartesian axes in a 2-D view, lim is of the form [xmin xmax ymin ymax]. For axes in a 3-D view, lim is of the form [xmin xmax ymin ymax zmin zmax]. The XLim, YLim, and ZLim properties for the axes contain the limit values.

For polar axes, lim is of the form [thetamin thetamax rmin rmax]. The ThetaLim and RLim properties for the polar axes contain the limit values.

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