how can one assign specific colors to bars in scatterbar3?

I have created a 3D scatter bar plot using scatterbar3(X,Y,Z,width). The data for this plot is grouped into 5 categories. I'd like to color the bars in the plot according to the group from which that bar came.

Answer 1

[Star Strider]

Edit the function to return the ‘h’ vector (of patch handles) and then experiment with setting the 'FaceColor' (and perhaps 'EdgeColor') of each one. That is a minor tweak to the function, and should allow you to change the relevant characteristics.

[Stephen]

Many thanks, Star Strider! But your answer is a bit above my pay grade. Not sure how to "edit the function to return the ‘h’ vector (of patch handles)". If you could take a moment to shoot me an example, I could learn by copying/modifying.

[Star Strider]

My pleasure!

Change:

function scatterbar3(X,Y,Z,width)

to:

function h = scatterbar3(X,Y,Z,width)

The function will then return the ‘h’ vector for you to experiment with, so call it as:

h = scatterbar3(X,Y,Z,width);

(with the trailing semicolon to prevent the ‘h’ vector from printing out).

Look at the function itself and the documentation on the patch function to understand how to change the patch properties. I do not know what you want to do, or I would help with that experiment. It should be straightforward.

.

[Stephen]

Again, 10e6 thanks....let me plunk away with this information. I think I'm sorta getting the drift. I'm not up to speed on advanced (or even novice) matlab graphing, but your input will help me get there.

[Star Strider]

My pleasure!

Let me know if I can help.

[Stephen]

Still whacking away withoyut a lot of progress.

Maybe an easier question: how can I change ALL the bars in the scatterbar3(X,Y,Z,width) plot to one color. The default is a color gradient depending on the Z dimension. For example, if I just want all solid red bars how can I do this?

[Walter Roberson]

set(find(gca, '-type', 'patch'), 'FaceColor', 'r')

[Star Strider]

@Stephen —

The last line in the ‘drawbar’ function in ‘scatterbar3’ is:

set(h,'facecolor','flat','FaceVertexCData',z)

so one option would be to change that to:

set(h,'facecolor','r')

using the ‘h’ vector returned from the slightly tweaked function call.

This function is called recursively in a for loop in the function, so you might also consider changing the original version:

set(h,'facecolor','flat','FaceVertexCData',z)

and call that in a loop, replacing the ‘z’ value witth variable that defines a set of colours that define your five groups. Those colours can be a number of specific colours, or perthaps a row vector from:

cm = turbo(5);

for example:

set(h,'facecolor','flat','FaceVertexCData',cm(k,:))

where ‘k’ (or the variable of your choice) defines the group.

I have no idea what you are doing, so this is the best I can do.

.

[Stephen]

OK! Zap! Thanks, Star Rider! It works to change

set(h,'facecolor','flat','FaceVertexCData',z)

in scatterbar3.m to

set(h,'facecolor','r')

as you suggest.

Then, rather than running one complicated (for me) script altogether on a single set of grouped data, trying to change the color for each group, I siimply run scatterbar3 on each group, separately, using a different color.

For instance, after running scatterbar3 on one group using red bars, I run

hold on;

Then I simply change "r" to "b" in scatterbar3, as above,, and rerun on the next group of data using blue bars. Etc for green, and so forth. This adds each set of data to the same plot, color coded by group. That was my intent.

Kludgey, but it works!

[Star Strider]

As always, my pleasure!

Sometimes ‘kludgy’ is the best option (in my experience as well).

.