Reference for matplotlib artists

This example displays several of matplotlib's graphics primitives (artists) drawn using matplotlib API. A full list of artists and the documentation is available at the artist API.

Copyright (c) 2010, Bartosz Telenczuk BSD License

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.path as mpath
import matplotlib.lines as mlines
import matplotlib.patches as mpatches
from matplotlib.collections import PatchCollection


def label(xy, text):
    y = xy[1] - 0.15  # shift y-value for label so that it's below the artist
    plt.text(xy[0], y, text, ha="center", family='sans-serif', size=14)


fig, ax = plt.subplots()
# create 3x3 grid to plot the artists
grid = np.mgrid[0.2:0.8:3j, 0.2:0.8:3j].reshape(2, -1).T

patches = []

# add a circle
circle = mpatches.Circle(grid[0], 0.1, ec="none")
patches.append(circle)
label(grid[0], "Circle")

# add a rectangle
rect = mpatches.Rectangle(grid[1] - [0.025, 0.05], 0.05, 0.1, ec="none")
patches.append(rect)
label(grid[1], "Rectangle")

# add a wedge
wedge = mpatches.Wedge(grid[2], 0.1, 30, 270, ec="none")
patches.append(wedge)
label(grid[2], "Wedge")

# add a Polygon
polygon = mpatches.RegularPolygon(grid[3], 5, 0.1)
patches.append(polygon)
label(grid[3], "Polygon")

# add an ellipse
ellipse = mpatches.Ellipse(grid[4], 0.2, 0.1)
patches.append(ellipse)
label(grid[4], "Ellipse")

# add an arrow
arrow = mpatches.Arrow(grid[5, 0] - 0.05, grid[5, 1] - 0.05, 0.1, 0.1,
                       width=0.1)
patches.append(arrow)
label(grid[5], "Arrow")

# add a path patch
Path = mpath.Path
path_data = [
    (Path.MOVETO, [0.018, -0.11]),
    (Path.CURVE4, [-0.031, -0.051]),
    (Path.CURVE4, [-0.115, 0.073]),
    (Path.CURVE4, [-0.03, 0.073]),
    (Path.LINETO, [-0.011, 0.039]),
    (Path.CURVE4, [0.043, 0.121]),
    (Path.CURVE4, [0.075, -0.005]),
    (Path.CURVE4, [0.035, -0.027]),
    (Path.CLOSEPOLY, [0.018, -0.11])]
codes, verts = zip(*path_data)
path = mpath.Path(verts + grid[6], codes)
patch = mpatches.PathPatch(path)
patches.append(patch)
label(grid[6], "PathPatch")

# add a fancy box
fancybox = mpatches.FancyBboxPatch(
    grid[7] - [0.025, 0.05], 0.05, 0.1,
    boxstyle=mpatches.BoxStyle("Round", pad=0.02))
patches.append(fancybox)
label(grid[7], "FancyBboxPatch")

# add a line
x, y = np.array([[-0.06, 0.0, 0.1], [0.05, -0.05, 0.05]])
line = mlines.Line2D(x + grid[8, 0], y + grid[8, 1], lw=5., alpha=0.3)
label(grid[8], "Line2D")

colors = np.linspace(0, 1, len(patches))
collection = PatchCollection(patches, cmap=plt.cm.hsv, alpha=0.3)
collection.set_array(np.array(colors))
ax.add_collection(collection)
ax.add_line(line)

plt.axis('equal')
plt.axis('off')
plt.tight_layout()

plt.show()

---

References

The use of the following functions, methods, classes and modules is shown in this example:

import matplotlib
matplotlib.path
matplotlib.path.Path
matplotlib.lines
matplotlib.lines.Line2D
matplotlib.patches
matplotlib.patches.Circle
matplotlib.patches.Ellipse
matplotlib.patches.Wedge
matplotlib.patches.Rectangle
matplotlib.patches.Arrow
matplotlib.patches.PathPatch
matplotlib.patches.FancyBboxPatch
matplotlib.patches.RegularPolygon
matplotlib.collections
matplotlib.collections.PatchCollection
matplotlib.cm.ScalarMappable.set_array
matplotlib.axes.Axes.add_collection
matplotlib.axes.Axes.add_line