1. Plotting Data with MATLAB
Chapter 5 Plotting Data
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

2. MATLAB Plotting Commands
plot: Creates an XY graph from two arrays
fplot: Creates an XY graph of a MATLAB function for a specified range of the independent variable
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

3. plot Command
General form: plot(x,y) where x and y are two one-dimensional arrays of the same size
If more than one curve is to be plotted, the additional x and y arrays are included in the command: plot(x1,y1,x2,y2)
Another way to plot two curves on the same graph is to use the hold command:
hold on plots the new data on the current graph
hold off causes the next plot to be opened in a new window (this is the default – each plot command opens a new window)
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

4. fplot Command General form: fplot(‘function_name’,[ll ul])
where ll and ul = lower limit and upper limit, respectively, of the argument of the function
Example: to plot the sin function for values of angles from 0 to 2π,
fplot(‘sin’, [0 2*pi])
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

5. Editing MATLAB Plots
Interactive editing tools, similar to Excel’s, are available by selecting Edit Plot
With editing activated, right-clicking most plot elements produces a menu of editing tools
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

6. Editing MATLAB Plots
The Property Editor is another option for accessing interactive editing tools
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

7. Editing MATLAB Plots
If a graph is to be produced repeatedly, then some editing commands can be added directly to the MATLAB code:
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

8. Editing MATLAB Plots
One way to generate the MATLAB code for formatting is to edit the plot as desired manually, and then selecting “Show M-Code” from the right-click menu.
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel

9. Editing MATLAB Plots
A new m-file will be generated and opened in the Editor – desired lines can be copied and pasted into the m-file used to develop the graph data.
Engineering Computation: An Introduction Using MATLAB and Excel