Accessing and changing the Y-limits of multiple figures

I have multiple figures of data with two y-axes. The left axis shows the histocounts of the values; the right axis gives the cummulative probability of distribution.

I cannot find a way to point to a figure handle and select the left-side ylim data and then reset the ylim values.

Goal: I wish to automatically determine the maximum ylim among the figures to then reset all the plots to the max ylim for easy comparison. The only working "solution" is using yyaxis to select "left" or 'right" and then accessing the ylim values. This however requires that the I manually use gcf after the analysis run and have the figure of interest at the top of the stack.

To summarize: I wish to get the max left-side ylims among a group of figures and then reset all the upper left-side ylims to the group maximum. To further help illustrate this issue, I have included sample data generating fake data for four data sets.

Thank you in advance any help.

datasets = 4;

for n = 1:datasets
    data = randn(1,1000*n,4);
    f(n) = figure; % fig handles

    % plot histogram of random data
    histogram(data(:,:,n));
    ylabel('counts');

    % overlay a cummulative distrib plot
    hold on;
    yyaxis right;
    cdfplot(data(:,:,n));
    ylabel('cummulative plot');
    title(sprintf('phony balony data set #%s',num2str(n)));
end

%% trying to access the left side axis values 
% (e.g. if trying to access fig f(3), hidden under f(4), assuming fig order untouched).

get(f(3).CurrentAxes); 

                        ALim: [0 1]
                    ALimMode: 'auto'
                  AlphaScale: 'linear'
                    Alphamap: [0 0.0159 0.0317 0.0476 0.0635 0.0794 0.0952 0.1111 0.1270 0.1429 0.1587 0.1746 0.1905 0.2063 0.2222 0.2381 0.2540 0.2698 0.2857 0.3016 0.3175 0.3333 … ] (1×64 double)
           AmbientLightColor: [1 1 1]
                BeingDeleted: off
                         Box: on
                    BoxStyle: 'back'
                  BusyAction: 'queue'
               ButtonDownFcn: ''
                        CLim: [0 1]
                    CLimMode: 'auto'
              CameraPosition: [-0.2000 0.5000 17.3205]
          CameraPositionMode: 'auto'
                CameraTarget: [-0.2000 0.5000 0]
            CameraTargetMode: 'auto'
              CameraUpVector: [0 1 0]
          CameraUpVectorMode: 'auto'
             CameraViewAngle: 6.6086
         CameraViewAngleMode: 'auto'
                    Children: [1×1 Line]
                    Clipping: on
               ClippingStyle: 'rectangle'
                       Color: [1 1 1]
                  ColorOrder: [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]
             ColorOrderIndex: 1
                  ColorScale: 'linear'
                    Colormap: [256×3 double]
                 ContextMenu: [0×0 GraphicsPlaceholder]
                   CreateFcn: ''
                CurrentPoint: [2×3 double]
             DataAspectRatio: [7.9200 1 2]
         DataAspectRatioMode: 'auto'
                   DeleteFcn: ''
                   FontAngle: 'normal'
                    FontName: 'Helvetica'
                    FontSize: 10
                FontSizeMode: 'auto'
               FontSmoothing: on
                   FontUnits: 'points'
                  FontWeight: 'normal'
                   GridAlpha: 0.1500
               GridAlphaMode: 'auto'
                   GridColor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
               GridColorMode: 'auto'
               GridLineStyle: '-'
               GridLineWidth: 0.5000
           GridLineWidthMode: 'auto'
            HandleVisibility: 'on'
                     HitTest: on
               InnerPosition: [0.1300 0.1100 0.7750 0.8150]
          InteractionOptions: [1×1 matlab.graphics.interaction.interactionoptions.InteractionOptions]
                Interactions: [1×1 matlab.graphics.interaction.interface.DefaultAxesInteractionSet]
               Interruptible: on
     LabelFontSizeMultiplier: 1.1000
                       Layer: 'bottom'
                      Layout: [0×0 matlab.ui.layout.LayoutOptions]
                      Legend: [0×0 GraphicsPlaceholder]
      LineStyleCyclingMethod: 'aftercolor'
              LineStyleOrder: [7×2 char]
         LineStyleOrderIndex: 2
                   LineWidth: 0.5000
              MinorGridAlpha: 0.2500
          MinorGridAlphaMode: 'auto'
              MinorGridColor: [0.1000 0.1000 0.1000]
          MinorGridColorMode: 'auto'
          MinorGridLineStyle: ':'
          MinorGridLineWidth: 0.5000
      MinorGridLineWidthMode: 'auto'
                    NextPlot: 'add'
             NextSeriesIndex: 2
               OuterPosition: [0 0 1 1]
                      Parent: [1×1 Figure]
               PickableParts: 'visible'
          PlotBoxAspectRatio: [1 0.7897 0.7897]
      PlotBoxAspectRatioMode: 'auto'
                    Position: [0.1300 0.1100 0.7750 0.8150]
          PositionConstraint: 'outerposition'
                  Projection: 'orthographic'
                    Selected: off
          SelectionHighlight: on
                  SortMethod: 'childorder'
                    Subtitle: [1×1 Text]
          SubtitleFontWeight: 'normal'
                         Tag: ''
                     TickDir: 'in'
                 TickDirMode: 'auto'
        TickLabelInterpreter: 'tex'
                  TickLength: [0.0100 0.0250]
                  TightInset: [0.0964 0.0990 0.0877 0.0526]
                       Title: [1×1 Text]
     TitleFontSizeMultiplier: 1.1000
             TitleFontWeight: 'bold'
    TitleHorizontalAlignment: 'center'
                     Toolbar: [1×1 AxesToolbar]
                        Type: 'axes'
                       Units: 'normalized'
                    UserData: []
                        View: [0 90]
                     Visible: on
                       XAxis: [1×1 NumericRuler]
               XAxisLocation: 'bottom'
                      XColor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
                  XColorMode: 'auto'
                        XDir: 'normal'
                       XGrid: on
                      XLabel: [1×1 Text]
                        XLim: [-4.1600 3.7600]
                    XLimMode: 'auto'
                XLimitMethod: 'tickaligned'
                  XMinorGrid: off
                  XMinorTick: off
                      XScale: 'linear'
                       XTick: [-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3]
                  XTickLabel: {8×1 cell}
              XTickLabelMode: 'auto'
          XTickLabelRotation: 0
      XTickLabelRotationMode: 'auto'
                   XTickMode: 'auto'
                       YAxis: [2×1 NumericRuler]
               YAxisLocation: 'right'
                      YColor: [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]
                  YColorMode: 'manual'
                        YDir: 'normal'
                       YGrid: on
                      YLabel: [1×1 Text]
                        YLim: [0 1]
                    YLimMode: 'auto'
                YLimitMethod: 'tickaligned'
                  YMinorGrid: off
                  YMinorTick: off
                      YScale: 'linear'
                       YTick: [0 0.1000 0.2000 0.3000 0.4000 0.5000 0.6000 0.7000 0.8000 0.9000 1]
                  YTickLabel: {11×1 cell}
              YTickLabelMode: 'auto'
          YTickLabelRotation: 0
      YTickLabelRotationMode: 'auto'
                   YTickMode: 'auto'
                       ZAxis: [1×1 NumericRuler]
                      ZColor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
                  ZColorMode: 'auto'
                        ZDir: 'normal'
                       ZGrid: on
                      ZLabel: [1×1 Text]
                        ZLim: [-1 1]
                    ZLimMode: 'auto'
                ZLimitMethod: 'tickaligned'
                  ZMinorGrid: off
                  ZMinorTick: off
                      ZScale: 'linear'
                       ZTick: [-1 0 1]
                  ZTickLabel: ''
              ZTickLabelMode: 'auto'
          ZTickLabelRotation: 0
      ZTickLabelRotationMode: 'auto'
                   ZTickMode: 'auto'

ylim % will show me the [0 1] limits of the right axis

ans = 1×2

0 1

yyaxis left; % attempt to change back to left side axis;

% rechecking if accessed right axis
get(f(3).CurrentAxes); 

                        ALim: [0 1]
                    ALimMode: 'auto'
                  AlphaScale: 'linear'
                    Alphamap: [0 0.0159 0.0317 0.0476 0.0635 0.0794 0.0952 0.1111 0.1270 0.1429 0.1587 0.1746 0.1905 0.2063 0.2222 0.2381 0.2540 0.2698 0.2857 0.3016 0.3175 0.3333 … ] (1×64 double)
           AmbientLightColor: [1 1 1]
                BeingDeleted: off
                         Box: on
                    BoxStyle: 'back'
                  BusyAction: 'queue'
               ButtonDownFcn: ''
                        CLim: [0 1]
                    CLimMode: 'auto'
              CameraPosition: [-0.2000 0.5000 17.3205]
          CameraPositionMode: 'auto'
                CameraTarget: [-0.2000 0.5000 0]
            CameraTargetMode: 'auto'
              CameraUpVector: [0 1 0]
          CameraUpVectorMode: 'auto'
             CameraViewAngle: 6.6086
         CameraViewAngleMode: 'auto'
                    Children: [1×1 Line]
                    Clipping: on
               ClippingStyle: 'rectangle'
                       Color: [1 1 1]
                  ColorOrder: [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]
             ColorOrderIndex: 1
                  ColorScale: 'linear'
                    Colormap: [256×3 double]
                 ContextMenu: [0×0 GraphicsPlaceholder]
                   CreateFcn: ''
                CurrentPoint: [2×3 double]
             DataAspectRatio: [7.9200 1 2]
         DataAspectRatioMode: 'auto'
                   DeleteFcn: ''
                   FontAngle: 'normal'
                    FontName: 'Helvetica'
                    FontSize: 10
                FontSizeMode: 'auto'
               FontSmoothing: on
                   FontUnits: 'points'
                  FontWeight: 'normal'
                   GridAlpha: 0.1500
               GridAlphaMode: 'auto'
                   GridColor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
               GridColorMode: 'auto'
               GridLineStyle: '-'
               GridLineWidth: 0.5000
           GridLineWidthMode: 'auto'
            HandleVisibility: 'on'
                     HitTest: on
               InnerPosition: [0.1300 0.1100 0.7750 0.8150]
          InteractionOptions: [1×1 matlab.graphics.interaction.interactionoptions.InteractionOptions]
                Interactions: [1×1 matlab.graphics.interaction.interface.DefaultAxesInteractionSet]
               Interruptible: on
     LabelFontSizeMultiplier: 1.1000
                       Layer: 'bottom'
                      Layout: [0×0 matlab.ui.layout.LayoutOptions]
                      Legend: [0×0 GraphicsPlaceholder]
      LineStyleCyclingMethod: 'aftercolor'
              LineStyleOrder: [7×2 char]
         LineStyleOrderIndex: 2
                   LineWidth: 0.5000
              MinorGridAlpha: 0.2500
          MinorGridAlphaMode: 'auto'
              MinorGridColor: [0.1000 0.1000 0.1000]
          MinorGridColorMode: 'auto'
          MinorGridLineStyle: ':'
          MinorGridLineWidth: 0.5000
      MinorGridLineWidthMode: 'auto'
                    NextPlot: 'add'
             NextSeriesIndex: 2
               OuterPosition: [0 0 1 1]
                      Parent: [1×1 Figure]
               PickableParts: 'visible'
          PlotBoxAspectRatio: [1 0.7897 0.7897]
      PlotBoxAspectRatioMode: 'auto'
                    Position: [0.1300 0.1100 0.7750 0.8150]
          PositionConstraint: 'outerposition'
                  Projection: 'orthographic'
                    Selected: off
          SelectionHighlight: on
                  SortMethod: 'childorder'
                    Subtitle: [1×1 Text]
          SubtitleFontWeight: 'normal'
                         Tag: ''
                     TickDir: 'in'
                 TickDirMode: 'auto'
        TickLabelInterpreter: 'tex'
                  TickLength: [0.0100 0.0250]
                  TightInset: [0.0964 0.0990 0.0877 0.0526]
                       Title: [1×1 Text]
     TitleFontSizeMultiplier: 1.1000
             TitleFontWeight: 'bold'
    TitleHorizontalAlignment: 'center'
                     Toolbar: [1×1 AxesToolbar]
                        Type: 'axes'
                       Units: 'normalized'
                    UserData: []
                        View: [0 90]
                     Visible: on
                       XAxis: [1×1 NumericRuler]
               XAxisLocation: 'bottom'
                      XColor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
                  XColorMode: 'auto'
                        XDir: 'normal'
                       XGrid: on
                      XLabel: [1×1 Text]
                        XLim: [-4.1600 3.7600]
                    XLimMode: 'auto'
                XLimitMethod: 'tickaligned'
                  XMinorGrid: off
                  XMinorTick: off
                      XScale: 'linear'
                       XTick: [-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3]
                  XTickLabel: {8×1 cell}
              XTickLabelMode: 'auto'
          XTickLabelRotation: 0
      XTickLabelRotationMode: 'auto'
                   XTickMode: 'auto'
                       YAxis: [2×1 NumericRuler]
               YAxisLocation: 'right'
                      YColor: [0.8500 0.3250 0.0980]
                  YColorMode: 'manual'
                        YDir: 'normal'
                       YGrid: on
                      YLabel: [1×1 Text]
                        YLim: [0 1]
                    YLimMode: 'auto'
                YLimitMethod: 'tickaligned'
                  YMinorGrid: off
                  YMinorTick: off
                      YScale: 'linear'
                       YTick: [0 0.1000 0.2000 0.3000 0.4000 0.5000 0.6000 0.7000 0.8000 0.9000 1]
                  YTickLabel: {11×1 cell}
              YTickLabelMode: 'auto'
          YTickLabelRotation: 0
      YTickLabelRotationMode: 'auto'
                   YTickMode: 'auto'
                       ZAxis: [1×1 NumericRuler]
                      ZColor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
                  ZColorMode: 'auto'
                        ZDir: 'normal'
                       ZGrid: on
                      ZLabel: [1×1 Text]
                        ZLim: [-1 1]
                    ZLimMode: 'auto'
                ZLimitMethod: 'tickaligned'
                  ZMinorGrid: off
                  ZMinorTick: off
                      ZScale: 'linear'
                       ZTick: [-1 0 1]
                  ZTickLabel: ''
              ZTickLabelMode: 'auto'
          ZTickLabelRotation: 0
      ZTickLabelRotationMode: 'auto'
                   ZTickMode: 'auto'

ylim % will show me the ylim range for f(4) that is opened, not f(3)!

ans = 1×2

0 400

Answer 1

[Matt J]

datasets = 4;

clear ax
for n = 1:datasets
    data = randn(1,1000*n,4);
    f(n) = figure; % fig handles

    % plot histogram of random data
    histogram(data(:,:,n));
    ylabel('counts');

    ax(n)=gca().YAxis;
    
    
    % overlay a cummulative distrib plot
    hold on;
    yyaxis right;
    cdfplot(data(:,:,n));
    ylabel('cummulative plot');
    title(sprintf('phony balony data set #%s',num2str(n)));
end

ymax=max(vertcat(ax.Limits));

set(ax,'Limits',[0,ymax(2)])

[hxen]

Thanks Matt! I didn't know you could do something like: "ax(n)=gca().YAxis;" Thanks so much. This was very helpful. Happy New Year to you.

[Steven Lord]

Rather than using gca here, I'd store the histogram handle by calling it with an output then ask for the axes ancestor of that histogram. That way you don't have to assume that the curent axes is what you think it is (that no one has clicked on a different axes, for example.)

h = histogram(randn(1, 1e5));

ax = ancestor(h, 'axes')

ax = 
  Axes with properties:

             XLim: [-5.0450 4.7450]
             YLim: [0 4500]
           XScale: 'linear'
           YScale: 'linear'
    GridLineStyle: '-'
         Position: [0.1300 0.1100 0.7750 0.8150]
            Units: 'normalized'

  Use GET to show all properties

[hxen]

Thank you as well Steven for this helpful suggestion.