Using a loop to print subplots

I want to print an 2x2 grid of plots on an axes in a GUI. I'd like for there to be multiple "pages" of these plots so a user can plot more than 4 and be able to flip through the axes using the 'visible' attribute. My code looks like this:

 for i=1:totalPlotNum
   %code to calculate which subplot and axes to plot the data on
   axesNum = ceil(i/4);
   subLoc = 4*(i/4 - floor(i/4));
   if subLoc == 0
      subLoc = 4;
   end

   %switch focus to the correct axes and subplot
   axes(printPlot.plotAxes(axesNum)
   subplot(2,2,subLoc);

   %plot
 end

printPlot.plotAxes is an array of axes objects which are the "pages" the user can flip through.

My issue is that when Matlab runs axes() and subplot() after the first iteration, the axes object at printPlot.plotAxes(axesNum) gets deleted. Then, on the second iteration, Matlab crashes to desktop because axes() is trying to focus on a deleted axes handle. How do I get Matlab to stop deleting the axes, or do I need to adjust my code such that after running subplot() once, axes() is not called with a repeated axes?

Answer 1

[Walter Roberson]

Call subplot once for each axes to be created and store the results in printPlot.plotAxes . After that do not call subplot inside the loop: use the axes handle you stored.

[TastyPastry]

So if I need to plot 9 plots on 3 2x2 pages, how many axes do I need in the printPlot.plotAxes array? I'm not really understanding if subplot creates a tiled system of individual axes or it creates one axes with multiple divisions.

Currently my printPlot.plotAxes creation line looks like

printPlot.plotAxes(1:reqPages) = subplot(2,2,1,...%position, parent optoins here);

[Walter Roberson]

subplot() creates new axes for each one.

for K = 1 : numplots      %e.g., 9
  figno = 1 + floor((K-1) / 4);
  fig = figure(figno);
  subnum = 1 + mod(K-1, 4);
  ax = subplot(4, 4, subnum, 'Parent', figno);
  printPlot.plotAxes(K) = ax;
end

[TastyPastry]

So if I wanted to flip through pages of 2x2 grids, would I use the figure 'visible' option? Is there a way to make all the figures appear at the same spot, i.e. if I move one figure window and change pages, the next figure appears in the same spot the previous one disappeared in?

[Walter Roberson]

You can pass Units and Position parameters to the figure() call