How to plot partial results of a for-loop in one figure and create different figures for other results?

I have a for loop, which reads in and evaluates the run-off values for various years. There are several time series for each year. So I have an ensemble of time series per year. Now I want to create a figure for each year, in which the respective ensemble is presented.

The following code section shows the plot function for the year 2014 as an example:

      sdatelim=[datenum(2014,05,01) datenum(2014,10,01)];
      dt = 1/24;
      sdate2014 = sdatelim(1):dt:sdatelim(2);  
      figure('Position',[200 100 900 900],'PaperPositionMode','auto','Color','w'); 
      a(1) = axes;
      set(a(1),'Position',[0.09 0.09 0.80 0.80],'fontsize',13)
      hold on;
      plot(sdate2014(1:3672),Qs2014,'.'); hold on;

      % the next figure for the subsequent year
      ... figure(...); hold on;
      a() = axes ...
      plot (sdate2015(1:3672),Qs2015); hold on;

Regardless of whether I add the figure command before the loop or add the hold on, always a separate figure is opened.

This is a solution that did not work.

Now my questions are:

1. How can I create multiple figures with the corresponding ensemble (that means e.g. all time series for the year 2014 in one figure)?
2. How can I change the line color within a figure for a few thousand ensemble members?

Answer 1

[José-Luis]

subplot()

[Glazio]

@José-Luis: Thanks for your quick feedback. If I am not wrong, with subplot more plots in a figure can be added, beause of the appearing subplot-regions. In this context, subplot is helpful because individual years are comparable within one figure.

If I work with subplot, there remains the same problem within one year - ensemble. In such a subplot region several runs should be displayed(as an ensemble). Now if I use subplot, each run is printed in a separate window.

Now my question: How could I add more plots within one plot region, or subplot-region, without overwritting the previous plots or without creating separate figures/plot/sub_plot regions?

[José-Luis]

aH(1) = subplot(2,1,1); hold on;
aH(2) = subplot(2,1,2); hold on;

for ii = 1:100
    jj = mod(ii,2) + 1;
    plot(aH(jj),rand(10,1),'Color', rand(1,3));
end

[Glazio]

@José-Luis: Thanks für your answer.

The first part, with subplot works. The for-loop for the color-scheme doesn't work. There is no error message, but all ensemble members have the same color and the subplot has moved.

[José-Luis]

I'm afraid you're gonna have to explain your problem better. Where are you getting the color from? You can explicitly set it for each of your plots. Indexing to a color array comes to mind.

"The subplot has moved" can mean many different things.

[Glazio]

@José-Luis: This is my code to generate, as an example, two subplots:

    for ii = 1:2
      %jj = mod(ii,2) + 1;
      aH(1) = subplot(2,1,1); hold on;
      plot(sdate2014(1:3672),Qs2014,'Color',rand(1,3)); hold on;
      aH(2) = subplot(2,1,2); hold on;
      plot(sdate2015(1:3672),Qs2015,'Color',rand(1,3)); hold on;
    end

It doesn't work if I use with aH(..) the loop index.

How can the entire process be more automated (so that not every subplot has to be indexed manually)?

How can you choose more distinct colors?

[José-Luis]

I don't get it. You are not using the ii index inside the loop. Is Qs2014 a 2D array?

If so:

subplot(2,1,1)
plot(sdate2014(1:3672),Qs2014,'Color',rand(1,3)); 
subplot(2,1,2); 
plot(sdate2015(1:3672),Qs2015,'Color',rand(1,3));

Have you tried reading the documentation? It's pretty good --- most of the time.

[Glazio]

@José-Luis: Thanks, now it works. I have incremented the subplot-handle-number manually, without a for-loop.

For three graphics, this is the easiest solution. I have read the documentation on mathworks.com.

My implementation is:

      dt = 1/24;
      sdatelima=[datenum(2014,05,01) datenum(2014,10,01)];
      sdate2014 = sdatelima(1):dt:sdatelima(2);  
      sdatelimb=[datenum(2015,05,01) datenum(2015,10,01)];
      sdate2015 = sdatelimb(1):dt:sdatelimb(2);
      sdatelimc=[datenum(2016,05,01) datenum(2016,10,01)];
      sdate2016 = sdatelimc(1):dt:sdatelimc(2);
      aH(1) = subplot(3,1,1); hold on;
      set(aH(1),'TickDir','out','FontSize',12);
      set(gcf,'Renderer','painters');
      datetick('x','keeplimits');
      ylim([0 20])
      xlim(sdatelima)
      title(aH(1),'Runoff 2014 - MCS (Ensemble)','fontsize',14,'fontweight','b');
      ylabel(aH(1),'Runoff [m^3 s^-^1]','fontsize',13)
      xlabel(aH(1),'Date','fontsize',13)
      box on;
      grid on;
      plota = plot(sdate2014(1:3672),Qs2014,'Color',rand(1,3)); hold on;
      set(plota,'LineWidth',2.0)
      aH(2) = subplot(3,1,2); hold on;
      set(aH(2),'TickDir','out','FontSize',12);
      set(gcf,'Renderer','painters');
      datetick('x','keeplimits');
      ylim([0 20])
      xlim(sdatelimb)
      title(aH(2),'Runoff 2015 - MCS (Ensemble)','fontsize',14,'fontweight','b');
      ylabel(aH(2),'Runoff [m^3 s^-^1]','fontsize',13)
      xlabel(aH(2),'Date','fontsize',13)
      box on;
      grid on;
      plotb = plot(sdate2015(1:3672),Qs2015,'Color',rand(1,3)); hold on;
      set(plotb,'LineWidth',2.0)
      aH(3) = subplot(3,1,3); hold on;
      set(aH(3),'TickDir','out','FontSize',12);
      set(gcf,'Renderer','painters');
      datetick('x','keeplimits');
      ylim([0 20])
      xlim(sdatelimc)
      title(aH(3),'Runoff 2016 - MCS (Ensemble)','fontsize',14,'fontweight','b');
      ylabel(aH(3),'Runoff [m^3 s^-^1]','fontsize',13)
      xlabel(aH(3),'Date','fontsize',13)
      box on;
      grid on;
      plotc = plot(sdate2016(1:3672),Qs2016,'Color',rand(1,3)); hold on;
      set(plotc,'LineWidth',2.0)

Thanks for your help!