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I have plots of 3-axis accelerometer time-series data (t,x,y,z) in separate subplots I'd like to zoom together. That is, when I use the "Zoom to Rectangle" tool on one plot, when I release the mouse all 3 plots zoom together.

Previously, I simply plotted all 3 axes on a single plot using different colors. But this is useful only with small amounts of data: I have over 2 million data points, so the last axis plotted obscures the other two. Hence the need for separate subplots.

I know I can capture matplotlib/pyplot mouse events (http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/users/event_handling.html), and I know I can catch other events (http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/api/backend_bases_api.html#matplotlib.backend_bases.ResizeEvent), but I don't know how to tell what zoom has been requested on any one subplot, and how to replicate it on the other two subplots.

I suspect I have the all the pieces, and need only that one last precious clue...

-BobC

BobC
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3 Answers3

142

The easiest way to do this is by using the sharex and/or sharey keywords when creating the axes:

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

ax1 = plt.subplot(2,1,1)
ax1.plot(...)
ax2 = plt.subplot(2,1,2, sharex=ax1)
ax2.plot(...)
Ray
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51

You can also do this with plt.subplots, if that's your style.

fig, ax = plt.subplots(3, 1, sharex=True, sharey=True)
Jeremy McGibbon
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-2

Interactively this works on separate axes

for ax in fig.axes:
    ax.set_xlim(0, 50)
fig.draw()
n1nj4
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