Python Subplot2Grid - controlling axis labels

Question

I am using the Subplot2Grid functionality within Matplotlib to combine two figures with different orientations, 4 bar plots (full width) and then 3 scatter plots splitting the full width into 3 columns, plus an extra space for a legend. The different sections have axes that need to align so I have used sharex = ax1 and sharey = ax1 within Subplot2Grid to implement this successfully.

However, I now cannot seem to control the axis labels the same as I would just using regular subplots function, having the x-axis tick labels showing only on the final bar plot and the y-axis tick labels showing only on the left-most scatter plot.

Plotting using Subplot2Grid, extra axis labels showing

I have tried the ax.set_xticklabels('') to try and switch them off, but the sharex/sharey seems to override them? I have also put the ax.set_xticklabels('') at the end of the code (after they are defined in ax4) and it switches them all off, not just the axis the one that is called (ax1, ax2 or ax3)

Relevant parts of the code are below:

# figure setup
fig = plt.figure()
fig.set_figheight(15)
fig.set_figwidth(9)
 
ax1 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(0, 0), colspan=3)
ax2 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(1, 0), colspan=3,sharex=ax1)
ax3 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(2, 0), colspan=3,sharex=ax1)
ax4 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(3, 0), colspan=3,sharex=ax1)
ax5 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(5, 0))
ax6 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(5, 1),sharex=ax5,sharey=ax5)
ax7 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(6, 3), loc=(5, 2),sharex=ax5,sharey=ax5)

# plotting bars here

# first bar plot
ax1.set_title('Inundation area')
ax1.set_xticklabels('')
ylbl0 = 'Inundation area \n' + r'$(km^2)$'
ax1.set_ylabel(ylbl0) 

# repeat for ax2 & ax3

# last bar plot
ax4.set_title(r'$\Delta$ Shear Stress')
ax4.set_xticks(np.arange(len(df_bars)))
ax4.set_xticklabels(df_bars['Reach Number'])
ax4.invert_xaxis()
ax4.axhline(y=0,c='k',lw = 0.5)
ax4.set_xlabel('Reach number')
ax4.set_ylabel('% change \n (2019-2020)')

Same occurs when using sharey for the 3 scatter plots and ax.set_yticklabels('')

Have you tried to add plt.tight_layout() at the end of the codes? — HMH1013
– HMH1013, Commented Feb 7, 2023 at 14:05
Thanks, I have had a look at this and might be useful with the spacing between the plots. We do usually add a similar argument to our savefig function. — CraigMacDonellGlasgow
– CraigMacDonellGlasgow, Commented Feb 7, 2023 at 14:17

add-IV · Accepted Answer · 2023-02-07 14:05:55Z

0

ax1.tick_params(labelbottom=False) does what you want.

This example works for me:


fig = plt.figure()
fig.set_figheight(15)
fig.set_figwidth(9)
 
ax1 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(2, 1), loc=(0, 0), colspan=3)
ax1.plot(np.random.rand(10))
ax2 = plt.subplot2grid(shape=(2, 1), loc=(1, 0), colspan=3,sharex=ax1)
ax2.plot(np.random.rand(10))

ax1.tick_params(labelbottom=False)

plt.show()

answered Feb 7, 2023 at 14:05

add-IV

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1 Comment

CraigMacDonellGlasgow Over a year ago

Perfect, thanks very much. Also ax.tick_params(labelleft=False) sorted the y-axis issue on the middle & right-hand scatter plots.

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