How to show two figures using matplotlib?

Question

I have some troubles while drawing two figures at the same time, not shown in a single plot. But according to the documentation, I wrote the code and only the figure one shows. I think maybe I lost something important. Could anyone help me to figure out? Thanks. (The *tlist_first* used in the code is a list of data.)

plt.figure(1)
plt.hist(tlist_first, bins=2000000, normed = True, histtype ="step", cumulative = True, color = 'g',label = 'first answer')
plt.ylabel('Percentage of answered questions')
plt.xlabel('Minutes elapsed after questions are posted')

plt.axvline(x = 30, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'r', linestyle = '--', label = '30 min')
plt.axvline(x = 60, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'c', linestyle = '--', label = '1 hour')
plt.legend()
plt.xlim(0,120)
plt.ylim(0,1) 
plt.show()
plt.close() ### not working either with this line or without it

plt.figure(2)
plt.hist(tlist_first, bins=2000000, normed = True, histtype ="step", cumulative = True, color = 'g',label = 'first answer')

plt.ylabel('Percentage of answered questions')
plt.xlabel('Minutes elapsed after questions are posted')

plt.axvline(x = 240, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'r', linestyle = '--', label = '30 min')
plt.axvline(x = 1440, ymin = 0, ymax = 1, color = 'c', linestyle = '--', label = '1 hour')
plt.legend(loc= 4)
plt.xlim(0,2640)
plt.ylim(0,1)
plt.show()

Yaroslav Stavnichiy · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-15 14:07:56Z

110

Alternatively to calling plt.show() at the end of the script, you can also control each figure separately doing:

f = plt.figure(1)
plt.hist........
............
f.show()

g = plt.figure(2)
plt.hist(........
................
g.show()

raw_input()

In this case you must call raw_input to keep the figures alive. This way you can select dynamically which figures you want to show

Note: raw_input() was renamed to input() in Python 3

edited Jul 15, 2016 at 14:07

Yaroslav Stavnichiy

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answered Oct 12, 2011 at 18:41

joaquin

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5 Comments

kakyo Over a year ago

Unfortunately with python3.6 and latest matplotlib, calling several fig.show() seems to show nothing. I still have to call plt.show() at the end.

n1k31t4 Over a year ago

@kakyo - Using Python 3.6.6 with Matplotlib 2.2.2 (which was the latest release at time of your writing); the solution above works for me. Your problem must come from something else, e.g. the backend used. Running matplotlib.get_backend(), I get 'Qt5Agg'

Michael Litvin Over a year ago

I also had to add figure=g to the second plt.hist().

zheyuanWang Over a year ago

do I need other packages? NameError: name 'raw_input' is not defined

joaquin Over a year ago

@zheyuanWang If you are using python 3 you must use input(). See last note in the post

Delgan · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-02 09:09:16Z

65

You should call plt.show() only at the end after creating all the plots.

edited Jul 2, 2016 at 9:09

Delgan

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answered Oct 12, 2011 at 18:35

janneb

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2 Comments

Alcott Over a year ago

I found this quite annoying, since if I called show() once, I cannot call it again, if I want to show the plot again, I have to replot it again?

Uzu Lim Over a year ago

I think it's reasonable to have the functionality to show the plot every time I call it.

aberger · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-24 22:37:29Z

41

I had this same problem.

Did:

f1 = plt.figure(1)

# code for figure 1

# don't write 'plt.show()' here


f2 = plt.figure(2)

# code for figure 2

plt.show()

Write 'plt.show()' only once, after the last figure. Worked for me.

edited Jun 24, 2019 at 22:37

aberger

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answered Jun 29, 2018 at 6:40

Nikhil Anand

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3 Comments

n1k31t4 Over a year ago

This is the same as the answer from janneb back in 2011

Mike de Klerk Over a year ago

This shows it in the same window, not 2 separate windows. Answers OP's question though. Upvote therefore.

CountDOOKU Over a year ago

But what if you want a separate plot? it was plotted on the same plot

Tom Mozdzen · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-23 23:48:32Z

10

Alternatively, I would suggest turning interactive on in the beginning and at the very last plot, turn it off. All will show up, but they will not disappear as your program will stay around until you close the figures.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib import interactive

plt.figure(1)
... code to make figure (1)

interactive(True)
plt.show()

plt.figure(2)
... code to make figure (2)

plt.show()

plt.figure(3)
... code to make figure (3)

interactive(False)
plt.show()

answered Dec 23, 2017 at 23:48

Tom Mozdzen

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