{ "cells": [ { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "\n# Zorder Demo\n\nThe drawing order of artists is determined by their ``zorder`` attribute, which\nis a floating point number. Artists with higher ``zorder`` are drawn on top.\nYou can change the order for individual artists by setting their ``zorder``.\nThe default value depends on the type of the Artist:\n\n================================================================ =======\nArtist Z-order\n================================================================ =======\nImages (`.AxesImage`, `.FigureImage`, `.BboxImage`) 0\n`.Patch`, `.PatchCollection` 1\n`.Line2D`, `.LineCollection` (including minor ticks, grid lines) 2\nMajor ticks 2.01\n`.Text` (including Axes labels and titles) 3\n`.Legend` 5\n================================================================ =======\n\nAny call to a plotting method can set a value for the zorder of that particular\nitem explicitly.\n\n

Note

`~.axes.Axes.set_axisbelow` and :rc:`axes.axisbelow` are convenient helpers\n for setting the zorder of ticks and grid lines.

\n\nDrawing is done per `~.axes.Axes` at a time. If you have overlapping Axes, all\nelements of the second Axes are drawn on top of the first Axes, irrespective of\ntheir relative zorder.\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": { "collapsed": false }, "outputs": [], "source": [ "import matplotlib.pyplot as plt\nimport numpy as np\n\nr = np.linspace(0.3, 1, 30)\ntheta = np.linspace(0, 4*np.pi, 30)\nx = r * np.sin(theta)\ny = r * np.cos(theta)" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "The following example contains a `.Line2D` created by `~.axes.Axes.plot()`\nand the dots (a `.PatchCollection`) created by `~.axes.Axes.scatter()`.\nHence, by default the dots are below the line (first subplot).\nIn the second subplot, the ``zorder`` is set explicitly to move the dots\non top of the line.\n\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": { "collapsed": false }, "outputs": [], "source": [ "fig, (ax1, ax2) = plt.subplots(1, 2, figsize=(6, 3.2))\n\nax1.plot(x, y, 'C3', lw=3)\nax1.scatter(x, y, s=120)\nax1.set_title('Lines on top of dots')\n\nax2.plot(x, y, 'C3', lw=3)\nax2.scatter(x, y, s=120, zorder=2.5) # move dots on top of line\nax2.set_title('Dots on top of lines')\n\nplt.tight_layout()" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": {}, "source": [ "Many functions that create a visible object accepts a ``zorder`` parameter.\nAlternatively, you can call ``set_zorder()`` on the created object later.\n\n" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": null, "metadata": { "collapsed": false }, "outputs": [], "source": [ "x = np.linspace(0, 7.5, 100)\nplt.rcParams['lines.linewidth'] = 5\nplt.figure()\nplt.plot(x, np.sin(x), label='zorder=2', zorder=2) # bottom\nplt.plot(x, np.sin(x+0.5), label='zorder=3', zorder=3)\nplt.axhline(0, label='zorder=2.5', color='lightgrey', zorder=2.5)\nplt.title('Custom order of elements')\nl = plt.legend(loc='upper right')\nl.set_zorder(2.5) # legend between blue and orange line\nplt.show()" ] } ], "metadata": { "kernelspec": { "display_name": "Python 3", "language": "python", "name": "python3" }, "language_info": { "codemirror_mode": { "name": "ipython", "version": 3 }, "file_extension": ".py", "mimetype": "text/x-python", "name": "python", "nbconvert_exporter": "python", "pygments_lexer": "ipython3", "version": "3.13.2" } }, "nbformat": 4, "nbformat_minor": 0 }