ENGINEERING SOFTWARE

EE 8207
LECTURE 2:

Visualization and Programming

in Matlab

Instructor: E.Tarimo Thursday, December 22, 2022

2022/2023
 HOMEWORK 1 RECAP
Some things that came up:
 Plotting a straight line

» x = 1:10
» plot (x, 0)
➢Not an error, but probably not what you meant
 Use of semicolon – never required if one command per
line.
 You can also put multiple commands on one line; in
this case, a semicolon is necessary to separate
commands:
» x = 1:10; y = (x-5).^2; z = x.*y;

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 PLOTTING
 Example
» x = linspace (0, 4*pi, 10);
» y = sin (x);
 Plot values against their index

» plot (y);
 Usually we want to plot y versus x

» plot (x, y); Matlab

makes
visualizing
data fun and
easy

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 OUTLINE

(1) Functions

(2) Flow Control

(3) Line Plots

(4) Image/Surface Plots

(5) Efficient codes

(6) Debugging

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 1. FUNCTIONS
 Users can write functions which can be called from
the command line.
 Functions can accept input variable(s)/matrice(s) and
will output variable(s)/matrice(s).
 Functions will not manipulate variable(s)/matrice(s)
in the Matlab Workspace.
 In Matlab functions closely resemble scripts and can
be written in the Matlab editor.
 Matlab functions have the function keyword.
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 1. FUNCTIONS
 Remember that the filename of a function will be its
calling function name.

 Don’t overload any built-in functions by using the

same filename for your functions or scripts!

 Functions can be opened for editing using the open

command.

 Many built-in Matlab functions can also be viewed

using this command.

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 USER-DEFINED FUNCTIONS
 Functions look exactly like scripts, but for ONE
difference
➢Functions must have a function declaration

function output = funName (input)

Must have the

Function name should
reserved
match m-file name
word: function

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 output function name input

function keyword
help lines
for function Make sure you save changes to the
m-file before you call the function
for
statement
block Call the function iterate
in command window

Access the comments of

your Matlab functions
>> help iterate

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 USER-DEFINED FUNCTIONS
Some comments about the function declaration

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 USER-DEFINED FUNCTIONS
Some comments about the function declaration
 No need for return: MATLAB 'returns' the variables
whose names match those in the function declaration
(though, you can use return to break and go back to
invoking function)
 Variable scope: Any variable created within the
function but not returned disappears after the
function stops running (They’re called “local
variables”)
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 FUNCTIONS: OVERLOADING
 We're familiar with
» zeros
» size
» length
» size
 Look at the help file for size by typing
» help size
 The help file describes several ways to invoke the function
➢d = size(x)
➢[m,n] = size(x)
➢[m1,m2,m3,...,mn] = size(x)
➢m = size(x,dim)

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 FUNCTIONS: OVERLOADING
 MATLAB functions are generally overloaded
➢Can take a variable number of inputs
➢Can return a variable number of outputs
 What would the following commands return:
» a=zeros(2,4,8);%n-dimensional matrices are ok
» D = size(a)
» [m, n] = size(a)
» [x, y, z] = size(a)
» m2 = size(a,2)
 You can overload your own functions by having variable
number of input and output arguments
(see varargin,nargin,varargout, nargout)
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 FUNCTIONS: EXERCISE
 Write a function with the following declaration:
function plotSin(f1)
 In the function, plot a sine wave with frequency f1, on
the interval [0,2π]:
 To get good sampling, use 16 points per period.

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 2. FLOW CONTROL
RELATIONAL OPERATORS
 MATLAB uses mostly standard relational operators
➢equal ==
➢not equal ~=
➢greater than >
➢less than <
➢greater or equal >=
➢less or equal <=
 Logical operators elementwise short-circuit (scalars)
➢And & &&
➢Or | ||
➢Not ~
➢Xor xor
➢All true all
➢Any true any
 Boolean values: zero is false, nonzero is true
 See help. for a detailed list of operators
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 Functions can have many
outputs contained in a matrix

if statement block

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 if/else/elseif
 Basic flow-control, common to all languages
 MATLAB syntax is somewhat unique

 No need for parentheses: command blocks are between

reserved words
 Lots of elseif ? consider using switch
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 for
 for loops: use for a known number of iterations
 MATLAB syntax:

 The loop variable

➢Is defined as a vector
➢Is a scalar within the command block
➢Does not have to have consecutive values (but
it's usually cleaner if they're consecutive)
 The command block

➢Anything between the for line and the end

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 for

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 while
 The while is like a more general for loop:
➢No need to know number of iterations

 The command block will execute while the conditional

expression is true
 Beware of infinite loops!

 You can use break to exit a loop

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 while

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 EXERCISE: CONDITIONALS

 Modify your function plotSin(f1) function to take two

inputs: function plotSin(f1,f2)

 If the number of input arguments is 1, execute the plot

command you wrote before. Otherwise, display the line

‘two inputs were given’

 Hint: the number of input arguments is stored in the built-

in variable nargin
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 3. LINE PLOTS
PLOT OPTIONS
 Can change the line color, marker style, and line style
by adding a string argument

 Can plot without connecting the dots by omitting line

style argument

 Look at help plot for a full list of colors, markers, and

line styles

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 to select lines
and delete or
change
PLAYING WITH THE PLOT properties

Insert legend

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 PLAYING WITH THE PLOT

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 PLAYING WITH THE PLOT

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 LINE AND MARKER OPTIONS

 See doc line_props for a

full list of properties that
can be specified
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 CARTESIAN PLOTS
 We have already seen the plot function

 The same syntax applies for semilog and loglog plots

 For example:

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 3D LINE PLOTS
 We can plot in 3 dimensions just as easily as in 2D

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 3D LINE PLOTS
 We can plot in 3 dimensions just as easily as in 2D

 Use tools on figure to rotate it.

 Can set limits on all 3 axes

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 AXIS MODES
 Built-in axis modes (see doc axis for more modes)
» axis square
➢makes the current axis look like a square box
» axis tight
➢fits axes to data
» axis equal
➢makes x and y scales the same
» axis xy
➢puts the origin in the lower left corner (default for
plots)
» axis ij
➢puts the origin in the upper left corner (default for
matrices/images)
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 MULTIPLE PLOTS IN ONE FIGURE
 To have multiple axes in one figure
» subplot (2, 3, 1)
➢makes a figure with 2 rows and 3 columns of axes, and
activates the first axis for plotting
➢each axis can have labels, a legend, and a title
» subplot (2, 3, 4:6)
➢activates a range of axes and fuses them into one

To close existing figures

» close ([1 3])
➢closes figures 1 and 3
» close all
➢closes all figures (useful in scripts)

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 ADVANCED PLOTTING: EXERCISE
 Modify the plot command in your plotSin function to
use squares as markers and a dashed red line of
thickness 2 as the line. Set the marker face color to
be black (properties are )
 If there are 2 inputs, open a new figure with 2 axes,
one on top of the other (not side by side), and plot both
frequencies (subplot)

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 4. IMAGE/SURFACE PLOTS
VISUALIZING MATRICES
 Any matrix can be visualized as an image

 imagesc automatically scales the values to span the

entire colormap
 Can set limits for the color axis (analogous to xlim,
ylim)

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 COLORMAPS
 You can change the colormap:

 See help hot a list

 Can define custom

color-map

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 SURFACE PLOTS
 It is more common to visualize surfaces in 3D
 Example:

 surf puts vertices at specified points in space x,y,z, and

connects all the vertices to make a surface
 The vertices can be denoted by matrices X,Y,Z

 How can we make these matrices

➢built-in function: meshgrid

[X,Y] = meshgrid(x,y) transforms the domain specified by vectors x

and y into arrays X and Y

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 surf
 Make the x and y vectors

 Use meshgrid to make matrices

 To get function values,

evaluate the matrices

 Plot the surface

 *Try typing surf(membrane)

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 surf Options
 See help surf for more options
 There are three types of
surface shading

 You can also change the

colormap

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 contour

 You can make surfaces two-

dimensional by using contour

➢takes same arguments as surf

➢color indicates height
➢can modify linestyle properties
➢can set colormap

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 EXERCISE: 3-D PLOTS
 Modify plotSin to do the following:
 If two inputs are given, evaluate the following function:

 y should be just like x, but using f2. (use meshgrid

to get the X and Y matrices)
 In the top axis of your subplot, display an image of
the Z matrix.
 Display the color bar and use hot a colormap.

 Set the axis to xy (imagesc, colormap, colorbar, axis)

 In the bottom axis of the subplot, plot the 3-D surface of

Z(surf).

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 EXERCISE: 3-D PLOTS

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 5. EFFICIENT CODES
find
 find is a very important function
➢Returns indices of nonzero values
➢Can simplify code and help avoid loops
 Basic syntax: index = find(cond)

 inds contains the indices at which x has values between

0.4 and 0.6.
 This is what happens:
x>0.4 returns a vector with 1 where true and 0 where false
x<0.6 returns a similar vector
& combines the two vectors using logical and operator
find returns the indices of the 1's

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 Example: Avoiding Loops
 Given x = sin(linspace(0,10*pi,100)), how many of the
entries are positive?

 Avoid loops!
 Built-in functions will make it faster to write and
execute
Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023
 Vectorization
 Avoid loops
➢This is referred to as vectorization
 Vectorized code is more efficient for MATLAB

 Use indexing and matrix operations to avoid loops

 For instance, to add every two consecutive terms:

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 Vectorization
 Avoid variables growing inside a loop

 Re-allocation of memory is time consuming

 Pre allocate the required memory by initializing the

array to a default value

 For example:

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 Vectorization
 Avoid variables growing inside a loop

 Re-allocation of memory is time consuming

 Pre allocate the required memory by initializing the

array to a default value

 For example:

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 6. DEBUGGING
Display

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023

 Debugging
 To use the debugger, set breakpoints
➢Click on – next to line numbers in m-files
➢Each red dot that appears is a breakpoint
➢Run the program
➢The program pauses when it reaches a breakpoint
➢Use the command window to probe variables
➢Use the debugging buttons to control debugger

Instructor: E.Tarimo Visualization and Programming 2022/2023