MATLAB Function Reference

alpha - Set transparency properties for objects in current axes

Syntax

alpha alpha(face_alpha) alpha(alpha_data) alpha(alpha_data) alpha(alpha_data) alpha(alpha_data_mapping) alpha(object_handle,value)

Description

alpha sets one of three transparency properties, depending on what arguments you specify with the call to this function.

FaceAlpha

alpha(face_alpha) sets the FaceAlpha property of all image, patch, and surface objects in the current axes. You can set face_alpha to

A scalar — Set the FaceAlpha property to the specified value (for images, set the AlphaData property to the specified value).
'flat' — Set the FaceAlpha property to flat.
'interp' — Set the FaceAlpha property to interp.
'texture' — Set the FaceAlpha property to texture.
'opaque' — Set the FaceAlpha property to 1.
'clear' — Set the FaceAlpha property to 0.

See for more information.

AlphaData (Surface Objects)

alpha(alpha_data) sets the AlphaData property of all surface objects in the current axes. You can set alpha_data to

A matrix the same size as CData — Set the AlphaData property to the specified values.
'x' — Set the AlphaData property to be the same as XData.
'y' — Set the AlphaData property to be the same as YData.
'z' — Set the AlphaData property to be the same as ZData.
'color' — Set the AlphaData property to be the same as CData.
'rand' — Set the AlphaData property to a matrix of random values equal in size to CData.

AlphaData (Image Objects)

alpha(alpha_data) sets the AlphaData property of all image objects in the current axes. You can set alpha_data to

A matrix the same size as CData — Set the AlphaData property to the specified value.
'x' — Ignored.
'y' — Ignored.
'z' — Ignored.
'color' — Set the AlphaData property to be the same as CData.
'rand' — Set the AlphaData property to a matrix of random values equal in size to CData.

FaceVertexAlphaData (Patch Objects)

alpha(alpha_data) sets the FaceVertexAlphaData property of all patch objects in the current axes. You can set alpha_data to

A matrix the same size as FaceVertexCData — Set the FaceVertexAlphaData property to the specified value.
'x' — Set the FaceVertexAlphaData property to be the same as Vertices(:,1).
'y' — Set the FaceVertexAlphaData property to be the same as Vertices(:,2).
'z' — Set the FaceVertexAlphaData property to be the same as Vertices(:,3).
'color' — Set the FaceVertexAlphaData property to be the same as FaceVertexCData.
'rand' — Set the FaceVertexAlphaData property to random values.

See Mapping Data to Transparency for more information.

AlphaDataMapping

alpha(alpha_data_mapping) sets the AlphaDataMapping property of all image, patch, and surface objects in the current axes. You can set alpha_data_mapping to

'scaled' — Set the AlphaDataMapping property to scaled.
'direct' — Set the AlphaDataMapping property to direct.
'none' — Set the AlphaDataMapping property to none.

alpha(object_handle,value) sets the transparency property only on the object identified by object_handle.