How to get the subplot number by clicking on it?

Is there a way to get the subplot number by clicking on the individual subplot by using the mouse?

I know that there are ways to click on the subplot and make it pop out of the original subplot figure; but is there a way to simply get the subplot number for the subplot that was clicked?

[Sara]

Curiosity: why would you want to do that?

[Irida Mance]

I'm doing an analysis where I look at EEG trials and reject the ones that have artifacts by hand.

Getting the subplot number would correspond to the trial number I reject.

[dpb]

I "don't do windows" so not very versed in GUIs and all, and you don't give any clues as to how you're doing the plotting and selecting but gca returns the axes handle after the selection (click). Setting an axes callback function to return that should work.

Comparing the handle to the position in the saved array of handles (you did save the handles on creating, didn't you--Ok, I knew you did :) ) will return the number. Or, you can save an identifier in the 'userdata' field for the purpose. I don't know if there's a more direct way, sorry...

[Sara]

Can't you add the number of the subplot as the subplot title?

Answer 1

[Chad Greene]

If you can add a tag when creating the data like this

for k = 1:4
   subplot(2,2,k)
   set(gca,'tag',num2str(k))
end

Then you could write a simple function using waitforbuttonpress like

function  clicksubplot

while 1 == 1
    w = waitforbuttonpress;

      switch w 
          case 1 % keyboard 
              key = get(gcf,'currentcharacter'); 
              if key==27 % (the Esc key) 
                  try; delete(h); end
                  break
              end

          case 0 % mouse click 
              mousept = get(gca,'currentPoint');
              x = mousept(1,1);
              y = mousept(1,2);

              try; delete(h); end
              h = text(x,y,get(gca,'tag'),'vert','middle','horiz','center'); 

      end
  end

[Chad Greene]

When you type clicksubplot, anywhere you click will display the subplot number until you hit the Esc key.

[Irida Mance]

Thanks Chad!! That worked beautifully.

[Chad Greene]

Glad to hear it!