Why do I receive an error message when saving a figure in MATLAB 7.3 (R2006b)?

When I create a FIG file by selecting File -> Save from the figure window, I receive the message

 Warning: Variable 'foo' cannot be saved to a MAT-file whose

 version is older than 7.3.

 To save this variable, use the -v7.3 switch.

where "foo" is the name of my file. The file "foo.fig" is created, but when I open it, I receive the error:

 invalid figure file format

Answer 1

[MathWorks Support Team]

This enhancement has been incorporated in Release 2008a (R2008a). For previous product releases, read below for any possible workarounds:

The FIG file that you are creating is larger than 2GB in size, and the default file format in MATLAB is unable to process it. Starting with MATLAB 7.3 (R2006b), the option to save your figure in HGF-5 format (a higher-capacity format) is available.

Instead of using the File -> Save dialogue from the figure window, go to the MATLAB command prompt and execute the command

hgsave('foo.fig','-v7.3')

where "foo.fig" is the name you would like your file to have.