Access and Change Map Axes Properties
Just as the properties of the underlying standard axes can be accessed and manipulated using the MATLAB® functions get and set, map axes properties can also be accessed and manipulated using the functions getm and setm.
Use the axesm function only to create a map axes object. Use the setm function to modify an existing map axes.
Create a map axes object containing no map data. Note that you specify MapProjection ID values in lowercase.
axesm('MapProjection','miller','Frame','on')
At this point you can begin to customize the map. For example, you might decide to make the frame lines bordering the map thicker. First, you need to identify the current line width of the frame, which you do by querying the current axes, identified as gca.
getm(gca,'FLineWidth')ans = 2
Now reset the line width to four points. The default fontunits value for axes is points. You can set fontunits to be points, normalized, inches, centimeters, or pixels.
setm(gca,'FLineWidth',4)
You can set any number of properties simultaneously with setm. Continue by reducing the line width, changing the projection to equidistant cylindrical, and verify the changes.
setm(gca,'FLineWidth',3,'Grid','on','MapProjection','robinson')
getm(gca,'FLineWidth')ans = 3
getm(gca,'MapProjection')ans = 'robinson'
Inspect the entire set of map axes properties at their current settings. Note that the list of properties includes both those particular to map axes and general ones that apply to all MATLAB® axes.
getm(gca)
ans = struct with fields:
mapprojection: 'robinson'
zone: []
angleunits: 'degrees'
aspect: 'normal'
falsenorthing: 0
falseeasting: 0
fixedorient: []
geoid: [1 0]
maplatlimit: [-90 90]
maplonlimit: [-180 180]
mapparallels: 38
nparallels: 0
origin: [0 0 0]
scalefactor: 1
trimlat: [-90 90]
trimlon: [-180 180]
frame: 'on'
ffill: 100
fedgecolor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
ffacecolor: 'none'
flatlimit: [-90 90]
flinewidth: 3
flonlimit: [-180 180]
grid: 'on'
galtitude: Inf
gcolor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
glinestyle: ':'
glinewidth: 0.5000
mlineexception: []
mlinefill: 100
mlinelimit: []
mlinelocation: 30
mlinevisible: 'on'
plineexception: []
plinefill: 100
plinelimit: []
plinelocation: 15
plinevisible: 'on'
fontangle: 'normal'
fontcolor: [0.1500 0.1500 0.1500]
fontname: 'Helvetica'
fontsize: 10
fontunits: 'points'
fontweight: 'normal'
labelformat: 'compass'
labelrotation: 'off'
labelunits: 'degrees'
meridianlabel: 'off'
mlabellocation: 30
mlabelparallel: 90
mlabelround: 0
parallellabel: 'off'
plabellocation: 15
plabelmeridian: -180
plabelround: 0
Similarly, use the setm function alone to display the set of properties, their enumerated values, and defaults.
setm(gca)
AngleUnits [ {degrees} | radians ]
Aspect [ {normal} | transverse ]
FalseEasting
FalseNorthing
FixedOrient FixedOrient is a read-only property
Geoid
MapLatLimit
MapLonLimit
MapParallels
MapProjection
NParallels NParallels is a read-only property
Origin
ScaleFactor
TrimLat TrimLat is a read-only property
TrimLon TrimLon is a read-only property
Zone
Frame [ on | {off} ]
FEdgeColor
FFaceColor
FFill
FLatLimit
FLineWidth
FLonLimit
Grid [ on | {off} ]
GAltitude
GColor
GLineStyle [ - | -- | -. | {:} ]
GLineWidth
MLineException
MLineFill
MLineLimit
MLineLocation
MLineVisible [ {on} | off ]
PLineException
PLineFill
PLineLimit
PLineLocation
PLineVisible [ {on} | off ]
FontAngle [ {normal} | italic | oblique ]
FontColor
FontName
FontSize
FontUnits [ inches | centimeters | normalized | {points} | pixels ]
FontWeight [ {normal} | bold ]
LabelFormat [ {compass} | signed | none ]
LabelRotation [ on | {off} ]
LabelUnits [ {degrees} | radians ]
MeridianLabel [ on | {off} ]
MLabelLocation
MLabelParallel
MLabelRound
ParallelLabel [ on | {off} ]
PLabelLocation
PLabelMeridian
PLabelRound
Many, but not all, property choices and defaults can also be displayed individually.
setm(gca,'FontUnits')FontUnits [ inches | centimeters | normalized | {points} | pixels ]
setm(gca,'MapProjection')An axes's "MapProjection" property does not have a fixed set of property values.
setm(gca,'Frame')Frame [ on | {off} ]
setm(gca,'FixedOrient')FixedOrient FixedOrient is a read-only property
In the same way, getm displays the current value of any axes property.
getm(gca,'FontUnits')ans = 'points'
getm(gca,'MapProjection')ans = 'robinson'
getm(gca,'Frame')ans = 'on'
getm(gca,'FixedOrient')ans =
[]
For a complete listing and descriptions of map axes properties, see the reference page for axesm. To identify which properties apply to a given map projection, see the reference page for that projection.