How can I save a 3D rendering as a .fig?

Created a 3D rendering of z-stacked images using volshow (Image Processing Toolbox). Can save it as a .png but would like to save it in a way that would allow me to rotate it (as a 3D surface plot would), ideally a .fig. However saving as a .fig produces an empty file. I have tried using print, saveas, and savefig. All save an empty figure.

figure(1)
f = volshow(FullImage,'ScaleFactors', [2 2 30],'BackgroundColor',[0.4 0.65 0.83]); %works
fileName = 'myImg.fig'; 
savefig(gcf, fileName); %saves when extension is .png instead. for .fig, saves and produces an empty figure (all grey)

[darova]

can you attach?

Answer 1

[Ameer Hamza]

I tried a bit to save the volshow() object, but it appears that the savefig doesn't save it. In fact, the 3D volume matrix is not even stored in the volshow handle ('f' in your code). It seems that the simplest method is to save the 3D volume matrix 'FullImage' and create a new volshow object every time by loading the FullImage matrix.

However, If you still want that loading the variable automatically create the figure, Then you can do so by creating your own handle class with a transient property as shown here: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_oop/regenerate-transient-objects.html. I have also modified it for the specific case of volshow.

First, create a file name myVolShow.m and save this code.

classdef myVolShow < handle
    properties
        volData
        props
    end
    properties(Transient)
        volShow
    end
    properties(Access = private)
        volShowData
    end
    methods
        function obj = myVolShow(data, varargin)
            obj.volData = data;
            obj.props = varargin;
            setup(obj,data, varargin{:});
        end
        function set.volShowData(obj,V)
            setup(obj, V, 'load');
        end
        function V = get.volShowData(obj)
            V = obj.volData;
        end
    end
    methods(Access = private)
        function setup(obj, data, varargin)
            if strcmp(varargin{1}, 'load')
                obj.volShow = volshow(data, obj.props{:});
            else
                obj.volShow = volshow(data, varargin{:});
            end
        end
    end
end

Then run following lines

f = myVolShow(FullImage,'ScaleFactors', [2 2 30],'BackgroundColor',[0.4 0.65 0.83]);

It will create a volshow figure. You can save it in a .mat file like this

save('myFileName', 'f');

and then load it load it with

load('myFileName', 'f');

or double clicking the file.