MATLAB: Plot3 not using the axes I pass in the argument

axis handlesMATLABmoviesplot3

I am trying to create a movie of an EM wave propagating through time using plot3, and I would like to fix the axes of my plot so that the size doesn't continually update. My code right now is a little rough, but hopefully you can see my issue. Outside loop is the 'time' loop, and I only have data up to that index. Additionally, if you have any suggestions for plotting perpendicular components of a wave, I would be all ears. Ideally, it would look something like this.
plot_step = 5;
num_frames = max_time/plot_step;
% movie_vector = struct('cdata','colormap');
ax = axes; ax.ALimMode = 'manual';
ax.XLim = [0 200]; ax.YLim = [0 1]; ax.ZLim = [-0.001 0];
ax.ZDir = 'reverse';
for i = 1:max_time
        
    for k = 1:max_distance-2
        hz(k) = hz(k) + (ey(k+1) - ey(k))/eta;
    end
     
    for j = 2:max_distance-1
        ey(j) = ey(j) + (hz(j) - hz(j-1))*eta;
    end
    ey(1) = exp(-(i-31)^2/100);
    
%This is where I am having trouble    
    if mod(i,plot_step) == 0
%I am passing my previously defined axis handle to plot3, but still end up with bounds decided MATlab.  
    plot3(ax,x(1:i),ey(1:i),zeros(1,i)); hold on
    plot3(ax,x(1:i),zeros(1,i),hz(1:i)); hold off %Hold off so that new data doesn't overlap old. 
    movie_vector(i/plot_step) = getframe;
    end
    
end

Best Answer

plot_step = 5;
num_frames = max_time/plot_step;
% movie_vector = struct('cdata','colormap');
ax = axes; ax.ALimMode = 'manual';
ax.XLim = [0 200]; ax.YLim = [0 1]; ax.ZLim = [-0.001 0];
ax.ZDir = 'reverse';
LH(1) = plot3(ax, nan, nan, nan);
LH(2) = plot3(ax, nan, nan, nan);
for i = 1:max_time
        
    for k = 1:max_distance-2
        hz(k) = hz(k) + (ey(k+1) - ey(k))/eta;
    end
     
    for j = 2:max_distance-1
        ey(j) = ey(j) + (hz(j) - hz(j-1))*eta;
    end
    ey(1) = exp(-(i-31)^2/100);
    
%This is where I am having trouble    
    if mod(i,plot_step) == 0
        set(LH(1), 'XData', x(1:i), 'YData', ey(1:i), 'ZData', zeros(1,i));
        set(LH(2), 'XData', x(1:i), 'YData', zeros(1,i), 'ZData', hz(1:i));
        drawnow();
        movie_vector(i/plot_step) = getframe;
    end 
end
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