MATLAB: Is the “contourf” command plotting the data backwards

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I have data that I would like to plot using MATLAB's "contourf" command.  However, when the data is plotted, it is reflected over the y-axis.  When I use the "contour" command, it plots normally.  Why does "contourf" plot my data backwards?

Best Answer

This behavior is a bug that has persisted until R2014a.  With the introduction of the HG2 graphics system in R2014b, this issue has since been resolved.  Attached is a MAT file with variables that reproduce this issue.  The following example uses these variables to generate both incorrect and correct plots from the same code
>> hold on
>> contourf(xksi_mesh,yksi_mesh,strfun);
>> plot(xksi_mesh ,yksi_mesh ,'b');
Incorrect contour plot (R2014a):
Correct contour plot (R2014b):
The workaround to this issue is to use the "fliplr" command to flip all the data from right to left.  Doing so yields the correct plot in R2014a and below:
>> hold on
>> contourf(fliplr(xksi_mesh),fliplr(yksi_mesh),fliplr(strfun));
>> plot(xksi_mesh ,yksi_mesh ,'b');
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