[Tex/LaTex] Controlling visibility of 3D axes in \addplot3

3dpgfplots

In trying to use \addplot3 to draw a paraboloid, the domain of which is [-4, 4] for both x and y, originally, the z-axis was sitting behind the surface. I discovered axis on top, but can you get the axes to show how they would in "reality". That is, in front where they're actually in front and behind where they're actually behind.

I normally do include an MWE, the only reason I didn't at first is because I thought it was just to do with some simple settings and those with experience would know what to do right away. The following code only includes one run of the picture. The output shows two runs of the picture, the one on the left with the code below as is, the one on the right deleting the % from % axis on top.

You either get the axes obscured entirely, or they're entirely in front. I only want in front what's actually in front.

MWE

Output

\documentclass{standalone}

\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{mathtools}

\begin{document}
%
\par\begin{tikzpicture}
%
\begin{axis}[
    axis lines=middle, axis on top,
    xtick={-2,2}, ytick={-2,2},ztick={16,32},
    y dir=reverse,
    enlargelimits=true
    ]
\addplot3[surf, thick, color=green, domain=-4:4] {x^2+y^2};
%
\end{axis}
%
\end{tikzpicture}
%
\end{document}

Best Answer

Doing this automatically is currently beyond the capabilities of pgfplots, sorry.

Implementing it would be quite cool, but highly complex as well - it involves full 3d depth handling (see the discussion in the pgfplots manual at the beginning of 3d plots for a full description of the current limitations).

Pgfplots is generally better off with non-centered axis lines in which this problem does not appear - if that is an option for you.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Draw outside axis with pgfplots

You can keep drawing after plot and utilize the special coordinates current plot end/begin. By placing dummy coordinates very close to the end and the beginning, you can immitate a tangent approximation. But you have to turn off the clipping behavior of the axes. See Change linestyle within a plot to add dashed trendline? for a similar solution with a node shape which might be better in certain cases if the plot is not too funky.

\documentclass{article}
%\usepackage{pgf}
%\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\begin{document}

\begin{figure} [tb]%
  \centering
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \begin{semilogxaxis}[
      enlarge y limits=true,clip=false,
      enlarge x limits=false]
      \addplot[very thick,draw=blue!70, mark=*,mark options={color=blue!70}]  coordinates
      {(229,62) (1475,122) (23598,255) (27101,272) (32427,280) (55124,322) (758667,5509) (1273808,5649) (1406902,6375)};
    \end{semilogxaxis}
    \begin{semilogxaxis}[
      smooth,clip=false,
      axis y line=none,
      axis x line=none,
      ticks=none,
      enlarge y limits=true,
      enlarge x limits=false]
      \addplot[very thick,draw=red!70] expression[domain=229:1406902] {x} 
    coordinate [pos=0.98] (c2) coordinate [pos=0.01] (c3) (current plot end) -- ($(c2)!10!(current plot end)$) 
    (current plot begin) -- ($(c3)!1.2!(current plot begin)$);
      \addplot[draw=none,mark=*,mark options={color=red!70}]  coordinates
      {(229,229) (1475,1475) (23598,23598) (27101,27101) (32427,32427) (55124,55124) (758667,758667) (1273808,1273808) (1406902,1406902)};
    \end{semilogxaxis}
  \end{tikzpicture}
  \caption{Caption}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

enter image description here

PGFPlots – How to Plot Two Time Series with Bounds Using PGFPlots

This happens because PGFPlots only uses one "stack" per axis: You're stacking the second confidence interval on top of the first. The easiest way to fix this is probably to use the approach described in "Is there an easy way of using line thickness as error indicator in a plot?": After plotting the first confidence interval, stack the upper bound on top again, using stack dir=minus. That way, the stack will be reset to zero, and you can draw the second confidence interval in the same fashion as the first:

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots, tikz}

\usepackage{pgfplotstable}

\pgfplotstableread{
temps   y_h y_h__inf    y_h__sup    y_f y_f__inf    y_f__sup    

1   0.237340    0.135170    0.339511    0.237653    0.135482    0.339823    
2   0.561320    0.422007    0.700633    0.165871    0.026558    0.305184    
3   0.694760    0.534205    0.855314    0.074856    -0.085698   0.235411    
4   0.728306    0.560179    0.896432    0.003361    -0.164765   0.171487    
5   0.711710    0.544944    0.878477    -0.044582   -0.211349   0.122184    
6   0.671241    0.511191    0.831291    -0.073347   -0.233397   0.086703    
7   0.621177    0.471219    0.771135    -0.088418   -0.238376   0.061540    
8   0.569354    0.431826    0.706882    -0.094382   -0.231910   0.043146    
9   0.519973    0.396571    0.643376    -0.094619   -0.218022   0.028783    
10  0.475121    0.366990    0.583251    -0.091467   -0.199598   0.016664    
}{\table}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}

    \begin{axis}
    % y_h confidence interval
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=none, draw=none, forget plot]   table [x=temps, y=y_h__inf]   {\table} \closedcycle;
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=gray!50, opacity=0.4, draw opacity=0, area legend]   table [x=temps, y expr=\thisrow{y_h__sup}-\thisrow{y_h__inf}]   {\table} \closedcycle;
    % subtract the upper bound so our stack is back at zero
    \addplot [stack plots=y, stack dir=minus, forget plot, draw=none] table [x=temps, y=y_h__sup] {\table};

    % y_f confidence interval
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=none, draw=none, forget plot]   table [x=temps, y=y_f__inf]   {\table} \closedcycle;
    \addplot [stack plots=y, fill=gray!50, opacity=0.4, draw opacity=0, area legend]   table [x=temps, y expr=\thisrow{y_f__sup}-\thisrow{y_f__inf}]   {\table} \closedcycle;

    % the line plots (y_h and y_f)    
    \addplot [stack plots=false, very thick,smooth,blue]  table [x=temps, y=y_h]   {\table};
    \addplot [stack plots=false, very thick,smooth,blue]  table [x=temps, y=y_f]   {\table};
    \end{axis}

\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Draw outside axis with pgfplots

PGFPlots – How to Plot Two Time Series with Bounds Using PGFPlots

Related Question