[Tex/LaTex] Make visible node text outside of pgfplot axes range

MATLABmatlab2tikzpgfplots

I'm using matlab2tikz in order to generate pgfplots .tex code to create a figure with pdflatex. The matlab function I'm using to create the figure creates each of it's tickmark labels explicitly, so that they may be scaled and rotated using the following matlab code:

text(x(k),y(k),labs{k},'horizontalalignment',horizk,...
'verticalalignment',vertk, ...
'rotation',rotang(k), ...
'fontsize',gfontsize*scl(k), ...
'color',gcolor, ...
'tag','m_grid_xticklabel', ...
'fontname',gfontname);

When I investigate the converted .tex code, I see that the following

\node[below, inner sep=0mm, rotate=359.994889043193, text=black]
at (axis cs:-8.79858922562881e-07,  -4.84813663392814e-06,0) {$\text{  81}^\text{o}\text{W }$};

represents a single tick mark label. The text string for which this line codes does not, however, appear in the resulting .pdf, presumably because the particular coordinates lie outside of the ranges of the axes. To test this, I substituted in-range coordinates, compiled, and saw that the label or text then became visible.

Interestingly, if I create the figure in matlab using the view command, e.g.

view(45,45)

I am able to see the text strings representing the axis labels, but the alignment is off. In particular, the strings appear to have a y-value which places them far higher up on the figure than I expect. I think that the x-alignment is ok.

The solutions as I see them may reside on either the matlab side or on the pgfplots/tikz side. Ideally, a solution would consist of a short bit of code to be included in the preamble or when setting up the axis labels. This code would allow text created with the construct:

\node[<options>] at (axis cs:x,y,z) {<text>};

to be displayed regardless of whether the coordinates x, y, z were in range. If suggestions don't necessarily come forth easily, I can create a mwe.

Best Answer

Adding clip=false to the axis environment options will override the default pgfplots behavior of clipping anything appearing outside the bounding box of the axis.

Depending on the other generated code, this may have other side effects, but in most cases it will be OK.

This key setting can be added to the generated code by using matlab2tikz's EXTRAAXISOPTIONS facility. Before the call to matlab2tex, add

EXTRAAXISOPTIONS = {'clip=false'};

to add this option in the generated code.

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Grid dots in pgfplots

With tikz

\documentclass[tikz,border=10pt]{standalone}
\begin{document}
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (-2.6,-2.6) rectangle (2.6,2.6);
    \foreach \x in {-2,-1,...,2}{
    \draw (\x,-2.4) -- (\x,-2.6)node[below,font=\footnotesize] {\x};
    \draw (\x,2.4) -- (\x,2.6);
    }
    \foreach \y in {-2,-1,...,2}{
    \draw (-2.4,\y) -- (-2.6,\y)node[left,font=\footnotesize] {\y};
    \draw (2.6,\y) -- (2.4,\y);
    }
    \foreach \x in {-2.4,-2.2,...,2.4}{
    \foreach \y in {-2.4,-2.2,...,2.4}{
    \fill[black!30] (\x,\y) circle[radius=0.5pt];
    }}
    \foreach \x in {-2.4,-1.8,...,2.4}{
    \foreach \y in {-2.4,-1.8,...,2.4}{
    \fill[black!80] (\x,\y) circle[radius=0.8pt];
    }}
  \end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

Using pgfplots.

I took Tarass's answer and added the fots to the back ground so that plots come front.

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.10}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}

\begin{axis}[xmin=-2.6,xmax=2.6,
    ymin=-2.6,ymax=2.6,
    after end axis/.code={%
    \begin{scope}[on background layer]
    \foreach \x in {-2.4,-2.2,...,2.4}{
    \foreach \y in {-2.4,-2.2,...,2.4}{
    \fill[black!30] (axis cs:\x,\y) circle[radius=0.5pt];
    }}
    \foreach \x in {-2.4,-1.8,...,2.4}{
    \foreach \y in {-2.4,-1.8,...,2.4}{
    \fill[black!80] (axis cs:\x,\y) circle[radius=0.8pt];
    }}
    \end{scope}
    },]
    \addplot {x^2};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

This is some what slower than Christian Feuersänger's approach though.

With \addplot (still slower)

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.10}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}

\begin{axis}[xmin=-2.6,xmax=2.6,
    ymin=-2.6,ymax=2.6,
    ]
    \foreach \x in {-2.4,-2.2,...,2.4}{
    \foreach \y in {-2.4,-2.2,...,2.4}{
    \addplot[only marks,mark size=0.5pt,black!30] coordinates {(\x,\y)} ;
    }}
    \foreach \x in {-2.4,-1.8,...,2.4}{
    \foreach \y in {-2.4,-1.8,...,2.4}{
    \addplot[only marks,mark size=0.8pt,black!80] coordinates {(\x,\y)} ;
    }}
    \addplot {x^2};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

enter image description here

[Tex/LaTex] Make parts of a pgfplots outside of the bounding box visible

The job, which generates the plot can also calculate the parameters for the trim option for later inclusion via \includegraphics.

\documentclass[class=elsarticle,preprint,twocolumn, 10pt]{standalone}    
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds}
\usetikzlibrary{pgfplots.groupplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.12}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[inner frame sep=0]
\begin{axis}[%
    clip=false,
    width=\columnwidth,
    height=4in-0.5in,
    scale only axis,
    axis x line=bottom,
    axis y discontinuity=parallel,
    xmin=360, xmax=600,
    ymin=0, ymax=7,
    enlargelimits=false,
  ]
\addplot coordinates {
(420,2)
(500,6)
(590,4)
};
\end{axis}

\path[thin]
  let
    \p{bb south west} = (current bounding box.south west),
    \p{bb north east} = (current bounding box.north east),
    \p{axis south west} = (rel axis cs:0, 0),
    \p{axis north east} = (rel axis cs:1, 1),
    \n{lw/2} = {.5\pgflinewidth},
    \n{left} = {\x{axis south west} - \x{bb south west} - \n{lw/2}},
    \n{bottom} = {\y{axis south west} - \y{bb south west} - \n{lw/2}},
    \n{right} = {\x{bb north east} - \x{axis north east} - \n{lw/2}},
    \n{top} = {\y{bb north east} - \y{axis north east} - \n{lw/2}}
  in
    \pgfextra{
      \typeout{ \space trim=\n{left} \n{bottom} \n{right} \n{top}}%
    }
;
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

The output for option trim is:

trim=11.66595pt 15.24434pt 10.633pt 6.3552pt

Then the image can be included with parts of the image sticking outside. The red frame shows the space, TeX uses for the image.

\documentclass[twocolumn,10pt]{elsarticle}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{color}
\setlength{\fboxsep}{0pt}
\setlength{\fboxsep}{.1pt}
\setlength{\parindent}{0pt}

\begin{document}

\color{red}

\fbox{%
  \includegraphics[
    trim=11.66595pt 0pt 10.633pt 0pt,
  ]{test}%
}

\textcolor{black}{\lipsum[103]}

\fbox{%
  \includegraphics[
    trim=11.66595pt 15.24434pt 10.633pt 6.3552pt,
    width=50mm,
  ]{test}%
}
\end{document}

The first image sticks into the left and right margin and is scaled to the available width. The second example limits the box to the axis area with a larger scaling of the image. The parameters for trim remains the same regardless of the scaling.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Grid dots in pgfplots

[Tex/LaTex] Make parts of a pgfplots outside of the bounding box visible

Related Question