CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonmatplotlibplotgeometrywireframe
Giovanni Botta
Giovanni Botta

Reputation: 9816

Python matplotlib wireframe distortion

I am trying to create a plot composed of multiple wireframe spheres using matplotlib. I found a code fragment to plot one such sphere here so I thought it would be easy to extend it to multiple spheres by just calling plot_wireframe multiple times. I was wrong. Here's a code fragment: 

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import Axes3D
u, v = np.mgrid[0:2*np.pi:20j, 0:np.pi:10j]
x=np.cos(u)*np.sin(v)
y=np.sin(u)*np.sin(v)
z=np.cos(v)
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8,6))
ax = fig.gca(projection='3d')
ax.plot_wireframe(x*3.+5., y*3., z*3.,linewidths=.2)
ax.view_init(azim=30,elev=40)
ax.set_aspect("equal")
plt.show()
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8,6))
ax = fig.gca(projection='3d')
ax.plot_wireframe(x*3.+5., y*3., z*3.,linewidths=.2)
spheres = [ [0,0,0,1], [3,0,0,1.6] ]
for v in spheres:
    ax.plot_wireframe(x*v[3]+v[0], y*v[3]+v[1], z*v[3]+v[2],linewidths=.2)
ax.view_init(azim=30,elev=40)
ax.set_aspect("equal")
plt.show()

If you run that code, the first plot will show a nice sphere, while in the second all the spheres are distorted and shifted. I searched to make sure plot_wireframe can be called multiple time on the same axis but couldn't find anything. Also, I'm a Python noob, but I don't think I'm doing anything wrong. Thank you for the help!

Upvotes: 3

Views: 2052

Answers (1)

ev-br
ev-br

Reputation: 26040

Short answer: adjust the axes limits manually:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import Axes3D
u, v = np.mgrid[0:2*np.pi:20j, 0:np.pi:10j]
x=np.cos(u)*np.sin(v)
y=np.sin(u)*np.sin(v)
z=np.cos(v)

# I'm not sure what was this for.  
'''
fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8,6))
ax = fig.gca(projection='3d')
ax.plot_wireframe(x*3.+5., y*3., z*3.,linewidths=.2)
ax.view_init(azim=30,elev=40)
ax.set_aspect("equal")

plt.show()
'''

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8,6))
ax = fig.gca(projection='3d')


ax.plot_wireframe(x*3.+5., y*3., z*3.,linewidths=.2)
spheres = [ [0,0,0,1], [3,0,0,1.6] ]
for v in spheres:
    ax.plot_wireframe(x*v[3]+v[0], y*v[3]+v[1], z*v[3]+v[2],linewidths=.2)
ax.view_init(azim=30,elev=40)

ax.set_xlim([0,7])   # Like so. 
ax.set_ylim([-3,3]) 
ax.set_zlim([-3,3]) 

ax.set_aspect("equal")
plt.show()

Upvotes: 1

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