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Plotly for Python - User Guide
Section 8: 3D Plots
Welcome to Plotly's Python API User Guide.
Links to the other sections are on the User Guide's homepage
If unfamiliar with Plotly's Python API version 1.0 see section 0
The Github repository is available here
Section 8 is divided as follows:
8.1 A simple surface plot
8.2 A helix curve in 3D
Quickstart (a 3d scatter plot of 3 points):
>>> import plotly.plotly as py
>>> # auto sign-in with credentials or use py.sign_in()
>>> trace1 = dict(
type='scatter3d',
x=[1,2,3],
y=[3,4,5],
z=[1,3,4]
)
>>> data = [trace1]
>>> py.plot(data, validate=False)
The User Guide assumes version 1.0 and up of Plotly's Python API.
Check which version is installed on your machine and please upgrade if needed.
In [1]:
# (*) Import plotly package
import plotly
# Check plolty version (if not latest, please upgrade)
plotly.__version__
Out[1]:
'1.2.7'
See the User Guide's homepage for more info on installation and upgrading.
In this section, we introduce Plotly's 3D plot engine. 3D plots are a new featur
e to Plotly and this section (in its currently form) only scratches the surface
on its possibilities.
We first import a few modules and sign in to Plotly using our credential file:
In [2]:
# (*) To communicate with Plotly's server, sign in with credentials file
import plotly.plotly as py
# (*) Useful Python/Plotly tools
import plotly.tools as tls
# (*) Graph objects to piece together plots
from plotly.graph_objs import *
import numpy as np # (*) numpy for math functions and arrays
If you are not familiar with credentials files, refer to the User Guide's homepa
ge .
Important
3D plotting is currently not fully integrated into the latest version of Plotly
's Python API.
Namely, there are currently no 3D graph objects and the avaiable keys are not do
cumented.
Therefore, surface and 3D scatter plots must be generated using standard Python
dictionaries and lists and bypassing validation within Plotly's Python API (i.e.
validate=False ).
That said, if you are eager to start plotting in 3D, you can, right now! The fol
lowing examples demonstrate how to do so.
8.1 A simple surface plot
Let's try to make a Plotly version of this plot taken from Roberto Colistete's w
eb page .
Big thanks!
The function to be plotted is:
f(x,y)=Acos(pxy)e-(x2+y2)/2
where A is some number corresponding to the amplitude of the surface. So,
In [3]:
from numpy import pi, cos, exp # (*) import the functions needed
# Define the function to be plotted
def fxy(x, y):
A = 1 # choose a maximum amplitude
return A*(cos(pi*x*y))**2*exp(-(x**2+y**2)/2.)
In [4]:
# Choose length of square domain, make row and column vectors
L = 4
x = y = np.arange(-L/2., L/2., 0.1) # use a mesh spacing of 0.1
yt = y[:,np.newaxis] # (!) make column vector
# Get surface coordinates!
z = fxy(x, yt)
Next, build a trace dictionary containing the 'surface' plot type:
In [5]:
trace1 = dict(
type='surface', # (!) 'surface' plot type
z=z, # link the fxy 2d numpy array
x=x, # link 1d numpy array of x coords
y=y # link 1d numpy array of y coords
)
# Package the trace dictionary into a data list
data = [trace1]
Add a title and customize the axes:
In [6]:
# Dictionary of style options for all axes
axis = dict(
showbackground=True, # (!) show axis background
backgroundcolor="rgb(204, 204, 204)", # set background color to grey
gridcolor="rgb(255, 255, 255)", # set grid line color
zerolinecolor="rgb(255, 255, 255)", # set zero grid line color
)
# Make a layout dictionary
layout = dict(
title='$f(x,y) = A \cos(\pi x y) e^{-(x^2+y^2)/2}$', # set plot title
scene=dict( # (!) axes are part of a 'scene' in 3d plots
xaxis=axis, # set x-axis style
yaxis=axis, # set y-axis style
zaxis=axis # set z-axis style
)
)
Package layout and data into a figure dictionary and call Plotly:
In [7]:
# Make a figure dictionary
fig = dict(data=data, layout=layout)
# (@) Send to Plotly and show in notebook
py.iplot(fig, validate=False, filename='s8_surface')
Out[7]:
A 3D interacting surface plot
Plotly 3D plots have three modes of interaction (togglable from the top right co
rner of the plot's frame):
Rotation (leftmost button)
Zoom (center button)
Pan (rightmost button)
You are invited to play around with each of them, Plotly 3D plots are alive like
no other.
Moreover, this surface plot can be viewed in full screen at the following unique
URL:
In [8]:
py.plot(fig, validate=False, auto_open=False, filename='s8_surface')
Out[8]:
u'https://plot.ly/~etpinard/464'
8.2 A helix curve in 3D
Our next plot will be a 3-dimensional helix curve.
A helix curve is described mathematically in cartesian coordinates by:
x(t)y(t)z(t)=cos(t)=sin(t)=t
where t is some conitnuous variable. So consider,
In [9]:
from numpy import sin # (*) import sin (cos was imported in 8.1)
# Define a function generating the helix coordinates
def helix(t):
x = cos(t)
y = sin(t)
z = t
return x, y, z
Next, get the coordinates of the helix:
In [10]:
# Make a linear space from 0 to 4pi (i.e. 2 revolutions), get coords
t = np.linspace(0, 4*pi, 200) # (pi was imported in 8.1)
x, y, z = helix(t)
Build a trace dictionary with 'type' set to 'scatter3d' :
In [11]:
trace1 = dict(
type='scatter3d', # (!) 'scatter3d' plot type
x=x, # x coords
y=y, # y coords
z=z, # z coords
mode='lines', # (!) draw lines between coords (as in Scatter)
line=dict(
color='black', # black line segments
width=3 # set line segment width
)
)
# Package the trace dictionary into a data list
data = [trace1]
Add a title:
In [12]:
# Make a layout dictionary
layout = dict(
title='Fig 8.2: Helix curve'
)
And finally,
In [13]:
# Make a figure dictionary
fig = dict(data=data, layout=layout)
# (@) Send to Plotly and show in notebook
py.iplot(fig, validate=False, filename='s8_helix')
Out[13]:
The full screen verison is available at the following URL:
In [14]:
py.plot(fig, validate=False, auto_open=False, filename='s8_helix')
Out[14]:
u'https://plot.ly/~etpinard/468'
Go to Section 7 --- Plotly's Streaming API
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