mesh, meshc, meshz

Synopsis

mesh(X,Y,Z,C)
mesh(X,Y,Z)
mesh(x,y,Z,C)
mesh(x,y,Z)
mesh(Z,C)
mesh(Z)
h = mesh(...)
h = meshc(...)
h = meshz(...)

Description

For a complete discussion of parametric surfaces, please refer to surf.

In its most general invocation, mesh has four matrix input arguments. mesh(X,Y,Z,C) plots the colored grid lines on the parametric surface specified by X, Y, and Z, with color specified by C. In simpler uses, X and Y can be vectors, or can be omitted, and C can be omitted.

The view point is specified by view. Axis labels are determined by the range of X, Y, and Z, or by the current setting of axis. The color scaling is determined by the range of C, or by the current setting of caxis. The scaled color values are used as indices into the current colormap.

mesh(X,Y,Z) uses C = Z, so color is proportional to surface height.

mesh(x,y,Z,C) and mesh(x,y,Z), with two vector arguments replacing the first two matrix arguments, must have length(x) = n and length(y) = m where [m,n] = size(Z). In this case, the intersections of the grid lines are the triples (x(j),y(i),Z(i,j)). Note that x corresponds to the columns of Z and y corresponds to the rows.

mesh(Z,C) and mesh(Z) use x = 1:n and y = 1:m.

h = mesh(...) returns a handle to a surface object. surface objects are children of axes objects.

meshc(...) is the same as mesh(...) except that a contour plot is drawn beneath the mesh.

meshz(...) is the same as mesh(...) except that a curtain plot, or reference plane, is drawn beneath the mesh.

Examples

Produce a combination mesh and contour plot of the peaks surface.

[x,y] = meshgrid(-3:.125:3);
z = peaks(x,y);
meshc(x,y,z);

Generate the curtain plot for the peaks function.

[x,y] = meshgrid(-3:.125:3);
z = peaks(x,y);
meshz(x,y,z)

Algorithm

meshc calls mesh, turns hold on, and then calls contour with an offset. If you need additional control over the appearance of the contours, you can issue these commands directly. You can also combine other types of graphs in this manner, for example surf and pcolor plots.

Limitations

meshc assumes that vectors x and y are monotonically increasing. If x and y are irregularly spaced, the contours are simply stretched apart, which is not the same as contouring the irregularly spaced data.