Contour Plot to Image.jpg

Hello!

I need to know how to save or export a 2D Contour plot into an Image file (preferible with .jpeg extension).

I would like also to be able to specify the output location (the folder where the image will be saved), I have tried with this:

contourf(xx,yy,turbul_interp);
xlabel('AXIS X')
ylabel('AXIS Y')
hgsave('name_of_my_image');

But then it appears the following error message:

??? Error using ==> save
Unable to write file name_of_my_image.fig: permission denied.

Any idea about how to do it?. Thanks!

[Geoff Hayes]

Peter - do you have write permissions in the folder where you are trying to create the file? Try specifying the folder name as well...

[Peter]

Thank you Geoff,

In fact i am not specifying any folder, so i do not understand why some permission is denied. I have permission to save everywhere in my PC.

I think that what i want to do is simple, i just want to plot a contour and save it automatically in a folder.

It should be quite easy, just adding some lines to the script to save the contour plot generated as an image.jpg somewhare in my PC . But i am trying and i do not get it...

Answer 1

[Image Analyst]

I would not use jpg format. I never create JPEG images. JPEG can/will degrade your image. Use PNG instead.

What does this report in the command window if you call it just before hgsave:

pwd

You probably can't save to that folder.

Anyway, even if you get that solved, I'd take a look at the FAQ: http://matlab.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ#How_do_I_save_my_figure.2C_axes.2C_or_image.3F_I.27m_having_trouble_with_the_built_in_MATLAB_functions.

[Peter]

Thank you for the advice, I think i will use PNG okey. But what i am trying to do is much more simple than the FAQ issue.

I just want my contour be saved directly to an image.png file (in this case) in a folder that i specify, instead of having it displayed on th e screen.

It should be one line of code with saveas or hgsave and the specification of the output folder, but i am having problems doing it

Do you know how to make it?

[Image Analyst]

Peter, I gave you a suggestion. Please take it, and let me know what the current folder is. That is what prints out when you do pwd. You did not do this, or if you did, you forgot to tell me. What operating system are you using? If it's Windows, Windows prevents users from saving to certain folders. If you want some other folder than the current one, you have to specify that

folder = 'C:/whatever';
baseFileName = 'name_of_my_image.png';
fullFileName = fullfile(folder, baseFileName)
export_fig(fullFileName);

[Peter]

I found that there were some problems with my permission for certain folders, i am sorry. And i solved that, but the problem now is that my matlab version does not work with export_fig (i am using 2010 release).

??? Undefined function or method 'export_fig' for input arguments of type 'char'.

How would be the code for other function? Wich would you recommend?

Thank you very much

[Sean de Wolski]

This is not part of MATLAB so you have to download it and add it to the path. If you're using R2014b, print might be sufficient for this instead of export_fig.

[Image Analyst]

You haven't downloaded export_fig yet - one of the few who haven't. This is the most downloaded File Exchange submission of all time. Just go ahead and get it - virtually everyone else has. http://blogs.mathworks.com/pick/2010/05/28/creating-and-exporting-publication-quality-graphics/

[Sean de Wolski]

To be fair, in R2014b and newer, I'm not all that convinced that it's necessary. Print has gotten a lot better.

[Peter]

Okey, thank you very much to you all.

I finally made it this way:

    name = '0050';
    fpath = 'C:\Path1\Path2...';
    saveas(gca, fullfile(fpath, name), 'png');

And it Worked!!

Anyway i will download export_fig and play with it for a while.

Thanks!

Answer 2

[Sean de Wolski]

You need to save it somewhere else or have write-permissions for that directory. You could change the directory settings, or run MATLAB as an admin (on Windows right-click the icon, run as admin).