Save figures systematically to keep clean organization. See Using_SaveFiles.ipynb for a notebook with examples.
Syntax
best_save(fig_obj, fig_name)
best_save(fig_obj, fig_name, Name=Value)
Description
A
best_save(fig_obj, fig_name) saves the figure object as fig_name in a folder labeled with the current date. example
B
best_save(fig_obj, fig_name, Name=Value) saves figure in folder of current date with additional options specified by one or more name-value pair arguments. For example, you can save to supplemental folder inside the current folder or not close the figure after it’s saved. example
Examples
Basic save
Import libraries
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
Create figure
# create some figure
x = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, 100)
fig1 = plt.figure()
plt.plot(x, np.sin(x), lw=3)
plt.show()
Save figure
best_save(fig1, 'testFig1') # normal folder
Save to supplemental
Save figure to supplemental folder inside of current date’s folder.
Import libraries
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
Create figure
# create some figure
x = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, 100)
fig2 = plt.figure()
plt.plot(x, np.cos(x), lw=3)
plt.show()
Save figure
best_save(fig2, 'testFig2', supplemental=True) # put in supplemental folder
Don’t close after saving
Don’t close the figure object after it is saved.
Import libraries
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
Create figure
# create some figure
x = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, 100)
fig1 = plt.figure()
plt.plot(x, np.sin(x), lw=3)
plt.show()
Save figure
best_save(fig1, 'testfig1', close=False)
fig_obj
Figure object to be saved.
Object of figure to be saved via best_save() function. Preferably matplotlib.pyplot.figure().
fig = matplotlib.pyplot.figure()
Data Types: (figure object)
fig_name
Name of file figure should be named.
File name for figure. Extension will default as .png.
Data Types: (str)
Name-Value Arguments
Specified optional pairs of Name=Value arguments. Name is the is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. You can specify several name and value pair arguments in any order as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN.
Example: close=True, supplemental=True specifies function to save figure in a subfolder called Supplemental and to close the figure after it is saved.
close
Close figure after saved. (default=True)
Whether or not to close figure after it has been saved in appropriate location.
Data Types: (boolean)
supplemental
Save to supplemental subfolder (default=False)
Whether or not to save figure to subfolder called supplemental folder.
Data Types: (boolean)
More About
When the function is called for the first time in a new directory, it will create a figures folder (code_folder/figures). When the function is called for the first time in a day in a directory where it has already been called previously, it will create a folder labeled with the current date below the figures folder (code_folder/figures/MM_DD_YYY). When the function is called with the supplemental argument defined as True, it will create a subfolder labeled supplemental and save the figure there (code_folder/figures/MM_DD_YYYY/Supplemental).
One can find a clear example here.
Tips
If you get an error or pause execution while this function is working, it is good practice to make sure you reset your directory.
See also
writeGif()
Issues and Discussion
Issues and Discussion.
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