Save figures systematically to keep clean organization. See Using_SaveFiles.ipynb for a notebook with examples.
Syntax
auto_save(fig_obj, fig_name)
auto_save(fig_obj, fig_name, Name=Value)
Description
A
auto_save(fig_obj, fig_name) saves the figure object as fig_name in a folder labeled with the current date. example
B
auto_save(fig_obj, fig_name, Name=Value) saves figure in a folder 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
import savingfigures as sf
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
sf.auto_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
import savingfigures as sf
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
auto_save(fig2, 'testFig2', custom_folder='supplemental', folder_level=2) # 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
auto_save(fig1, 'testfig1', close_after=False)
fig_obj
Figure object to be saved.
Object of figure to be saved via auto_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_after=True, custom_folder='supplemental', folder_level=2 specifies function to save the figure in a subfolder called supplemental and to close the figure after it is saved.
close_after
Close figure after saved. (default=True)
Whether or not to close figure after it has been saved in appropriate location.
Data Types: (boolean)
extension
Extension for figure file (default=’.png’).
The file extension for the figure being saved.
Data Types: (str)
custom_folder
Name of custom folder to save figure in (default=’’)
Folder name that will store the figure that is being saved.
Data Types: (char)
folder_level
Directory level to create the custom folder (default=3)
The level on directory to save the custom folder with saved figure inside.
The levels are as follows:
1 = working directory
2 = working directory > figures folder
3 = working directory > figures folder > date folder
Data Types: (int, x >=1 & x <=3)
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).
To fully understand how the custom_folder and folder_level arguments work, it’s best to run the example notebook on your device and look at the directory aftermath. It is helpful to change the names to see where figures end up. One can also see this on the repo that hosts this function.
Tips
If you get an error or pause execution while this function is working, you will need to reset your directory. IF you do not, the next time it runs successfully, your figures will be saved in a place you are not expecting.
See also
writeGif()
Issues and Discussion
Issues and Discussion.
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