scatter
Scatter plot.
📝Syntax
scatter(x, y)
scatter(x, y, sz)
scatter(x, y, sz, c)
scatter(..., 'filled')
scatter(..., marker)
scatter(ax, ...)
scatter(..., propertyName, propertyValue)
s = scatter(...)
📥Input Arguments
Parameter Description
X x-coordinates: vector or matrix.
Y y-coordinates: vector or matrix.
sz Marker size: numeric scalar, vector, [] (default: 36)
c Marker color: short color name, color name, RGB triplet or vector of colormap indices
ax a scalar graphics object value: parent container, specified as a axes.
propertyName a scalar string or row vector character. see help of 'line' for property list.
propertyValue a value.
📤Output Arguments
Parameter Description
s a graphics object: scatter type or array of scatter.
📄Description

scatter(x, y) generates a scatter plot by placing circular markers at the coordinates defined by the vectors x and y.

If you intend to display a single dataset, ensure that both x and y are vectors of the same length.

To visualize multiple datasets on a shared set of axes, you can achieve this by using a matrix for either x or y, while keeping the other as a vector.

This allows you to overlay or compare multiple datasets within the same plot.

Scatter Properties:

Property Description
AlphaData Marker face transparency, 1 (default) or array the same size as XData
BeingDeleted Flag indicating that the object is being deleted.
BusyAction Callback queuing specified as 'queue' (default) or 'cancel'. The property determines how Nelson handles the execution of interrupting callbacks.
CData Marker colors: [] (default), RGB triplet, matrix of RGB triplets or vector. Marker color to use for each data series: 'k'/'black' (Black), 'y'/'yellow' (Yellow), 'm'/'magenta' (Magenta), 'c'/'cyan' (Cyan), 'r'/'red' (Red), 'b'/'blue' (Blue), 'g'/'green' (Green)
CDataMode Selection mode for CData: 'manual', 'auto' (default).
Children Children.
CreateFcn Component creation function.
DeleteFcn Component deletion function.
DisplayName Legend label: character vector or string scalar, '' (default).
Interruptible Callback interruption 'on' (default).
LineWidth Line width: scalar positive value.
Marker Marker symbol: 'o' (Circle), 'x' (Times), '+' (Plus), '*' (Asterisk), '.' (Dot), 's' (Square), 'd' (Diamond), 'v' (Downward-pointing triangle), '^' (Upward-pointing triangle), '>' (Left-pointing triangle), '<' (Right-pointing triangle)
MarkerEdgeColor Marker outline color: RGB triplet.
MarkerEdgeAlpha Marker edge transparency: scalar in range [0,1], 'flat or 1 (default). To assign distinct transparency values to the edges of each point in a plot, set the AlphaData property to a vector matching the size of the XData property and set the MarkerEdgeAlpha property to 'flat'.
MarkerFaceColor Marker fill color: RGB triplet.
MarkerFaceAlpha Marker face transparency: scalar in range [0,1], 'flat or 1 (default). To assign distinct transparency values to the faces of each point in a plot, set the AlphaData property to a vector matching the size of the XData property and set the MarkerFaceAlpha property to 'flat'.
Parent Parent container: Figure graphics object.
SizeData Marker sizes:[] (default), scalar or vector.
Tag Object identifier: character vector, string scalar or '' (default).
Type Type of graphics object 'scatter'.
UserData User data: array or []
Visible State of visibility: 'on' (default) or 'off'.
XData x values: vector or matrix or [] (default).
YData y values: vector or matrix or [] (default).
ZData z values: vector or matrix or [] (default).
XDataMode Selection mode for XData: 'manual' or 'auto'.
💡Examples
f = figure();
theta = linspace(0,1,600);
x = exp(theta).*sin(110*theta);
y = exp(theta).*cos(110*theta);
s = scatter(x,y ,'filled');
Example illustration 
f = figure();
x = linspace(0,3*pi,255);
y = cos(x) + rand(1,255);
sz = 1:255;
c = 1:length(x);
scatter(x, y, sz, c, 'd', 'filled')
Example illustration 
f = figure();
x = linspace(0, 3*pi, 255);
y = cos(x) + rand(1, 255);
c = linspace(1,10,length(x));
scatter(x, y, [], c, 'filled')
Example illustration 
f = figure();
theta = linspace(0,2*pi,244);
x = sin(theta) + 0.75*rand(1,244);
y = cos(theta) + 0.75*rand(1,244);  
sz = 45;
scatter(x,y,sz,'MarkerEdgeColor',[0 .6 .5], 'MarkerFaceColor',[0 .6 .7],  'LineWidth',3.5)
Example illustration 
f = figure(),
x = linspace(0,3*pi,200);
y = cos(x) + rand(1,200);
% Top plot
ax1 = subplot(2,1, 1);
scatter(ax1,x,y)
% Bottom plot
ax2 = subplot(2,1, 2);
scatter(ax2,x,y,'filled','d')
Example illustration 
f = figure();
x = rand(500,5);
y = randn(500,5) + (5:5:25);
s = scatter(x,y, 'filled');
Example illustration 
f = figure();
% Create figure
hold on;
% Settings
nPoints = 10; % Number of points per marker type
markers = {'o', '+', '*', 's', 'd', '^', 'v', '>', '<', 'p', 'h'};
sizesMin = 20; % Minimum size
sizesMax = 100; % Maximum size
% X positions
x = linspace(1, 10, nPoints);
% Fixed color
fixedColor = [0 0 0]; % black
% Plot each marker type
for m = 1:numel(markers)
    y = m * ones(size(x)); % Constant Y for each marker type
    sizes = linspace(sizesMin, sizesMax, nPoints); % Increasing sizes
    % Scatter points
    scatter(x, y, sizes, ...
        'Marker', markers{m}, ...
        'MarkerEdgeColor', fixedColor, ...
        'MarkerFaceColor', 'none', ...
        'LineWidth', 1.5);
end
title('Scatter Only - One Line per Marker Type with Increasing Size');
xlabel('X Axis');
ylabel('Marker Type Line');
ylim([0 numel(markers)+1]);
hold off;
Example illustration
🔗See Also
lineplotscatter3
🕔Version History
Version Description
1.0.0 initial version
1.12.0 color name and short color name managed.
1.14.0 Scatter is a graphics object with Properties.
Edit this page on GitHub