Creating Animated Plots - ( Matplotlib Animations )

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Syntax

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.animation as animation

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

def update(frame):
    # update plot here
    pass

ani = animation.FuncAnimation(fig, update, frames=100, interval=50, blit=False)

plt.show()

Example

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.animation as animation
import numpy as np

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
x = np.arange(0, 2 * np.pi, 0.01)
line, = ax.plot(x, np.sin(x))

def update(frame):
    line.set_ydata(np.sin(x + frame/10.0))
    return line,

ani = animation.FuncAnimation(fig, update, frames=100, interval=50, blit=True)

plt.show()

Output

An animated plot of a sine wave with a moving phase.

Explanation

Matplotlib offers a simple way to generate animated plots. This is achieved by repeatedly updating the plot within a loop, with each iteration representing a new frame of the animation. The matplotlib.animation.FuncAnimation function provides an easy way to do this.

The update(frame) function in the above code block is used to update the plot for each frame of the animation. This function is passed as an argument to FuncAnimation, along with the figure object and other parameters such as the number of frames and interval.

The FuncAnimation returns an animation object, which can be displayed using the plt.show() function.

Use

Animated plots can be used in various situations, such as visualizing the behavior of dynamical systems, displaying real-time data, or for creating interactive data visualizations.

Important Points

• Animated plots can be easily created in Matplotlib using the FuncAnimation function in the matplotlib.animation module
• The update(frame) function is used to update the plot for each frame of the animation
• The FuncAnimation function takes in the figure object, the update function, and other parameters such as the number of frames and the interval between frames
• The animation object is returned and can be displayed using the plt.show() function

Summary

In conclusion, Matplotlib provides an easy way to create animated plots using the matplotlib.animation module. The FuncAnimation function takes in the figure object, the update function, and other parameters such as the number of frames and the interval between frames. Animated plots can be used in various situations, such as visualizing the behavior of dynamical systems or displaying real-time data.