accessing subplot grid title (sgtitle) from figure properties

How to get the sgtitle of a figure directly from the properties?

For the fig title, this is fairly straightforward and ideal when wishing to save a large volume of open figures automatically:

titleName = gca(figObj).Title.String

However there is no obvious property name for subplot grid title (sgtitle) that can be readily accessed. Yet clearly the sgtitle information is retained after closing as it reappears upon reopening a figure. Is it just that this property is not accessible to users? This seems unlikely, especially given the many dozens of properties available.

Cheers.

Answer 1

[Star Strider]

The sgtitle object is a child of the figure. The problem is that it doesn’t appear straightforward to access using findobj.

x = [1;1]*(0:15);
y = randn(2, size(x,2));

figure
subplot(2,1,1)
plot(x(1,:), y(1,:))
xlabel('x_1')
ylabel('y_1')
title('Subplot #1')
subplot(2,1,2)
plot(x(2,:), y(2,:))
xlabel('x_2')
ylabel('y_2')
title('Subplot #2')
sgtitle('Subplots')

hf = gcf;
Kids = hf.Children

Kids = 
  3×1 graphics array:

  Text    (Subplots)
  Axes    (Subplot #2)
  Axes    (Subplot #1)

obj = findobj(gcf)

obj = 
  6×1 graphics array:

  Figure    (1)
  Text      (Subplots)
  Axes      (Subplot #2)
  Axes      (Subplot #1)
  Line
  Line

sgt = findobj(hf, 'Type','Text')

sgt = 
  0×0 empty GraphicsPlaceholder array.

sgt = findobj(hf.Children, 'Type','Text')

sgt = 
  0×0 empty GraphicsPlaceholder array.

sgt = Kids(1)

sgt = 
  Text (Subplots) with properties:

         String: 'Subplots'
       FontSize: 13
     FontWeight: 'normal'
       FontName: 'Helvetica'
          Color: [0 0 0]
    Interpreter: 'tex'

  Show all properties

It’s definitely possible to get it, however its type appears not to correspond with what I’d normally expect. That appears to be some undocumented property.

.

[hxen]

Thanks Strider. I could find no documentation and you showed me a neat way to hunt for propoerties not readily shown.

[Star Strider]

As always, my pleasure!

Answer 2

[Steven Lord]

The object created and returned by sgtitle has a Type that is not the same as its class.

x = [1;1]*(0:15);
y = randn(2, size(x,2));

figure
subplot(2,1,1)
plot(x(1,:), y(1,:))
xlabel('x_1')
ylabel('y_1')
title('Subplot #1')
subplot(2,1,2)
plot(x(2,:), y(2,:))
xlabel('x_2')
ylabel('y_2')
title('Subplot #2')
h = sgtitle('Subplots');

h.Type

ans = 'subplottext'

hf = gcf;

sgt = findobj(hf, 'Type','subplottext')

sgt = 
  Text (Subplots) with properties:

         String: 'Subplots'
       FontSize: 13
     FontWeight: 'normal'
       FontName: 'Helvetica'
          Color: [0 0 0]
    Interpreter: 'tex'

  Show all properties

sgt == h % true

ans = logical
   1

You can see the list of properties of that object in the documentation.

Of course, even easier is to call sgtitle with an output argument and keep that variable around, as I did with the variable named h.

[Star Strider]

@Steven Lord — I looked at the documentation for subplot, sgtitle and findobj (and related functions) and could find no mention of that. That specific documentation doesn’t even come up in the drop-down list when I search the documentation using graphics (I checked just now).

I would never have found it (or even known that it exists) if you hadn’t provided that. Finding information such as that needs to be made easier, and preferably part of the sgtitle (and related functions) documentation.

[Steven Lord]

It's the very last link, Text Properties, on the sgtitle documentation page.

[Star Strider]

Thank you!

I don’t usually look at the Identifiers section of the documentation. I’ll start.

[hxen]

You guys are awesome and love this community who are taking their time out to share their experience and knowledge. I've learned a lot with a recent needed analysis project from things I thought I new (like data precission handling) to arguably more esoteric points. The feedback I've gotten here has been very helpful! Cheers.