MATLAB - Draw Rectangle

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In MATLAB, you can draw rectangles using the rectangle function, which allows you to specify the position, size, and appearance of the rectangle. Rectangles are commonly used in MATLAB for visualizations, annotations, and highlighting areas of interest in plots or images.

Syntax

rectangle('Position',pos)
rectangle('Position',pos,'Curvature',cur)
rectangle(___,Name,Value)
rectangle(ax,___)
r = rectangle(___)

Here is an explanation for each of the syntax we mentioned above −

rectangle('Position',pos)

Function draws a rectangle in a 2-D plot. You use a four-numbered vector pos like [x y w h] to specify its location and size. The x and y values set where the rectangle starts, while w and h set its width and height. This function adds the rectangle to the current plot without erasing anything already there.

rectangle('Position',pos,'Curvature',cur)

Function lets you make rectangles with curved sides. To control the curve, use the cur parameter. If you want different curves for horizontal and vertical sides, use a two-numbered vector like [horizontal vertical]. For the same curve on all sides, use a single number. The value ranges from 0 (no curve) to 1 (full curve). Use [1 1] to make a circle or ellipse.

rectangle(___,Name,Value)

Here you're adding more details to the rectangle using settings like 'FaceColor', 'red' to give it a red color. You can mix and match these settings with the other ways you draw rectangles.

rectangle(ax,___)

When you use rectangle(ax,___), here you want to draw the rectangle in a specific set of axes, ax, instead of the default current set of axes. You can use this option with any of the other ways you draw rectangles.

r = rectangle(___)

Using r = rectangle(___), creates a rectangle and stores it in the variable r. You can use r to change the rectangle's properties after you've created it. This works with any of the ways you draw rectangles.

Rectangle Properties

Rectangle properties are settings that determine how a rectangle looks and behaves. You can change these properties to adjust various aspects of the rectangle's appearance. To work with properties, you use dot notation, which involves using a dot (.) followed by the property name.

For example, if you create a rectangle object h using rectangle, you can access and modify its properties. Here's how you might change the FaceColor property of the rectangle −

h = rectangle;       % Create a rectangle
currentColor = h.FaceColor;   % Get the current face color
h.FaceColor = 'blue';         % Set the face color to blue

In this example, h.FaceColor retrieves the current face color of the rectangle, and h.FaceColor = 'blue' sets the face color to blue. You can explore other properties like EdgeColor, Position, Curvature, and many more to customize your rectangle further.

Color and Styling Properties

Interactivity Properties

Examples for rectangle() function

Here will take a look at drawing reactable using rectangle() function.

Example 1: Draw rectangle using rectangle('Position',pos)

The code we have is −

pos = [2, 3, 4, 5];

rectangle('Position', pos);

This code will create a figure with a rectangle drawn at position (2, 3) with a width of 4 units and a height of 5 units

The output on execution is −

Example 2: Draw rectangle using rectangle('Position',pos,'Curvature',cur)

The code for above is −

pos = [2, 3, 4, 5];
cur = [0.2, 0.6];
rectangle('Position', pos, 'Curvature', cur);

This code will create a figure with a rectangle drawn at position (2, 3) with a width of 4 units and a height of 5 units. The sides of the rectangle will be curved with a curvature of 0.2 for the horizontal sides and 0.6 for the vertical sides.

The output we have is −

Example 3: Draw rectangle using rectangle(___,Name,Value)

The code we have is −

pos = [2, 3, 4, 5];
rectangle('Position', pos, 'FaceColor', 'red', 'EdgeColor', 'blue', 'LineWidth', 2);

This code will create a figure with a rectangle drawn at position (2, 3) with a width of 4 units and a height of 5 units. The rectangle's face color will be red, its edge color will be blue, and its line width will be 2 units.

Output

Example 4: Draw rectangle using rectangle(ax,___)

The code we have is −

ax1 = subplot(1,2,1);
pos = [0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5];
rectangle(ax1, 'Position', pos, 'FaceColor', 'blue', 'EdgeColor', 'red');

The rectangle function is used to draw a rectangle in the first set of axes (ax1). The rectangle is positioned at (0.2, 0.3) with a width of 0.4 and a height of 0.5. The rectangle's face color is blue, and its edge color is red. This example demonstrates how to draw a rectangle in a specific set of axes (ax1).

Output

Example 5: Draw rectangle using r = rectangle(___)

The code we have is −

r = rectangle('Position', [0.1, 0.1, 0.5, 0.5], 'FaceColor', 'green', 'EdgeColor', 'blue');

In this example, a rectangle is created with a specific position and appearance, and the resulting rectangle object is stored in the variable r. This allows you to modify the rectangle's properties, such as its position, size, color, etc., after it has been created.

Output