image

Display image from array

Syntax

image(C)

image(x,y,C)

image('CData',C)

image('XData',x,'YData',y,'CData',C)

image(___,Name,Value)

image(ax,___)

im = image(___)

Description

image(C) displays the data in array C as an image. Each element of C specifies the color for 1 pixel of the image. The resulting image is an m-by-n grid of pixels where m is the number of rows and n is the number of columns in C. The row and column indices of the elements determine the centers of the corresponding pixels.

image(x,y,C) specifies the image location. Use x and y to specify the locations of the corners corresponding to C(1,1) and C(m,n). To specify both corners, set x and y as two-element vectors. To specify the first corner and let image determine the other, set x and y as scalar values. The image is stretched and oriented as applicable.

image('CData',C) adds the image to the current axes without replacing existing plots. This syntax is the low-level version of image(C). For more information, see High-Level Versus Low-Level Version of Image.

image('XData',x,'YData',y,'CData',C) specifies the image location. This syntax is the low-level version of image(x,y,C).

image(___,Name,Value) specifies image properties using one or more name-value pair arguments. You can specify image properties with any of the input argument combinations in the previous syntaxes.

image(ax,___) creates the image in the axes specified by ax instead of in the current axes (gca). The option ax can precede any of the input argument combinations in the previous syntaxes.

im = image(___) returns the Image object created. Use im to set properties of the image after it is created. You can specify this output with any of the input argument combinations in the previous syntaxes. For a list of image properties and descriptions, see Image Properties.

Examples

Display Image of Matrix Data

Create matrix C. Display an image of the data in C. Add a colorbar to the graph to show the current colormap.

C = [0 2 4 6; 8 10 12 14; 16 18 20 22];
image(C)
colorbar

By default, the CDataMapping property for the image is set to 'direct' so image interprets values in C as indices into the colormap. For example, the bottom right pixel corresponding to the last element in C, 22, uses the 22nd color of the colormap.

Scale the values to the full range of the current colormap by setting the CDataMapping property to 'scaled' when creating the image.

image(C,'CDataMapping','scaled')
colorbar

Alternatively, you can use the imagesc function to scale the values instead of using image(C,'CDataMapping','scaled'). For example, use imagesc(C).

Control Image Placement

Place the image so that it lies between 5 and 8 on the x-axis and between 3 and 6 on the y-axis.

x = [5 8];
y = [3 6];
C = [0 2 4 6; 8 10 12 14; 16 18 20 22];
image(x,y,C)

Notice that the pixel corresponding to C(1,1) is centered over the point (5,3). The pixel corresponding to C(3,4) is centered over the point (8,6). image positions and orients the rest of the image between those two points.

Display Image of 3-D Array of True Colors

Create C as a 3-D array of true colors. Use only red colors by setting the last two pages of the array to zeros.

C = zeros(3,3,3);
C(:,:,1) = [.1 .2 .3; .4 .5 .6; .7 .8 .9]

C = 
C(:,:,1) =

    0.1000    0.2000    0.3000
    0.4000    0.5000    0.6000
    0.7000    0.8000    0.9000


C(:,:,2) =

     0     0     0
     0     0     0
     0     0     0


C(:,:,3) =

     0     0     0
     0     0     0
     0     0     0

Display an image of the data in C.

image(C)

Modify Image After Creation

Plot a line, and then create an image on top of the line. Return the image object.

plot(1:3)
hold on
C = [1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9];
im = image(C);

Make the image semitransparent so that the line shows through the image.

im.AlphaData = 0.5;

Read and Display JPEG Image File

Read a JPEG image file.

C = imread('ngc6543a.jpg');

imread returns a 650-by-600-by-3 array, C.

Display the image.

image(C)

Add Image to Axes in 3-D View

Create a surface plot. Then, add an image under the surface. image displays the image in the xy-plane.

Z = 10 + peaks;
surf(Z)
hold on 
image(Z,'CDataMapping','scaled')

Input Arguments

C — Image color data

vector or matrix | 3-D array of RGB triplets

Image color data, specified in one of these forms:

• Vector or matrix — This format defines indexed image data. Each element of C defines a color for 1 pixel of the image. For example, C = [1 2 3; 4 5 6; 7 8 9];. The elements of C map to colors in the colormap of the associated axes. The CDataMapping property controls the mapping method.

• 3-D array of RGB triplets — This format defines true color image data using RGB triplet values. Each RGB triplet defines a color for 1 pixel of the image. An RGB triplet is a three-element vector that specifies the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The first page of the 3-D array contains the red components, the second page contains the green components, and the third page contains the blue components. Since the image uses true colors instead of colormap colors, the CDataMapping property has no effect.

  • If C is of type double, then an RGB triplet value of [0 0 0] corresponds to black and [1 1 1] corresponds to white.

  • If C is an integer type, then the image uses the full range of data to determine the color. For example, if C is of type uint8, then [0 0 0] corresponds to black and [255 255 255] corresponds to white. If CData is of type int8, then [-128 -128 -128] corresponds to black and [127 127 127] corresponds to white.

  • If C is of type logical, then [0 0 0] corresponds to black and [1 1 1] corresponds to white.

This illustration shows the relative dimensions of C for the two color models.

The behavior of NaN elements is not defined.

To use the low-level version of the image function instead, set the CData property as a name-value pair. For example, image('CData',C).

Converting Between double and Integer Data Types

When you call the image function with a vector or 2-D matrix and use the default CDataMapping value, you must offset your data values by 1 when converting between double values and integer types. This offset is not necessary when CDataMapping is set to 'scaled'.

For example, if U8 contains indexed image data of type uint8, you can convert it to type double using:

D = double(U8) + 1;

To convert indexed image data from type double to an integer type, subtract 1 and use round to ensure that all the values are integers. For example, if D contains indexed image data of type double, convert it to uint8 using:

U8 = uint8(round(D - 1));

Converting Between Normalized double and Truecolor Values

To convert true color image data from an integer type to type double, rescale the data. For example, if RGB8 is true color image data of type uint8, convert it to double using:

RGB = double(RGB8)/255;

To convert true color image data from type double to an integer type, rescale the data and use round to ensure that all the values are integers. For example, if RGB is image data of type double, convert it to uint8 using:

RGB8 = uint8(round(RGB*255));

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | logical

x — Placement along x-axis

[1 size(C,2)] (default) | two-element vector | scalar

Placement along the x-axis, specified in one of these forms:

• Two-element vector — Use the first element as the location for the center of C(1,1) and the second element as the location for the center of C(m,n), where [m,n] = size(C). If C is a 3-D array, then m and n are the first two dimensions. Evenly distribute the centers of the remaining elements of C between those two points.

  The width of each pixel is determined by the expression:

  (x(2)-x(1))/(size(C,2)-1)

  If x(1) > x(2), then the image is flipped left-right.

• Scalar — Center C(1,1) at this location and each following element one unit apart.

Note

• If x has more than two elements, image uses the first and last elements and ignores the other elements.

• To use the low-level version of the image function instead, set the XData property by using a name-value argument. For example, image('XData',x,'YData',y,'CData',C).

• You cannot interactively pan or zoom outside the x-axis limits or y-axis limits of an image, unless the limits are already set outside the bounds of the image. If the limits are already outside the bounds, there is no such restriction. If other objects (such as a line) occupy the axes and extend beyond the bounds of the image, you can pan or zoom to the bounds of the other objects, but no further.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | logical | datetime (since R2023b) | duration (since R2023b) | categorical (since R2023b)

y — Placement along y-axis

[1 size(C,1)] (default) | two-element vector | scalar

Placement along y-axis, specified in one of these forms:

• Two-element vector — Use the first element as the location for the center of C(1,1) and the second element as the location for the center of C(m,n), where [m,n] = size(C). If C is a 3-D array, then m and n are the first two dimensions. Evenly distribute the centers of the remaining elements of C between those two points.

  The height of each pixel is determined by the expression:

  (y(2)-y(1))/(size(C,1)-1)

  If y(1) > y(2), then the image is flipped up-down.

• Scalar — Center C(1,1) at this location and each following element one unit apart.

Note

• If y has more than two elements, image uses the first and last elements and ignores the other elements.

• To use the low-level version of the image function instead, set the YData property by using a name-value argument. For example, image('XData',x,'YData',y,'CData',C).

• You cannot interactively pan or zoom outside the x-axis limits or y-axis limits of an image, unless the limits are already set outside the bounds of the image. If the limits are already outside the bounds, there is no such restriction. If other objects (such as a line) occupy the axes and extend beyond the bounds of the image, you can pan or zoom to the bounds of the other objects, but no further.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | logical | datetime (since R2023b) | duration (since R2023b) | categorical (since R2023b)

ax — Axes object

Axes object

Axes object. If you do not specify an Axes object, then image uses the current axes.

Name-Value Arguments

Specify optional pairs of arguments as Name1=Value1,...,NameN=ValueN, where Name is the argument name and Value is the corresponding value. Name-value arguments must appear after other arguments, but the order of the pairs does not matter.

Before R2021a, use commas to separate each name and value, and enclose Name in quotes.

Example: image([1 2 3],'AlphaData',0.5) displays a semitransparent image.

The properties listed here are a subset of image properties. For a complete list, see Image Properties.

CDataMapping — Color data mapping method

'direct' (default) | 'scaled'

Color data mapping method, specified as 'direct' or 'scaled'. Use this property to control the mapping of color data values in CData into the colormap. CData must be a vector or a matrix defining indexed colors. This property has no effect if CData is a 3-D array defining true colors.

The methods have these effects:

• 'direct' — Interpret the values as indices into the current colormap. Values with a decimal portion are fixed to the nearest lower integer.

  • If the values are of type double or single, then values of 1 or less map to the first color in the colormap. Values equal to or greater than the length of the colormap map to the last color in the colormap.

  • If the values are of type uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64 , int8, int16, int32, or int64, then values of 0 or less map to the first color in the colormap. Values equal to or greater than the length of the colormap map to the last color in the colormap (or up to the range limits of the type).

  • If the values are of type logical, then values of 0 map to the first color in the colormap and values of 1 map to the second color in the colormap.

• 'scaled' — Scale the values to range between the minimum and maximum color limits. The CLim property of the axes contains the color limits.

AlphaData — Transparency data

1 (default) | scalar | array the same size as CData

Transparency data, specified in one of these forms:

• Scalar — Use a consistent transparency across the entire image.

• Array the same size as CData — Use a different transparency value for each image element.

The AlphaDataMapping property controls how MATLAB^® interprets the alpha data transparency values.

Example: 0.5

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | logical

AlphaDataMapping — Interpretation of AlphaData values

'none' (default) | 'scaled' | 'direct'

Interpretation of AlphaData values, specified as one of these values:

• 'none' — Interpret the values as transparency values. A value of 1 or greater is completely opaque, a value of 0 or less is completely transparent, and a value between 0 and 1 is semitransparent.

• 'scaled' — Map the values into the figure’s alphamap. The minimum and maximum alpha limits of the axes determine the alpha data values that map to the first and last elements in the alphamap, respectively. For example, if the alpha limits are [3 5], then alpha data values less than or equal to 3 map to the first element in the alphamap. Alpha data values greater than or equal to 5 map to the last element in the alphamap. The ALim property of the axes contains the alpha limits. The Alphamap property of the figure contains the alphamap.

• 'direct' — Interpret the values as indices into the figure’s alphamap. Values with a decimal portion are fixed to the nearest lower integer:

  • If the values are of type double or single, then values of 1 or less map to the first element in the alphamap. Values equal to or greater than the length of the alphamap map to the last element in the alphamap.

  • If the values are of type integer, then values of 0 or less map to the first element in the alphamap. Values equal to or greater than the length of the alphamap map to the last element in the alphamap (or up to the range limits of the type). The integer types are uint8, uint16, uint32, uint64 , int8, int16, int32, and int64.

  • If the values are of type logical, then values of 0 map to the first element in the alphamap and values of 1 map to the second element in the alphamap.

Output Arguments

im — Image object

Image object

Image object, returned as a scalar. Use im to set properties of the image after it is created. For a list, see Image Properties.

More About

High-Level Versus Low-Level Version of Image

The image function has two versions, the high-level version and the low-level version. If you use image with 'CData' as an input argument, then you are using the low-level version. Otherwise, you are using the high-level version.

The high-level version of image calls newplot before plotting and sets these axes properties:

• Layer to 'top'. The image is shown in front of any tick marks or grid lines.

• YDir to 'reverse'. Values along the y-axis increase from top to bottom. To decrease the values from top to bottom, set YDir to 'normal'. This setting reverses both the y-axis and the image.

• View to [0 90].

The low-level version of the image function does not call newplot and does not set these axes properties.

Tips

• To read image data into MATLAB from graphics files in various standard formats, such as TIFF, use imread. To write MATLAB image data to graphics files, use imwrite. The imread and imwrite functions support a variety of graphics file formats and compression schemes.

Extended Capabilities

GPU Arrays

Accelerate code by running on a graphics processing unit (GPU) using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

The image function supports GPU array input with these usage notes and limitations:

• This function accepts GPU arrays, but does not run on a GPU.

For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions on a GPU (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Distributed Arrays

Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Usage notes and limitations:

• This function operates on distributed arrays, but executes in the client MATLAB.

For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions with Distributed Arrays (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

R2023b: Display images with datetime, duration, or categorical pixel coordinates

Now you can specify the x and y arguments as datetime, duration, or categorical coordinate values. Previously, only numeric and logical coordinate values were supported.