Reduce x-axis line length in a bar plot that is in a tiledlayout

I am having 3 bar plots in one figure, two on the top row and on the bottom row. I want to use tight tile spacing

% Define the data 1
Names1 = {'A'; 'B'}; % Categories
Data1 = [16; 2]; % Data for the table
% Create the table
T1 = table(Names1, Data1);

% Define the data 2
Names2 = {'Red'; 'Black'}; % Categories
Data2 = [5; 13]; % Data for the table
% Create the table
T2 = table(Names2, Data2);

% Define the data 3
Names3 = {'Small red cat'; 'Large red cat'; 'Small black cat'; 'Medium black cat';'large black cat'}; % Row names
Data3 = [4; 1; 1; 8; 4]; % Data for the table
% Create the table
T3 = table(Names3, Data3);

f1 = figure(1);

% Create a tiled layout for the bar plots
t = tiledlayout(2, 2, 'TileSpacing', 'tight');
ax1 = nexttile; %% first row first column
b1 = bar (T1.Names1,T1.Data1);
% Display the height values, stored in the YData property, at the tips of the of bars
b1(1).Labels = b1(1).YData;

% Remove the frame around the plot
ax1.Box = 'off';
% Remove y-axis and numbers
set(ax1, 'YColor', 'none');
set(ax1, 'YTick', []);

title("a)")

%--------
ax2 = nexttile; %% first row second column
b2 = bar (T2.Names2,T2.Data2);
% Display the height values, stored in the YData property, at the tips of the of bars
b2(1).Labels = b2(1).YData;
% Remove the frame around the plot
ax2.Box = 'off';
% Remove y-axis and numbers
set(ax2, 'YColor', 'none');
set(ax2, 'YTick', []);
% Add title
title("c)")

ax4 = nexttile([1 2]); %% [1 2] makes over two columns %% second row column 1 and 2
b4=bar (T3.Names3([1 2],:),T3.Data3([1 2],:), 'FaceColor',[0 0.6 .078]);% rural Green
hold on
b5=bar (T3.Names3([3 4 5],:),T3.Data3([3 4 5],:),'FaceColor',[.5 0 .5]);%% built-up area violet
% Display the height values, stored in the YData property, at the tips of the of bars
b4(1).Labels = b4(1).YData;
b5(1).Labels = b5(1).YData;
hLg = legend("Red cat","Black Cat","Location","northwest");
hold off
% Remove the frame around the plot
ax4.Box = 'off';
% Remove y-axis and numbers
set(ax4, 'YColor', 'none');
set(ax4, 'YTick', []);
%xlim tight; % This will adjust the limits to fit the data closely
xticklabels({'small','large', 'small', 'medium', 'large'})
title("d)")

As you can see the lines of the x-axis is getting unneccessary long and it looks like they would almost be connected.

So I would like them to be shorter. Kind of the length they hav between A and B but to the side

I tryed to use

% Set the x-axis limits for the first plot
%xlim(ax1, [1, 2]); % Replace xmin and xmax with your desired limits

However, I am unsure if these are the limits. Since the data are a categories A and B

and I tryed to use

%xlim tight; % This will adjust the limits to fit the data closely

No effect on the line length

How should I approche the problem?

Thanks for your support.

Answer 1

[Matt J]

For finer control, download subaxis. Use that instead of tiledlayout.

 clear, 
%close all

% Define the data 1
Names1 = {'A'; 'B'}; % Categories
Data1 = [16; 2]; % Data for the table
% Create the table
T1 = table(Names1, Data1);

% Define the data 2
Names2 = {'Red'; 'Black'}; % Categories
Data2 = [5; 13]; % Data for the table
% Create the table
T2 = table(Names2, Data2);

% Define the data 3
Names3 = {'Small red cat'; 'Large red cat'; 'Small black cat'; 'Medium black cat';'large black cat'}; % Row names
Data3 = [4; 1; 1; 8; 4]; % Data for the table
% Create the table
T3 = table(Names3, Data3);

f1 = figure(1);

% Create a tiled layout for the bar plots
% t = tiledlayout(2, 2, 'TileSpacing', 'tight');
% ax1 = nexttile; %% first row first column

ax1=subaxis(2,2,1,'SH',0.01);
b1 = bar (T1.Names1,T1.Data1);
% Display the height values, stored in the YData property, at the tips of the of bars
b1(1).Labels = b1(1).YData;

% Remove the frame around the plot
ax1.Box = 'off';
% Remove y-axis and numbers
set(ax1, 'YColor', 'none');
set(ax1, 'YTick', []);

title("a)")

%--------
ax2=subaxis(2,2,2,'SH',0.01);
b2 = bar (T2.Names2,T2.Data2);
% Display the height values, stored in the YData property, at the tips of the of bars
b2(1).Labels = b2(1).YData;
% Remove the frame around the plot
ax2.Box = 'off';
% Remove y-axis and numbers
set(ax2, 'YColor', 'none');
set(ax2, 'YTick', []);
% Add title
title("c)")

ax4 = subaxis(2,2,1,2,2,1,'PT',0.05);
b4=bar (T3.Names3([1 2],:),T3.Data3([1 2],:), 'FaceColor',[0 0.6 .078]);% rural Green
hold on
b5=bar (T3.Names3([3 4 5],:),T3.Data3([3 4 5],:),'FaceColor',[.5 0 .5]);%% built-up area violet
% Display the height values, stored in the YData property, at the tips of the of bars
b4(1).Labels = b4(1).YData;
b5(1).Labels = b5(1).YData;
hLg = legend("Red cat","Black Cat","Location","northwest");
hold off
% Remove the frame around the plot
ax4.Box = 'off';
% Remove y-axis and numbers
set(ax4, 'YColor', 'none');
set(ax4, 'YTick', []);
%xlim tight; % This will adjust the limits to fit the data closely
xticklabels({'small','large', 'small', 'medium', 'large'})
title("d)")

●

[Désirée Kroner]

The function subaxis doesn't modifies the length of the line as intended but it solves my problem with the overlapping lines.

Thanks for your answer it was really helpfull.