Offset axes at origin

In Python/Seaborn, there is the option to offset the x and y axis at the origin. This 'despine' pulls the x-axis down a bit, and the y-axis left, so that data that are close to either one become more visible. For example:

I can use Matlab for (almost) all figure aesthetics issues, but this seems to be only possible in Illustrator. I've searched the file exchange but haven't found any submission that does this... Does anyone have an idea of how to easily move the axes outwards while keeping the data the same?

Thanks!

[dpb]

"Easily", no, not really...it's just not an option TMW has implemented.

In Matlab you'll have to draw the two axes lines via the primitives to get the break as in the example; even if you were to add an offset to the data and tick values to move the line relative to the actual axes (and then write the tick label values) the axes would intersect where they meet.

[dpb]

ADDENDUM Seems like a reasonable enhancement request; after all only 25+ yr after I requested for hold on to not recycle the color order counter by default they actually did!!!

[dpb]

ADDENDUM 2 Probably the easiest thing to do with Matlab is to change the lower x/y limit to something slight less than 2/1 to thus have the actual data start slightly above/right of the axes. The tick values can still be the unit values. Again, of course, they'll still meet at the intersection.

Answer 1

[Anne Urai]

I guessed as much. I've written a workaround for this, http://nl.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/52351-offsetaxes-ax--pt-

[dpb]

Nice idea to draw over the axis base line segment to make it disappear; hadn't thought of that additional nicety...