How to use rotatable 3D mesh graphs in presentation

Hello, I have recently finished a Matlab project and have to make a presentation, which needs to be memorable (believe me, that is of enormous importance). As all the graphs are of ‘mesh’ type I actually would like to show them from different angles during the presentation. Thus, I look for software that will allow me to rotate these 3D graphs just as it is possible in Matlab. Do you know of any presentation program that does so or could you suggest any other way to achieve it? Truly appreciate your quick responses.

Answer 1

[Sean de Wolski]

I would use a while loop + pause or a timer function to call view with an increasing angular increment.

doc timer
doc pause
doc view
doc persistent %in case you need to remember the previous angle.

[Gayane]

Dear Sean de,

Thanks for your reply.

However, the thing that I am looking for is to use Matlab graphs ourside it- in a presentation. The question is what presentation software can do that.

[Sean de Wolski]

Well you can create a movie from your figure series! Then you could save it as an AVI and show it in Powerpoint, Keynote etc.

[Gayane]

See, I also thought about it. But the thing is I need to be able to rotate the figures right at the presentation. I imagine it to be something like an extract of matlab, where in fact it is possible. I am unfamiliar, however, with any software that allows it. Do you know any presentation program that does it?

Answer 2

[Teja Muppirala]

Option 1: Start MATLAB up during your presentation. (If you could do this, you probably wouldn't be asking this question)

Option 2: Use MATLAB Compiler. You would write a simple program to open a figure, and compile it to an executable.

[Gayane]

Thank you so much!

As you mentioned the option 1 was not applicable in my case. What about MATLAB Compiler, I have never used it. Can I import it to powerpoint or other application?

Once again, tx!

[Jiro Doke]

MATLAB Compiler (http://www.mathworks.com/products/compiler/) allows you to create standalone applications. So it could be set up as a separate figure window that would pop up. It won't be "embedded" inside PowerPoint.

Is this going to be on your computer, or would you be taking the presentation on a USB drive or something and showing it on someone else's computer? To run a program created by MATLAB Compiler, you need to first install a runtime (called MATLAB Compiler Runtime). This is available with MATLAB Compiler product, but it would need to be installed on your presentation machine prior to running your presentation.

[Gayane]

Thanks Jiro for your comment! I will not be making a presentation on my laptop, and most probably will not have access to install additional programs in the one I will be making it.. That makes the use of Compiler not possible and further complicates the problem as I see. So there is no way to use 3D Matlab graphs as being 3D in the presentation as well??

Answer 3

[Vittorio Casella]

Hi, I think you need something like this.

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/27245-generate-vertices-faces-and-color-for-u3d-format

But, beware, I'm not an expert of this.

Greetings Vittorio Casella

[Gayane]

Your suggestion is much like what I have been looking for! I will let you know on the results after trying it! Tx!

Answer 4

[Gayane]

After a bit of further research, let me refine my question and let you know where, with your assistance, I stand on it.

So the question is: saving matlab mesh which also has scatter plot in any 3D format in order to use it later in pdf or/and presentation.

The problem with all the following solutions was not being able to convert scatter plot. Also, some of them lost colors and changed (stretched) the shape of the mesh. The simple thing I want is to save as mesh as it is (seems it was not an easy task though)

The possible solutions were:

• save as u3d.I did try Vittorio's suggestion and even asked Sven Koerner for further clarification (many TX). However, this does not allow me to save scatter plot as well
• save with the help of symbolic math toolbox (suggested by Sven Koerner)
• save as stl
• save as vrml
• save as obj

All of the above did not work!! Do you know anything else that would simply “save as” matlab mesh and scatter without further changing it??? Will Photoshop CS3 do it??? Any other program???

Answer 5

[Yair Altman]

Sven Körner described a way to do this using a combination of STL-export, Java and HTML: http://undocumentedmatlab.com/blog/jfreechart-graphs-and-gauges/#comment-30601