meshc — Create composite wireframe-and-contour plots for scalar fields with MATLAB meshc semantics and contour overlays.
meshc combines a mesh-style wireframe surface with contour lines projected onto the base plane. In RunMat the returned handle is the primary surface handle for the wireframe component, while the contour overlay is attached as the secondary composite plot content.
How meshc works
meshcshares the same wireframe surface semantics asmeshfor the primary surface object.- The returned handle is the surface handle for the wireframe component of the composite.
- Contour overlays are produced through the shared contour path.
- View state, colormaps, and subplot-local metadata all flow through the shared axes model.
- GPU-aware execution applies where supported to both the surface and contour sides of the composite.
Examples
Create a wireframe surface with contour overlays
[X, Y] = meshgrid(linspace(-2, 2, 50), linspace(-2, 2, 50));
Z = sin(X.^2 + Y.^2);
meshc(X, Y, Z);Compare wireframe/composite behavior with camera controls
[X, Y] = meshgrid(linspace(-3, 3, 60), linspace(-3, 3, 60));
Z = cos(X) .* sin(Y);
h = meshc(X, Y, Z);
view(3);
colormap('parula');Inspect the returned primary surface handle
[X, Y] = meshgrid(1:20, 1:20);
Z = X - Y;
h = meshc(X, Y, Z);
get(h, 'Type')Expected output:
ans =
'surface'FAQ
Where does the contour overlay appear in a meshc plot?⌄
The contour lines are projected onto the base plane beneath the wireframe, at the z-minimum of the axes. This gives you a top-down height map below the 3-D wireframe so you can read both the grid structure and the level sets at the same time.
What's the difference between meshc and mesh?⌄
mesh draws only the wireframe surface. meshc draws the same wireframe plus contour lines projected onto the base plane underneath. If you don't need the contour overlay, use mesh — it's the same surface rendering with less visual clutter.
Should I use meshc or surfc?⌄
Both add contour projections to the base plane. The difference is the surface itself: meshc uses a wireframe (transparent faces, grid lines only), while surfc uses a shaded, filled surface. Pick meshc when you want to see through the geometry, and surfc when you want a solid surface on top.
Related Plotting functions
More plotting resources
Open-source implementation
Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how meshc works, line by line, in Rust.
- View meshc.rs on GitHub
- Learn how the runtime works
- Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.
About RunMat
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