plot3 — Create 3-D line plots in MATLAB and RunMat.

plot3 creates line plots in 3-D space from matching x, y, and z inputs. Returned handle behavior and plotting integration follow MATLAB semantics.

Syntax

h = plot3(X, Y, Z)
h = plot3(X, Y, Z, LineSpec)
h = plot3(X, Y, Z, Name, Value, ...)
h = plot3(ax, X, Y, Z)
h = plot3(ax, X, Y, Z, LineSpec)
h = plot3(ax, X, Y, Z, Name, Value, ...)
h = plot3(X1, Y1, Z1, ..., Xn, Yn, Zn)
h = plot3(ax, X1, Y1, Z1, ..., Xn, Yn, Zn)

Inputs

Returns

Errors

How plot3 works

• plot3(x, y, z) requires matching element counts in all three inputs.
• The builtin returns a 3-D line handle that can be inspected and updated through get and set.
• Multiple 3-D series in one call create multiple line objects and return the handle for the first created series.
• plot3 is camera-aware and naturally pairs with view and zlabel in the subplot-local 3-D state model.
• GPU-backed 3-D line rendering is used when the shared plotting device can consume exported buffers directly.

Does RunMat run plot3 on the GPU?

The dedicated 3-D line pipeline is separate from 2-D plot, which keeps camera-aware rendering and bounds handling explicit.

Subview state, labels, and line object behavior remain identical across GPU and host fallback paths.

Plot replay/export can read back preserved GPU source buffers from the line object when host coordinate vectors were not materialized at construction time.

GPU memory and residency

plot3 preserves GPU residency for multi-point GPU coordinate inputs when the 3-D line pipeline can consume exported buffers directly. Single-point GPU inputs gather once because they render through the scatter-style point fallback rather than the line-segment packer.

Examples

Create a 3-D helix

t = linspace(0, 6*pi, 300);
plot3(cos(t), sin(t), t);

Plot multiple 3-D trajectories and label them

t = linspace(0, 4*pi, 200);
h1 = plot3(cos(t), sin(t), t);
set(h1, 'DisplayName', 'helix A');
hold on;
h2 = plot3(cos(t), sin(t), -t);
set(h2, 'DisplayName', 'helix B');
legend;

Control the camera and z-axis after plotting

t = linspace(0, 4*pi, 150);
h = plot3(cos(t), sin(t), t);
zlabel('Height');
view(45, 20);
get(h, 'Type')

Expected output:

ans =
    'line'

Rendered plot3 example

t = linspace(0, 8*pi, 600);
radius = 1 + 0.12*cos(5*t);
x = radius.*cos(t);
y = radius.*sin(t);
z = linspace(0, 6, 600) + 0.12*sin(3*t);

h = plot3(x, y, z);
set(h, 'LineWidth', 2);
title('Helical Sensor Trajectory');
xlabel('x (m)');
ylabel('y (m)');
zlabel('z (m)');
view(38, 26);
grid on;
axis equal;

Compare this result with other chart types in the MATLAB Plot Gallery.

Using plot3 with coding agents

Open a RunMat example with live inputs, then ask the agent to explain how plot3 changes the result.

FAQ

t = linspace(0, 10*pi, 500);
plot3(sin(t), cos(t), t);
zlabel('z');

t = linspace(0, 4*pi, 200);
plot3(cos(t), sin(t), t);
hold on;
scatter3(cos(t(1:20:end)), sin(t(1:20:end)), t(1:20:end));

Related Plotting functions

More plotting resources

• Choosing the right plot type
• Styling plots and axes
• Plot replay and export
• Complete plotting guide

Open-source implementation

Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how plot3 is executed, line by line, in Rust.

• View the source for plot3 in Rust on GitHub
• Learn how the RunMat runtime works
• Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.

About RunMat

RunMat is an open-source runtime that executes MATLAB-syntax code blazing on any GPU. It is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license.

• RunMat automatically optimizes your math for GPU execution on Apple, Nvidia, and AMD hardware. No code changes needed. Simulations that took hours now take minutes.
• Start running code in seconds. RunMat runs in the browser, on the desktop, or from the CLI. No license server, no IT ticket.

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