copy graphic to Excel
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How can I take the code below to just copy the graphic on axes component (axes1) to clipboard. I then have code to paste it to excel. It currently copies all of my matlab screen.
axes(handles.axes1)
Z=peaks
surf(Z)
print -dmeta; %.................Copying to clipboard
0 Comments
Answers (2)
Andy
on 13 May 2011
You could use Yair Altman's screencapture utility from the FEX: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/24323-screencapture-get-a-screen-capture-of-a-figure-frame-or-component
screencapture('handle',ax, 'filename', fn); % save the graph in file fn
exlSheet.Shapes.AddPicture(fn,0,1,...
20,... % distance from left of sheet
20,... % distance from top of sheet
600,... % width
400); % height
Note that you will need to have opened an actxserver connection to MATLAB. In the above, ax is the handle to your axes, fn is the file where your image is saved, and exlSheet is an Excel Sheet object.
EDIT: Here is some sample actxserve code. I have had a chance to test this and it works for me. Refer to http://www.mathworks.com/help/techdoc/ref/actxserver.html if needed.
x = 0:0.1:10;
y = sin(x);
f = figure;
ax = axes('parent',f);
plot(ax,x,y);
fn = fullfile(pwd,'myplot.bmp');
screencapture('handle',ax, 'filename', fn);
e = actxserver('Excel.application');
eW = e.Workbooks;
eF = eW.Add; % start a new file; use Open method for existing files
eS = eF.ActiveSheet;
e.Visible = 1; % Excel window won't show up by default
eS.Shapes.AddPicture(fn,0,1,...
20,... % distance from left of sheet
20,... % distance from top of sheet
400,... % width
300); % height
17 Comments
Andy
on 16 May 2011
That's correct. It's a documented limitation of the print function that it cannot take as an argument, for example, just the axes handle. Yair Altman's screencapture utility that I linked to before CAN capture only the axes without copying the whole figure. I'm not at MATLAB right now, so I can't be certain, but I don't think there is a way for the screencapture utility to write to the system clipboard. That's why I suggested writing to a file and then importing the file into Excel. I really think this is the best solution, but when I'm next using MATLAB I can try to think of something that doesn't produce the intermediate file.
Laura Proctor
on 13 May 2011
hf = figure;
surf(peaks)
print('-dmeta',hf)
6 Comments
Andy
on 17 May 2011
Yes, that has been pointed out to you before. I have updated the code in my answer with tested code which works correctly and copies only the axes.
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