Save axes plot as '.fig' in a GUI

I have a GUI in which one an axes is located with a plot and I would like to save this axes as '.fig' file. I have tried with :

[FileName,PathName] = uiputfile;
saveDataName = fullfile(PathName,FileName);
axes(handles.Graph1_axes);
saveas(gca, saveDataName, 'fig');

But this commands save all the GUI interface as '.fig'. Any help will be welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

[Jan]

The FIG format contains the complete figure (as the name says already). If you want to save a single axes only and definitely want the FIG format, you can copy the axes to a new figure:

Fig1 = figure;
AxesH = axes;
plot(1:10, rand(10,10));

Fig2 = figure;
copyobj(AxesH, Fig2);
hgsave(Fig2, 'myFigure.fig');

[Manuel]

Everything works! Thanks!

Answer 2

[Sean de Wolski]

You can't directly save just the axes. Instead, use export_fig with the cropping option

[Image Analyst]

I agree. I think it would be a better idea to save the axes as a .PNG file (a widely used lossless compression format) rather than a .fig file. Then the picture will be available to any program, not just MATLAB.

[Manuel]

Actually Im already using 'export_fig' to save the picture in .png format, but I would like to save also in .fig in order to make future changes on labels, legends... and 'export_fig' has not this option. Any idea how to make it?

[Jan]

What about using hgsave directly.

[loghman]

copyobj doesn't work for axes with multiple coordinated system. what should i do?

[loghman]

copyobj doesn't work for axes with multiple coordinated system. what should i do?