figurebetter.m

% Make a new figure without some of the usual Mathworks insanity.
% figsize is in cm and determines also the size of the 'paper'
% we also support a few shortcuts for sensible standard sizes:
% tiny: 4 should sideways on A4
% small: 3 fit
% medium: 2 fit
% large: 1 fits
% F is a handle number (defaults to uniquehandle output)
% F = figure([F],figsize,[axisar],[visible])
function F = figure(F,figsize,axisar,visible)

% This is a bit awkward but often we only want to enter a size argument
if nargin==1
  figsize=F;
  clear F
end

if ieNotDefined('F')
  F = uniquehandle;
end

if ieNotDefined('figsize')
  figsize = 'small';
end

if ieNotDefined('visible')
  visible = get(0,'defaultfigurevisible');
end

% Hack to allow 1/0 true/false options
if ~isstr(visible)
  if visible
    visible = 'on';
  else
    visible = 'off';
  end
end

a4 = [21 29.7];
% With a default figure aspect ratio 
if isstr(figsize)
  figar = 3/4;
  switch lower(figsize)
    case {'tiny'}
      modifier = 1/4;
    case {'small'}
      modifier = 1/3;
    case {'medium'}
      modifier = 1/2;
    case {'large'}
      modifier = 1;
  case {'huge'}
      modifier = 1.5;
    otherwise
      error('unknown figsize: %s',figsize)
  end
  figsize = a4(1) .* [modifier modifier*figar];
end

axisararg = 'defaultaxesplotboxaspectratio';
if ieNotDefined('axisar')
  axisar = figsize(2)/figsize(1);
end
if numel(axisar) < 3
    axisar = [1 axisar 1];
end

if strcmp(axisar,'auto')
    axisararg = [axisararg 'mode'];
end

iptsetpref('ImshowBorder','tight');

sysfonts = lower(listfonts);
if any(strcmp(sysfonts,'helvetica'))
    fon = 'helvetica';
elseif any(strcmp(sysfonts,'arial'))
    fon = 'arial';
else
    error('Cannot find helvetica or arial on system')
end

F = figure(F);
set(F,'color',[1 1 1],... % white BG
  'inverthardcopy','off',... % don't flip colours when printing
  'paperunits','centimeters',... % size in CM
  'papersize',figsize,... % paper=figsize
  'paperposition',[0 0 figsize],... % figure insize paper
  'units','centimeters',...
  'position',[0 0 figsize],... % use same units for figure and paper
  'defaultaxescolor',[1 1 1],... % white axes bg
  'defaultlinelinewidth',1,... 
  'defaultaxesfontname',fon,... 
  'defaultaxesfontsize',7,... 
  'defaultuicontrolfontname',fon,...
  'defaultuicontrolfontsize',7,...
  'defaulttextfontname',fon,...
  'defaulttextfontsize',7,...
  'defaultaxeslooseinset',[0 0 0 0],... % kill whitespace!
  'colormap',cmap_bwr,...
  'visible',visible,...
  axisararg,axisar);