spherical.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib import cm, colors
from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import Axes3D
import numpy as np
from scipy.special import sph_harm
import seaborn as sns
import pdb


N = 40 # color grid
phi = np.linspace(0, np.pi, N)
theta = np.linspace(0, 2*np.pi, N)
phi, theta = np.meshgrid(phi, theta)

# The Cartesian coordinates of the unit sphere

x = np.sin(phi) * np.cos(theta)
y = np.sin(phi) * np.sin(theta)
z = np.cos(phi)

cp =  sns.color_palette("hls", z.shape[0])
cp_fill=[]
for j in range(N):
  for i in range(N):
    cp_fill.append( cp[j % N] + (1.,))

cp_fill = np.array(cp_fill).reshape((N,N,4))

m, l = 1, 1

# Calculate the spherical harmonic Y(l,m) and normalize to [0,1]
fcolors = sph_harm(m, l, theta, phi).real
fmax, fmin = fcolors.max(), fcolors.min()
fcolors = (fcolors - fmin)/(fmax - fmin)



# Set the aspect ratio to 1 so our sphere looks spherical
fig = plt.figure(figsize=plt.figaspect(1.))
ax = fig.add_subplot(111, projection='3d')
ax.plot_surface(x, y, z,  rstride=1, cstride=1, facecolors=cp_fill)
# Turn off the axis planes
ax.set_axis_off()
plt.show()