# Mathematica Plot and Movie Problem

I have imported two .mat files from Matlab. One containing the x coordinates and another y of a curve at different instants. So the .mat files are matrix and each row belongs to coordinates at a given time. I am planning to make a movie in Mathematica using the Table command because Matlab movies are of poor quality and there is no way for antialiasing in Matlab.

I am using these on mathematica

X = Import["X.mat"];
Y = Import["Y.mat"];

Do[xx = X[[1, i]];
yy = Y[[1, i]];
data = Transpose@{xx, yy};
c[i] = ListPlot[data], {i, 1, 10, 1}];


I want to then put all the listplot in a table and generate an animation.

As an example: Suppose you have two matrices A and B given as: A = [1 2 3;4 5 6;7 8 9]; and B = [10 20 30;40 50 60;70 80 90]

Suppose the entry's of each row are points. I mean (1,1) (2,20) and so on are points. And each row belongs to some instant of time. So at every instant of time I have three points plotted on a figure. My question is how to combine the plots (3 in this case) in order to get a movie. What should be the right loop which does these:

1. Selects values from the matrix A and B
2. Then creates 3 points.
3. Plots them.
4. Combine the figures in a table or so for a movie.

I know that my loop construct is not correct. But I am at a loss that how I should do it. I have never used loops or arrays in Mathematica before. Please suggest how I should proceed. Thanks in advance.

• How can I share my file? I get two matrices X and Y from Matlab code. Each row of the matrix has the x and y coordinates respectively at a given time. I can listplot the data of a given time. But i cannot create a table of plots for all the time instant by loop in mathematica – Brato Oct 2 '14 at 1:10
• If you have an account with any cloud storage service. You can upload it there and give a link. – RunnyKine Oct 2 '14 at 1:17
• Sorry I dont have such account. But I can pose the problem more simply. Suppose you have two matrices A and B given as: A = [1 2 3;4 5 6;7 8 9]; and B = [10 20 30;40 50 60;70 80 90] Suppose the entry's of each row are points. I mean (1,1) (2,20) and so on are points. So I have 3 points and will have three figures one per row. How will combine those figures in a Table in mathematica so that you have a movie or animation now. What should be the loop for that – Brato Oct 2 '14 at 1:23
• Please have a look at it with matrix A and B – Brato Oct 2 '14 at 1:38
• I am disappointed that this question is not about a screenplay for an upcoming Mathematica feature-length motion picture. – Kellen Myers Oct 2 '14 at 1:53

This should get you started:

xx = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9};
yy = {10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90};
xy = Transpose[{xx, yy}] // Partition[#, 3] &;

ani = ListPlot[#] & /@ xy;


Then:

ListAnimate[ani]

• Really appreciate your help. Your code works fine. But my problem is not resolved. It is because of my stupidity I guess. I created an Array from the Matrix and imported it from Matlab. The problem with that is I have my data like this: {{{1,2,3,4,5}}} instead of {1,2,3,4,5} and that two extra brackets messes things up. Can you suggest anything? Thank you again – Brato Oct 2 '14 at 4:18
• @Brato. First apply Flatten to that list i.e. Flatten[{{{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}}}]. – RunnyKine Oct 2 '14 at 4:19
• GREAT!!! Thank you so so much. This works! Really Appreciate Your Help!! – Brato Oct 2 '14 at 4:35
• Sorry to bother you again. Can I ask you one more question? Consider the example of the two matrices as I asked above. If I create two plots using the data from them is it possible to animate them in the same figure? I mean I can use Show command to display 2 plots on the same figure. How can I do this for animations? – Brato Oct 2 '14 at 6:10
• @Brato. It's best to ask a new question instead of editing an already answered one. It will give it more visibility. For now, I think the answer to the second question is to include both plots into the same Graphics object and Animate that object. – RunnyKine Oct 2 '14 at 6:46

You can generate an animation from time-series data A and B using Animate, and then Export it to any number of desired file formats. For example:

{A, B} = {#, Sin[#]} &@Range[0, 10, 0.1];
Animate[Graphics[{Point[{A[[k]], B[[k]]}]}, Axes -> True,
PlotRange -> {{0, 10}, {-1, 1}}], {k, 1, 100, 1}]


which generates the following: