Chapter 11: Defining Plot Layouts to Create Figure Panels

Sometimes, we need to create figures or plot panels that contain a set of related plots. For example, when making figures for publication in scientific journals, there is usually a constraint on the size and number of figures. In those cases, we need to decide the figure’s layout, determining the placement and relative sizes of the contained plots. A common practice is to export the plots in SVG format and then use a vector graphics editor, such as Inkscape, to define the figure’s layout. However, that practice hampers reproducibility, as changes to the included plots can require us to manually redo the figure. Thankfully, Plots and Makie allow us to layout our figures using Julia code rather than external programs, ensuring reproducibility and easing the figure creation process.

In this chapter, we will learn to compose multiple plots to create complex figures using Plots and Makie. These packages provide excellent...