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I have a problem changing my axis labels in Matplotlib. I want to change the radial axis options in my Polar Plot.
Basically, I'm computing the distortion of a cylinder, which is nothing but how much the radius deviates from the original (perfectly circular) cylinder. Some of the distortion values are negative, while some are positive due to tensile and compressive forces. I'm looking for a way to represent this in cylindrical coordinates graphically, so I thought that a polar plot was my best bet. Excel gives me a 'radar chart' option which is flexible enough to let me specify minimum and maximum radial axis values. I want to replicate this on Python using Matplotlib.
My Python script for plotting on polar coordinates is as follows.
#!usr/bin/env python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
x = np.arange(-180.0,190.0,10)
theta = (np.pi/180.0 )*x # in radians
offset = 2.0
R1 = [-0.358,-0.483,-0.479,-0.346,-0.121,0.137,0.358,0.483,0.479,0.346,0.121,\
-0.137,-0.358,-0.483,-0.479,-0.346,-0.121,0.137,0.358,0.483,0.479,0.346,0.121,\
-0.137,-0.358,-0.483,-0.479,-0.346,-0.121,0.137,0.358,0.483,0.479,0.346,0.121,\
-0.137,-0.358]
fig1 = plt.figure()
ax1 = fig1.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8],polar=True)
ax1.set_rmax(1)
ax1.plot(theta,R1,lw=2.5)
My plot looks as follows: 
But this is not how I want to present it. I want to vary my radial axis, so that I can show the data as a deviation from some reference value, say -2. How do I ask Matplotlib in polar coordinates to change the minimum axis label? I can do this VERY easily in Excel. I choose a minimum radial value of -2, to get the following Excel radar chart:
On Python, I can easily offset my input data by a magnitude of 2. My new dataset is called R2, as shown:
#!usr/bin/env python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
x = np.arange(-180.0,190.0,10)
theta = (np.pi/180.0 )*x # in radians
offset = 2.0
R2 = [1.642,1.517,1.521,1.654,1.879,2.137,2.358,2.483,2.479,2.346,2.121,1.863,\
1.642,1.517,1.521,1.654,1.879,2.137,2.358,2.483,2.479,2.346,2.121,1.863,1.642,\
1.517,1.521,1.654,1.879,2.137,2.358,2.483,2.479,2.346,2.121,1.863,1.642]
fig2 = plt.figure()
ax2 = fig2.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8],polar=True)
ax2.plot(theta,R2,lw=2.5)
ax2.set_rmax(1.5*offset)
plt.show()
The plot is shown below: 
Once I get this, I can MANUALLY add axis labels and hard-code it into my script. But this is a really ugly way. Is there any way I can directly get a Matplotlib equivalent of the Excel radar chart and change my axis labels without having to manipulate my input data?
260
To change the range of X and Y axes, we can use xlim() and ylim() methods.
To specify the value of axes, create a list of characters. Use xticks and yticks method to specify the ticks on the axes with x and y ticks data points respectively. Plot the line using x and y, color=red, using plot() method. Make x and y margin 0.
With Pyplot, you can use the xlabel() and ylabel() functions to set a label for the x- and y-axis.
MatPlotLib with Python Create a figure using the figure() method. Using the above figure method, create the axis of the plot, using add_subplot(xyz), where x is row, y is column, and z is index. To shift the Y-axis ticks from left to right, use ax. yaxis.
You can just use the normal way of setting axis limits:
#!usr/bin/env python
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
x = np.arange(-180.0,190.0,10)
theta = (np.pi/180.0 )*x # in radians
offset = 2.0
R1 = [-0.358,-0.483,-0.479,-0.346,-0.121,0.137,0.358,0.483,0.479,0.346,0.121,\
-0.137,-0.358,-0.483,-0.479,-0.346,-0.121,0.137,0.358,0.483,0.479,0.346,0.121,\
-0.137,-0.358,-0.483,-0.479,-0.346,-0.121,0.137,0.358,0.483,0.479,0.346,0.121,\
-0.137,-0.358]
fig1 = plt.figure()
ax1 = fig1.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8],polar=True)
ax1.set_ylim(-2,2)
ax1.set_yticks(np.arange(-2,2,0.5))
ax1.plot(theta,R1,lw=2.5)
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