RuntimeError: Can not put single artist in more than one figure when using matplotlib 1.5

Question

Here is my code:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.figure(1)                # the first figure
plt.subplot(211)             # the first subplot in the first figure
plt.plot([1, 2, 3])
plt.subplot(212)             # the second subplot in the first figure
plt.plot([4, 5, 6])

plt.figure(2)                # a second figure
plt.plot([4, 5, 6])          # creates a subplot(111) by default
plt.text(.5,1.5,'211',figure = 211) #tring to add text in previous subplot

plt.figure(1)                # figure 1 current; subplot(212) still current
plt.subplot(211)             # make subplot(211) in figure1 current
plt.title('Easy as 1, 2, 3') # subplot 211 title

The error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:/Users/ezhou/Desktop/python/test3.py", line 11, in <module>
plt.text(.5,1.5,'211',figure = 211)
File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\pyplot.py", line 3567, in text
ret = gca().text(x, y, s, fontdict=fontdict, withdash=withdash, **kwargs)
File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axes\_axes.py", line 619, in text
self._add_text(t)
File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axes\_base.py", line 1720, in _add_text
self._set_artist_props(txt)
File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\axes\_base.py", line 861, in _set_artist_props
a.set_figure(self.figure)
File "C:\Python27\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\artist.py", line 640, in set_figure
raise RuntimeError("Can not put single artist in "
RuntimeError: Can not put single artist in more than one figure

I was trying to understand the kwargs 'figure' in class matplotlib.text.Text(), but it will always reply 'Can not put single artist in more than one figure'. So I was confused about how to use this 'figure' kwarg. Can anyone give me some advise? Thanks!

Answer 1

You shouldn't pass figure as a kwarg, instead use text method of a Figure (or Axes) instance. Example:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
fig1, fig2 = plt.figure(1), plt.figure(2)
sp1, sp2 = fig1.add_subplot(211), fig2.add_subplot(211)
sp1.plot([1, 2, 3])
sp2.plot([0, 1, 3])

fig1.text(.5, .3, 'whole figure')
sp2.text(.5, .5, 'subplot')

Please note that coordinates are relative (0, 1).

P.S if you find matplotlib needlessly complicated (as I do), you may wish to have a look at Plotly