# pygmt.Figure.contour¶

Figure.contour(x=None, y=None, z=None, data=None, **kwargs)

Contour table data by direct triangulation.

Takes a matrix, (x,y,z) pairs, or a file name as input and plots lines, polygons, or symbols at those locations on a map.

Must provide either data or x, y, and z.

[TODO: Insert more documentation]

Full option list at https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/contour.html

Aliases:

• B = frame

• C = levels

• G = label_placement

• J = projection

• L = triangular_mesh_pen

• N = no_clip

• R = region

• S = skip

• V = verbose

• W = pen

• X = xshift

• Y = yshift

• i = columns

• l = label

• p = perspective

• t = transparency

Parameters
• x/y/z (1d arrays) – Arrays of x and y coordinates and values z of the data points.

• data (str or 2d array) – Either a data file name or a 2d numpy array with the tabular data.

• projection (str) – Required if this is the first plot command. Select map projection.

• region (str or list) – Required if this is the first plot command. 'xmin/xmax/ymin/ymax[+r][+uunit]'. Specify the region of interest.

• A (bool or str) – '[m|p|x|y]' By default, geographic line segments are drawn as great circle arcs. To draw them as straight lines, use A.

• frame (str or list) – Set map boundary frame and axes attributes.

• levels (str) – Contour file or level(s)

• D (str) – Dump contour coordinates

• E (str) – Network information

• label_placement (str) – Placement of labels

• I (bool) – Color the triangles using CPT

• triangular_mesh_pen (str) – Pen to draw the underlying triangulation (default none)

• no_clip (bool) – Do NOT clip contours or image at the boundaries [Default will clip to fit inside region].

• Q (float or str) – Do not draw contours with less than cut number of points. '[cut[unit]][+z]'

• skip (bool or str) – Skip input points outside region '[p|t]'

• pen (str) – Set pen attributes for lines or the outline of symbols.

• label (str) – Add a legend entry for the contour being plotted. Normally, the annotated contour is selected for the legend. You can select the regular contour instead, or both of them, by considering the label to be of the format [annotcontlabel][/contlabel]. If either label contains a slash (/) character then use | as the separator for the two labels instead.

• verbose (str) –

Select verbosity level [Default is w], which modulates the messages written to stderr. Choose among 7 levels of verbosity:

• q - Quiet, not even fatal error messages are produced

• e - Error messages only

• w - Warnings [Default]

• t - Timings (report runtimes for time-intensive algorthms);

• i - Informational messages (same as “verbose=True”)

• c - Compatibility warnings

• d - Debugging messages

• xshift (str) – [a|c|f|r][xshift]. Shift plot origin in x-direction.

• yshift (str) – [a|c|f|r][yshift]. Shift plot origin in y-direction. Full documentation is at https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/gmt.html#xy-full.

• perspective (list or str) – '[x|y|z]azim[/elev[/zlevel]][+wlon0/lat0[/z0]][+vx0/y0]'. Select perspective view and set the azimuth and elevation angle of the viewpoint. Default is [180, 90]. Full documentation is at https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/gmt.html#perspective-full.

• transparency (float) – Set transparency level, in [0-100] percent range. Default is 0, i.e., opaque. Only visible when PDF or raster format output is selected. Only the PNG format selection adds a transparency layer in the image (for further processing).