Matplotlib Broken Axes Example

broken_axes.py

def break_spines(ax,spines,symbol=u'\u2571',**kwargs):
    """Simulates broken axes using subplots. Need to fix heights according to given data for real aspect. Also plot the same data on each axes and set axes limits.
    - **Parameters**
        - ax : Axes who's spine(s) to edit. 
        - spines: str,list, str/list of any of ['top','bottom','left','right']. 
        - symbol: Defult is u'\u2571'. Its at 60 degrees. so you can apply rotation to make it any angle. 
    kwargs are passed to plt.text. 
    """
    kwargs.update(transform=ax.transAxes, ha='center',va = 'center')
    _spines = [spines] if isinstance(spines,str) else spines 
    _ = [ax.spines[s].set_visible(False) for s in _spines]
    ax.tick_params(**{sp:False for sp in _spines})
    if 'top' in spines:
        ax.text(0,1,symbol,**kwargs)
        ax.text(1,1,symbol,**kwargs)
    if 'bottom' in spines:
        ax.set_xticks([])
        ax.text(0,0,symbol,**kwargs)
        ax.text(1,0,symbol,**kwargs)
    if 'left' in spines:
        ax.set_yticks([])
        ax.text(0,0,symbol,**kwargs)
        ax.text(0,1,symbol,**kwargs)
    if 'right' in spines:
        ax.text(1,1,symbol,**kwargs)
        ax.text(1,0,symbol,**kwargs)
        
 # This code genertes figure below
import numpy as np 
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(0,30,50)
y = x**2*np.abs(np.cos(x))
fig,(a1,a2) = plt.subplots(2,1,figsize=(3,2),gridspec_kw=dict(height_ratios=[4,1]))
a1.plot(x,y)
a2.plot(x,y)
# Set limits of data same as height_ratios to make visual correct
a2.set_ylim([0,100])
a1.set_ylim([400,800])
plt.subplots_adjust(hspace=0.2)
break_spines(a1,'bottom',rotation=-35)
break_spines(a2,['top'],rotation=-35)
a1.set_title('$f(x) = x^2|\cos(x)|$')

Usage Example

import numpy as np 
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
x = np.linspace(0,30,50)
y = x**2*np.abs(np.cos(x))
fig,(a1,a2) = plt.subplots(2,1,figsize=(3,2),gridspec_kw=dict(height_ratios=[4,1]))
a1.plot(x,y)
a2.plot(x,y)
# Set limits of data same as height_ratios to make visual correct
a2.set_ylim([0,100])
a1.set_ylim([400,800])
plt.subplots_adjust(hspace=0.2)
break_spines(a1,'bottom',rotation=-35)
break_spines(a2,['top'],rotation=-35)
a1.set_title('$f(x) = x^2|\cos(x)|$')