EngFormatter

ColorbarWithEngFormatter.py

import matplotlib
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.cm as cm
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib.ticker import EngFormatter


delta = 0.025
x = np.arange(-3.0, 3.0, delta)
y = np.arange(-2.0, 2.0, delta)
X, Y = np.meshgrid(x, y)
Z1 = np.exp(-X**2 - Y**2)
Z2 = np.exp(-(X - 1)**2 - (Y - 1)**2)
Z = (Z1 - Z2) * 2

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
im = ax.imshow(Z, interpolation='bilinear', origin='lower',
                cmap=cm.gray, extent=(-3, 3, -2, 2))
levels = np.arange(-1.2, 1.6, 0.2)
CS = ax.contour(Z, levels, origin='lower', cmap='flag',
                linewidths=2, extent=(-3, 3, -2, 2))

# Thicken the zero contour.
zc = CS.collections[6]
plt.setp(zc, linewidth=4)

ax.clabel(CS, levels[1::2],  # label every second level
          inline=1, fmt='%1.1f', fontsize=14)

# make a colorbar for the contour lines
formatter0 = EngFormatter(unit='m')
CB = fig.colorbar(CS, shrink=0.8, extend='both', format=formatter0)

ax.set_title('Lines with colorbar')

# We can still add a colorbar for the image, too.
CBI = fig.colorbar(im, orientation='horizontal', shrink=0.8)

# This makes the original colorbar look a bit out of place,
# so let's improve its position.

l, b, w, h = ax.get_position().bounds
ll, bb, ww, hh = CB.ax.get_position().bounds
CB.ax.set_position([ll, b + 0.1*h, ww, h*0.8])

plt.show()