matplotlib · WeatherGod · Mar 6, 2015 · Feb 2, 2015 · Feb 27, 2015 · Mar 2, 2015
diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2015-02-27 Added the rcParam 'image.composite_image' to permit users 
+		   to decide whether they want the vector graphics backends to combine 
+		   all images within a set of axes into a single composite image.  
+		   (If images do not get combined, users can open vector graphics files 
+		   in Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape and edit each image individually.)  
+
 2015-02-19 Rewrite of C++ code that calculates contours to add support for
            corner masking.  This is controlled by the 'corner_mask' keyword
            in plotting commands 'contour' and 'contourf'. - IMT

diff --git a/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst b/doc/users/whats_new/rcparams.rst
@@ -1,20 +1,21 @@
 Added "legend.framealpha" key to rcParams
 `````````````````````````````````````````
-
 Added a key and the corresponding logic to control the default transparency of
 legend frames. This feature was written into the docstring of axes.legend(),
 but not yet implemented.
 
-
 Added "figure.titlesize" and "figure.titleweight" keys to rcParams
 ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
-
 Two new keys were added to rcParams to control the default font size and weight
 used by the figure title (as emitted by ``pyplot.suptitle()``).
 
-
-
 Added "legend.facecolor" and "legend.edgecolor" keys to rcParams
 ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
-
 The new keys control colors (background and edge) of legend patches.
+
+``image.composite_image`` added to rcParams
+```````````````````````````````````````````
+Controls whether vector graphics backends (i.e. PDF, PS, and SVG) combine
+multiple images on a set of axes into a single composite image.  Saving each
+image individually can be useful if you generate vector graphics files in 
+matplotlib and then edit the files further in Inkscape or other programs.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@
 import matplotlib.text as mtext
 import matplotlib.image as mimage
 from matplotlib.artist import allow_rasterization
-
-
 from matplotlib.cbook import iterable
 
 rcParams = matplotlib.rcParams
@@ -1241,7 +1239,9 @@ def apply_aspect(self, position=None):
         Xsize = ysize / data_ratio
         Xmarg = Xsize - xr
         Ymarg = Ysize - yr
-        xm = 0  # Setting these targets to, e.g., 0.05*xr does not seem to help
+        # Setting these targets to, e.g., 0.05*xr does not seem to
+        # help.
+        xm = 0
         ym = 0
 
         changex = (self in self._shared_y_axes and
@@ -2028,8 +2028,8 @@ def draw(self, renderer=None, inframe=False):
             dsu = [(a.zorder, a) for a in artists
                    if not a.get_animated()]
 
-        # add images to dsu if the backend support compositing.
-        # otherwise, does the manaul compositing  without adding images to dsu.
+        # add images to dsu if the backend supports compositing.
+        # otherwise, does the manual compositing  without adding images to dsu.
         if len(self.images) <= 1 or renderer.option_image_nocomposite():
             dsu.extend([(im.zorder, im) for im in self.images])
             _do_composite = False
@@ -2055,7 +2055,7 @@ def draw(self, renderer=None, inframe=False):
             self.patch.draw(renderer)
 
         if _do_composite:
-            # make a composite image blending alpha
+            # make a composite image, blending alpha
             # list of (mimage.Image, ox, oy)
 
             zorder_images = [(im.zorder, im) for im in self.images

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -529,8 +529,8 @@ def draw_image(self, gc, x, y, im):
 
     def option_image_nocomposite(self):
         """
-        override this method for renderers that do not necessarily
-        want to rescale and composite raster images. (like SVG)
+        override this method for renderers that do not necessarily always
+        want to rescale and composite raster images. (like SVG, PDF, or PS)
         """
         return False
 

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_mixed.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_mixed.py
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ def __init__(self, figure, width, height, dpi, vector_renderer,
         self._height = height
         self.dpi = dpi
 
-        assert not vector_renderer.option_image_nocomposite()
         self._vector_renderer = vector_renderer
 
         self._raster_renderer = None

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_pdf.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_pdf.py
@@ -462,8 +462,8 @@ def __init__(self, filename):
         self.fontNames = {}     # maps filenames to internal font names
         self.nextFont = 1       # next free internal font name
         self.dviFontInfo = {}   # information on dvi fonts
-        self.type1Descriptors = {}  # differently encoded Type-1 fonts may
-                                    # share the same descriptor
+        # differently encoded Type-1 fonts may share the same descriptor
+        self.type1Descriptors = {}
         self.used_characters = {}
 
         self.alphaStates = {}   # maps alpha values to graphics state objects
@@ -1475,6 +1475,7 @@ def is_date(x):
 
         check_trapped = (lambda x: isinstance(x, Name) and
                          x.name in ('True', 'False', 'Unknown'))
+
         keywords = {'Title': is_string_like,
                     'Author': is_string_like,
                     'Subject': is_string_like,
@@ -1576,6 +1577,13 @@ def option_scale_image(self):
         """
         return True
 
+    def option_image_nocomposite(self):
+        """
+        return whether to generate a composite image from multiple images on
+        a set of axes
+        """
+        return not rcParams['image.composite_image']
+
     def draw_image(self, gc, x, y, im, dx=None, dy=None, transform=None):
         self.check_gc(gc)
 

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_ps.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_ps.py
@@ -451,6 +451,13 @@ def option_scale_image(self):
         ps backend support arbitrary scaling of image.
         """
         return True
+
+    def option_image_nocomposite(self):
+        """
+        return whether to generate a composite image from multiple images on 
+        a set of axes
+        """
+        return not rcParams['image.composite_image']
 
     def _get_image_h_w_bits_command(self, im):
         if im.is_grayscale:

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_svg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_svg.py
@@ -529,9 +529,13 @@ def close_group(self, s):
 
     def option_image_nocomposite(self):
         """
-        if svg.image_noscale is True, compositing multiple images into one is prohibited
+        return whether to generate a composite image from multiple images on 
+        a set of axes
         """
-        return rcParams['svg.image_noscale']
+        if rcParams['svg.image_noscale']:
+            return True
+        else:
+            return not rcParams['image.composite_image']
 
     def _convert_path(self, path, transform=None, clip=None, simplify=None):
         if clip:

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -595,6 +595,9 @@ def __call__(self, s):
     'image.lut':           [256, validate_int],  # lookup table
     'image.origin':        ['upper', six.text_type],  # lookup table
     'image.resample':      [False, validate_bool],
+    # Specify whether vector graphics backends will combine all images on a 
+    # set of axes into a single composite image
+    'image.composite_image': [True, validate_bool],
 
     # contour props
     'contour.negative_linestyle': ['dashed',
@@ -764,6 +767,7 @@ def __call__(self, s):
     # Maintain shell focus for TkAgg
     'tk.window_focus':  [False, validate_bool],
     'tk.pythoninspect': [False, validate_tkpythoninspect],  # obsolete
+
     # Set the papersize/type
     'ps.papersize':     ['letter', validate_ps_papersize],
     'ps.useafm':        [False, validate_bool],  # Set PYTHONINSPECT

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pdf.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_pdf.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@
 import os
 
 import numpy as np
-
 from matplotlib import cm, rcParams
+from matplotlib.backends.backend_pdf import PdfPages
 from matplotlib import pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.testing.decorators import (image_comparison, knownfailureif,
                                            cleanup)
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ def test_type42():
 
 @cleanup
 def test_multipage_pagecount():
-    from matplotlib.backends.backend_pdf import PdfPages
     with PdfPages(io.BytesIO()) as pdf:
         assert pdf.get_pagecount() == 0
         fig = plt.figure()
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ def test_multipage_pagecount():
 def test_multipage_keep_empty():
     from matplotlib.backends.backend_pdf import PdfPages
     from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
-    ### test empty pdf files
+    # test empty pdf files
     # test that an empty pdf is left behind with keep_empty=True (default)
     with NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False) as tmp:
         with PdfPages(tmp) as pdf:
@@ -69,7 +68,7 @@ def test_multipage_keep_empty():
     with PdfPages(filename, keep_empty=False) as pdf:
         pass
     assert not os.path.exists(filename)
-    ### test pdf files with content, they should never be deleted
+    # test pdf files with content, they should never be deleted
     fig = plt.figure()
     ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
     ax.plot([1, 2, 3])
@@ -87,3 +86,24 @@ def test_multipage_keep_empty():
             pdf.savefig()
         assert os.path.exists(filename)
     os.remove(filename)
+
+
+@cleanup
+def test_composite_image():
+    #Test that figures can be saved with and without combining multiple images
+    #(on a single set of axes) into a single composite image.
+    X, Y = np.meshgrid(np.arange(-5, 5, 1), np.arange(-5, 5, 1))
+    Z = np.sin(Y ** 2)
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
+    ax.set_xlim(0, 3)
+    ax.imshow(Z, extent=[0, 1, 0, 1])
+    ax.imshow(Z[::-1], extent=[2, 3, 0, 1])
+    plt.rcParams['image.composite_image'] = True
+    with PdfPages(io.BytesIO()) as pdf:
+        fig.savefig(pdf, format="pdf")
+        assert len(pdf._file.images.keys()) == 1
+    plt.rcParams['image.composite_image'] = False
+    with PdfPages(io.BytesIO()) as pdf:
+        fig.savefig(pdf, format="pdf")
+        assert len(pdf._file.images.keys()) == 2
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_ps.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_ps.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import io
 import re
-
+import numpy as np
 import six
 
 import matplotlib
@@ -86,6 +86,30 @@ def test_savefig_to_stringio_with_usetex_eps():
     _test_savefig_to_stringio(format='eps')
 
 
+@cleanup
+def test_composite_image():
+    #Test that figures can be saved with and without combining multiple images
+    #(on a single set of axes) into a single composite image.
+    X, Y = np.meshgrid(np.arange(-5, 5, 1), np.arange(-5, 5, 1))
+    Z = np.sin(Y ** 2)
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
+    ax.set_xlim(0, 3)
+    ax.imshow(Z, extent=[0, 1, 0, 1])
+    ax.imshow(Z[::-1], extent=[2, 3, 0, 1])
+    plt.rcParams['image.composite_image'] = True
+    with io.BytesIO() as ps:
+        fig.savefig(ps, format="ps")
+        ps.seek(0)
+        buff = ps.read()
+        assert buff.count(six.b(' colorimage')) == 1
+    plt.rcParams['image.composite_image'] = False
+    with io.BytesIO() as ps:
+        fig.savefig(ps, format="ps")
+        ps.seek(0)
+        buff = ps.read()
+        assert buff.count(six.b(' colorimage')) == 2
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import nose
     nose.runmodule(argv=['-s', '--with-doctest'], exit=False)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_svg.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_svg.py
@@ -55,6 +55,31 @@ def test_noscale():
     plt.rcParams['svg.image_noscale'] = True
 
 
+@cleanup
+def test_composite_images():
+    #Test that figures can be saved with and without combining multiple images
+    #(on a single set of axes) into a single composite image.
+    X, Y = np.meshgrid(np.arange(-5, 5, 1), np.arange(-5, 5, 1))
+    Z = np.sin(Y ** 2)
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
+    ax.set_xlim(0, 3)
+    ax.imshow(Z, extent=[0, 1, 0, 1])
+    ax.imshow(Z[::-1], extent=[2, 3, 0, 1])
+    plt.rcParams['image.composite_image'] = True
+    with BytesIO() as svg:
+        fig.savefig(svg, format="svg")
+        svg.seek(0)
+        buff = svg.read()
+        assert buff.count(six.b('<image ')) == 1
+    plt.rcParams['image.composite_image'] = False
+    with BytesIO() as svg:
+        fig.savefig(svg, format="svg")
+        svg.seek(0)
+        buff = svg.read()
+        assert buff.count(six.b('<image ')) == 2
+
+
 @cleanup
 def test_text_urls():
     fig = plt.figure()

diff --git a/matplotlibrc.template b/matplotlibrc.template
@@ -358,6 +358,10 @@ backend      : %(backend)s
 #image.lut    : 256               # the size of the colormap lookup table
 #image.origin : upper             # lower | upper
 #image.resample  : False
+#image.composite_image : True     # When True, all the images on a set of axes are 
+                                  # combined into a single composite image before 
+                                  # saving a figure as a vector graphics file, 
+                                  # such as a PDF.
 
 ### CONTOUR PLOTS
 #contour.negative_linestyle : dashed # dashed | solid