# Frame all wonky with specified region in lambert conic projection (GMT.jl)

**URL:** <https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079>\
**Category:** GMT.jl Q&A\
**Created:** [July 12, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079 "2024-07-12T01:22:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GeodeticR](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/geodeticr/32/4195_2.png) [@GeodeticR](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/GeodeticR)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079/1 "2024-07-12T01:22:30Z")

</div>

Hi all,

I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong here, and some guidance would be very much appreciated!

For context, I created a map previously that looks like the first image below. I ran it by my advisor for feedback and the feedback was the following:

- Don’t mask the grid over the ocean
- reverse the colorbar gradient and add a white “hinge” in the middle
- No minor lakes/rivers plotted
- No lat/lon grid
- triangles → circles
- Add state lines
- Make it such that the frame/projection does not change despite values
  - The other iterations that had less coverage would shrink the boundaries

- re-run the values with a filter that _excludes_ values less than 2sigma (I excluded values greater than 2sigma because I’m dumb)

 ![2005.919_Vres(old)](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/uploads/gmt/original/2X/4/4150508db032c6ee0025380574ceaf463983f20d.png)

I’ve checked most of those boxes off. And I have yet to confirm if the map frame/area will change as I’ve only created a single map of a single epoch so far.

I keep running into this issue that is shown below. I’m thinking this might have to do with the region I specified in my code? Here is the code that produced the image below.

```auto
epoch1 = readdlm("/path/to/Documents/julia/twosigma/2005.919_2sigma.txt");

C = GMT.makecpt(cmap=:roma, 
    range=(minimum(epoch1[:, 3]), maximum(epoch1[:, 3]), 0.002));

#imshow(C, B = :none, horizontal = false) # check increments of colorbar

G = GMT.gridit(epoch1[:, [1, 2, 3]], mask = 0.3, inc = 0.1);

GMT.grdimage(G, 
    proj=(name = :lambertConic, center = [-100 35], parallels = [33 45]),
    coast = (region = [-130 -70 24 51], 
        borders = ((type = 1, pen = ("thicker", "black")), (type = 2, pen = ("thinner", "black"))), 
        shore = ((level =1, pen = (0.5, :black)))),
    frame=(annot=:a, ticks = :a),
    cmap=C, 
    title = "Vertical Residual Values(mm) 2005.919", 
    colorbar = true,
    fmt = :png,
);

GMT.scatter!(lonlat, 
    marker = :c,
    markersize = 0.075,
    mc = "black",
    # figname = imgpath * "2005.919_2sig.png",
    show = true)

```

Are there any glaring errors or omissions? I’ve been reading through the [frames documentation](https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/GMTjl_doc/documentation/common_opts/common_opts/index.html) and have attempted various iterations of `frames` but the border always ends up super wonky. The region of `region = [-130 -70 24 51]` is the region I want to keep static, but it doesn’t appear that it is being read in?

The variations of `frame` that i’ve tried are:

```auto
#1
frame=(axes=(:left_full,:bottom_full,:right_full,:top_full), annot=:a,
               ticks=:a)

#2
frame = :S

#3
frame = :auto

#4
frame = (axes=(:left_full,:bottom_full,:right_full,:top_full), annot=:a,
                ticks=:a)

#5
frame = :afg #and :af, :ag, :gf just to see what changed they made

```

I’ve tried to further remedy this by starting using the `GMT.coast` operation first, and then lay the `GMT.grdimage` over it, but, that didn’t work either.

 ![2005.919_2sig](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/uploads/gmt/original/2X/2/2c571d7aee569e3c5d3b8f0cb91a1a4c7636584c.png)

Again, thank you for any help and insights anyone has to helping me fix this problem. Also, I know the `:roma` cpt here doesn’t make much sense with all positive values for this particular epoch, but, it will look better once I get around to animating all my plots that have a much wider variation of values that are both negative and positive, which is the next step.

I’ve attached the text file I’m working with as well, in case anyone would like to run the code above.  
[2005.919\_2sigma.txt](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/uploads/short-url/kC5D4ffGXuVCpasH6AREqxPOgpV.txt) (80.2 KB)

==============================================================

**Final Edit:**  
Okay, I got it to, at least, a somewhat acceptable form. Thank you Joaquim for your help, it definitely put me on the right path.

If anyone is interested, this is what my code ended up looking like:

```auto
epoch1 = gmtread("/home/rob/Documents/julia/twosigma/2005.919_2sigma.txt") # change to desired file

# value for cpt in epoch1[:, 3]
C = GMT.makecpt(cmap=:roma, 
    range=(minimum(epoch1[:, 3]), maximum(epoch1[:, 3]), 0.002), 
    reverse = true
);
#imshow(C, B = :none, horizontal = false) # check increments of colorbar

G = GMT.gridit(epoch1[:, [1, 2, 3]], mask = 0.3, inc = 0.1);

GMT.grdimage(G, region = [-130 -70 24 51],
    proj = (name = :lambertConic, center = [-100 35], parallels = [33 45]),
    cmap = C,
    colorbar = (pos = (outside = true, anchor = :MR, offset = (0, .9)), xlabel = "mm"),
    coast = (borders = ((type = 1, pen = ("thicker", "black")), (type = 2, pen = ("thinner", "black"))),
        shore = ((level = 1, pen = (0.5, :black)))),
    title = "Vertical Residual 2005.9192"
);

GMT.scatter!(lonlat, 
    marker = :c,
    markersize = 0.075,
    mc = "black",
    figname = imgpath * "2005.919_2sig.png",
    show = true 
);

```

The only think I need to tweak is the boarders in the `coast` module. As you can see the Great Lakes are not outlined in this iteration. But, that’s something I can figure out later. This is a good baseline for future implementations for my research.

One thing that took me way too long to figure out is that when creating the `title`, you cannot input special characters like `σ` or `>`. GMT will throw an error. I’m sure there is a way to input those types of characters, but, like the Great Lakes, that’s something I can sort out later.

 ![2005.919_2sig](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/uploads/gmt/original/2X/2/246fd5e93cfb188cd10882c3243c0fa22fd4df4a.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 10:36am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079/2 "2024-07-12T10:36:28Z")

</div>

Hi,  
I am confused on what you are asking help for.

First figure looks reasonable to me, aside from the fact that grid lines are not visible over the oceans. That indicates that the gray layer was laid down **after** plotting those lines. One normally do not want to do that.

Other things is that the `fmt=:png` is not needed (the default) and when we change it we do it in the last plotting command, not the first.  
It is also advised to use `gmtread` instead of `readdlm`.

Your last figure shows that you have made it with calls to `coast` and `grdimage` using different regions and different projections. If you want to stick to `region = [-130 -70 24 51]` then state it cearly in the first plotting command and don’t change it in posterior commands.

`coast` commands **always come after** `grdimage` .

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![GeodeticR](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/geodeticr/32/4195_2.png) [@GeodeticR](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/GeodeticR)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079/3 "2024-07-12T17:46:23Z")

</div>

hmm, okay. I’ll move the `coast` coast command outside of `grdimage`.

I’ll switch to `gmtread`, and remove the `fmt = :png` since it’s redundant.

This is what I attempted:

```auto
GMT.grdimage(G, region = [-130 -70 24 51],
    proj = (name = :lambertConic, center = [-100 35], parallels = [33 45])
);

GMT.coast!(frame =(annot = :a, ticks = :a),
    borders = ((type = 1, pen = ("thicker", "black")), (type = 2, pen = ("thinner", "black"))),
    area = 500,
    shore = ((level = 1, pen = (0.5, :black))),
    cmap = C,
    title = "Vert Res >2σ",
    colorbar = true,

);

```

But I got the following error at the end of the `GMT.coast` command:

```auto
ERROR: GMT: Expects a Matrix for input

```

Okay, I’m almost there, I think. If omit the `GMT.coast` commands, and only use the following two blocks of code:

```auto
GMT.grdimage(G, region = [-130 -70 24 51],
    proj = (name = :lambertConic, center = [-100 35], parallels = [33 45])
);

#=
GMT.coast!(frame =(annot = :a, ticks = :a),
    borders = ((type = 1, pen = ("thicker", "black")), (type = 2, pen = ("thinner", "black"))),
    area = 500,
    shore = ((level = 1, pen = (0.5, :black))),
    cmap = C,
    title = "Vert Res >2σ",
    colorbar = true
);
=#

GMT.scatter!(lonlat, 
    marker = :c,
    markersize = 0.075,
    mc = "black",
    # figname = imgpath * "2005.919_2sig.png",
    show = true 
);

```

I get this:

 ![GMTjl_rob_nocoast](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/uploads/gmt/original/2X/e/eabc1b28877e7283fe502be7c17c803891230fb2.png)

Which is now just missing the outline of the region of interest. lol. Man, I wish I was smarter/better at coding and syntax. It’s so far out of my wheelhouse.

EDIT:  
Okay, now that I look at this some more, it looks like I also do not need the `frame` command since I’m already specifying a type of “frame” with the `parallels` and `center` orientations?

Further, do I even need to utilize `coast` here? Can I make all the adjustments I need within the `grdimage` command?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079/4 "2024-07-12T22:56:18Z")

</div>

All modules that do a plot have the `proj` ( **-J** ), `frame` ( **-B** ) and `region` ( **-R** ). `frame` has default settings and that is why you can ignore that option, but if don’t like the defaults you can set them manually. But once you start modifying the defaults you loose them all needs to be specifically set (if annotations, grid lines ticks etc).

The best is that the first plotting command sets all that respects the frame, then in, for example, a posterior `coast` or `scatter` or `lines` or `text` or … call you set only the details for what is going to be added. For example, just add `coast!(shore=true,)` and that adds the coastlines.

In your commented section, remove the `frame =(annot = :a, ticks = :a)` and move it to the `grdimage` call … or just drop it because that’s what the defaults already do.

Hmm, I’m seeing the error `ERROR: GMT: Expects a Matrix for input`. Don’t understand this one. Must try to reproduce it but notice that `coast` does not have a `colorbar` option.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joaquim](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/joaquim/32/16_2.png) [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 11:23pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/frame-all-wonky-with-specified-region-in-lambert-conic-projection-gmt-jl/5079/5 "2024-07-12T23:23:44Z")

</div>

I found a trouble. Try this (it works)

```auto
grdimage(G, region = [-130 -70 24 51], proj = (name = :lambertConic, center = [-100 35], parallels = [33 45]))
coast!(borders=((type = 1, pen = ("thicker", "black")), (type = 2, pen = ("thinner", "black"))), area = 500, shore = ((level = 1, pen = (0.5, :black))), title = "Vert Res 2σ", show=true)

```

The problem was that `<` in the title. Somehow it got interpreted as a redirect operator and shit followed. You will have to use another character instead.