MATLAB High-Level Plotting Implementation for Satellite Imagery

In MATLAB, high-level plotting for 2D satellite imagery can be implemented using built-in advanced plotting functions to quickly create professional-grade visualizations. High-level plotting differs from low-level plotting that requires manual configuration of graphic properties - it encapsulates default settings for common visualization scenarios, allowing users to create complex graphics through concise syntax.

Data Preparation Satellite data is typically stored in matrix formats, such as longitude-latitude grid data or pixel matrices from remote sensing images. Ensure data normalization (e.g., adjusting reflectance value ranges) has been performed before plotting.

Core Plotting Functions imagesc function: Automatically scales data to the current color map range, ideal for displaying 2D matrices of satellite imagery. Supports adding axis labels (e.g., longitude/latitude) and color bars using the colorbar function. pcolor function: Creates pseudo-color plots that can be overlaid with contour lines or grid lines to highlight geographical features. geoshow (Mapping Toolbox): When geographic coordinate projection is required, this function can directly integrate georeferenced data with appropriate coordinate systems.

Visualization Enhancement Use colormap to specify color schemes (e.g., parula, jet, or custom color gradients) that match satellite data types (e.g., green gradients for vegetation indices like NDVI). Add titles using title function, coordinate labels with xlabel/ylabel, and legends to explain data meaning through legend function. Maintain pixel aspect ratio using axis equal to prevent image distortion from stretching.

Interactive Extensions Implement mouse hover value inspection using datacursormode for interactive data exploration. Export high-resolution images using print or exportgraphics functions, supporting TIFF/PNG formats to meet scientific publication requirements.

With high-level plotting, users can avoid cumbersome graphic handle operations and focus on data analysis and interpretation, while MATLAB handles the underlying graphic rendering through optimized algorithms.