tight_layout relies on get_renderer, which is not available on all backends #1852

mdehoon · 2013-03-24T10:21:18Z

With the MacOSX backend and possibly other backends, tight_layout falls back to the Agg backend. For example, demo_tight_layout.py does the following:

$ python -i examples/pylab_examples/demo_tight_layout.py
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/matplotlib-1.3.x-py2.7-macosx-10.6-intel.egg/matplotlib/tight_layout.py:225: UserWarning: tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer
warnings.warn("tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer")

This is the relevant code in tight_layout.py:

def get_renderer(fig):
    if fig._cachedRenderer:
        renderer = fig._cachedRenderer
    else:
        canvas = fig.canvas  
        if canvas and hasattr(canvas, "get_renderer"):
            renderer = canvas.get_renderer()
        else:
            # not sure if this can happen
            warnings.warn("tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer")
            from matplotlib.backends.backend_agg import FigureCanvasAgg
            canvas = FigureCanvasAgg(fig)
            renderer = canvas.get_renderer()
    return renderer

Neither backend_template.py nor backend_bases.py implement a get_renderer method, nor do the MacOSX and gtkcairo backend (and possibly other backends).

Even if I were to add a get_renderer method to the canvas in the MacOSX backend, this still fails. The problem is that this code tries to grab a renderer and use it outside of the event loop (i.e., outside of the figure.draw method). Outside of the event loop, the graphics context is not defined, and the code fails as follows:

$ python -i examples/pylab_examples/demo_tight_layout.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "examples/pylab_examples/demo_tight_layout.py", line 15, in
plt.tight_layout()
...
RuntimeError: CGContextRef is NULL

I would suggest to restructure the code in tight_layout.py to avoid using the renderer directly.

The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered:

dmcdougall · 2013-03-24T16:47:06Z

I noticed this too. It also happens with the PDF backend:

$ python
Python 2.7.3 (default, Nov 29 2012, 11:01:29)
[GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple Clang 4.1 ((tags/Apple/clang-421.11.66))] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import matplotlib
>>> matplotlib.use('pdf')
>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
>>> fig = plt.figure()
>>> ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1)
>>> fig.tight_layout()
/Users/damon/python/lib/matplotlib-1.3.x-py2.7-macosx-10.8-x86_64.egg/matplotlib/tight_layout.py:225: UserWarning: tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer
  warnings.warn("tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer")

We could move from using the renderer directly to updating the fig.draw() method so it returns the calculations needed by fig.tight_layout() from the renderer; utilising the event loop correctly.

mdboom · 2013-03-25T16:34:59Z

I agree with @dmcdougall: I think that's what needs to be done. It has the added benefit of making tight_layout less sensitive to other backend differences.

leejjoon · 2013-04-01T08:06:59Z

@mdehoon , @dmcdougall : Just to clarify, tight_layout still works without error (only warning)? Or does it raise an exception?

The only reason that we need a renderer instance is to calculate the size and location of texts. @mdehoon, is this something impossible outside the event loop?

I am not quite clear about the suggestion by @dmcdougall. Does it mean that we call fig.draw inside tight_layout? I am not sure if that is a good idea.

mdehoon · 2013-04-01T14:36:31Z

tight_layout still works, but it works by falling back to the Agg renderer, which should not be necessary.

To calculate the size of texts, I presume you will need to call renderer.get_text_width_height_descent (either directly or indirectly). But renderer.get_text_width_height_descent needs a graphics context to be able to do its job, and it can only get a (properly initialized) graphics context from inside the callback in the event loop. This callback calls fig.draw, so I think @dmcdougall 's suggestion is to reorganize the tight_layout code such that the calculations are done as part of fig.draw.

leejjoon · 2013-04-03T09:01:17Z

We have Figure.set_tight_layout that makes Figure.draw to call tight_layout.
As far as I can see, tight_layout needs to be a one-time action that reflects the figure layout at the time when this function is called. And I don't see any easy way 8000 to achieve @dmcdougall 's suggestion given this behavior. But I will be happy to be proven wrong.

As far as I can see, we need to access renderer at the time when tight_layout is called. I don't see how we can avoid this. But again, I will be happy to be proven wrong.

dmcdougall · 2013-04-03T16:14:12Z

@leejjoon The method Figure.set_tight_layout seems to be what we're trying to achieve, I think. The PDF backend now works this way:

In [1]: import matplotlib
In [2]: matplotlib.use('pdf')
In [3]: import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
In [4]: fig = plt.figure()
In [5]: ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1)
In [6]: fig.set_tight_layout(True)
In [7]: fig.savefig('asd.pdf')  # No warning now

@mdehoon I'm on a linux box at the moment, would you be able to try this on OS X?

If this works on Mac, could we add tight_layout kwarg to fig.savefig that, when set to True, Figure.set_tight_layout gets called?

mdehoon · 2013-04-04T03:14:50Z

@dmcdougall : fig.set_tight_layout seems to work fine with the MacOSX backend.
I noted though that with your example, fig.add_subplot does nothing in interactive mode, even if I skip the fig.set_tight_layout command.
In non-interactive mode the script works as expected.

Also if I replace fig.add_subplot by plt.subplot, then the set_tight_layout works fine, both in interactive and in non-interactive mode.

So it looks like set_tight_layout is working fine. I have no idea why fig.add_subplot does nothing while plt.subplot works fine, but anyway this is independent of set_tight_layout.

mdehoon · 2013-04-04T04:30:17Z

@dmcdougall It turned out that the difference between fig.add_subplot and plt.subplot is due to the fact that the latter includes a call to draw_if_interactive while the former doesn't. If I add plt.draw_if_interactive() to your example, fig.set_tight_layout works fine with the MacOSX backend both in interactive and in non-interactive mode.

dmcdougall · 2013-04-04T04:48:07Z

@mdehoon Yeah, sorry. I rarely use the interactive stuff. My go-to is the PDF or Agg backend.

khyox · 2013-08-07T18:02:07Z

@leejjoon @dmcdougall @mdehoon : Thank you to all of you... the fig.set_tight_layout(True) tip has been very useful to avoid the warning, the backend issue and to get even a better appearance than plt.tight_layout().

nilsbecker · 2013-12-11T20:06:39Z

not sure if this is helpful: for me, calling fig.tight_layout() resulted in RuntimeError: CGContextRef is NULL errors, while fig.set_tight_layout(True) worked.
OS X, osx backend, python 2.7.5, mpl 1.3.1

mdehoon · 2013-12-26T08:39:20Z

See issue #2654 for more information; essentially, these two are the same problem. Redesigning the tight_layout code, as proposed in issue #2654 , should solve the problem.

See the following links for more info: matplotlib/matplotlib#2654 matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

orome · 2014-10-31T19:08:25Z

FWIW: As @nilsbecker notes, fig.set_tight_layout(True) also works for me in the 'MacOSX' backend (OS X 10.10; Python 2.7.6; matplotlib 1.4.2). However in IPython Notebook (2.3.0; backed = 'module://IPython.kernel.zmq.pylab.backend_inline') it gives me warnings, and I need to use fig.tight_layout() instead:

/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/matplotlib/figure.py:1644: UserWarning: This figure includes Axes that are not compatible with tight_layout, so its results might be incorrect.

So, for example, in my code, where I typically encounter 'Agg', 'MacOSX' and the Notebook backend, and since set_tight_layout seems to give slightly better results when it works without warning, I have

if matplotlib.get_backend().lower() in ['agg', 'macosx']:
    fig.set_tight_layout(True)
else:
    fig.tight_layout()

c-benko · 2014-11-06T19:07:16Z

Currently on OSX 10.10, Python 3.3.4, Matplotlib 1.4.0 backend "MacOSX".

Calling tight_layout() returns:

/usr/local/lib/python3.3/site-packages/matplotlib/tight_layout.py:225: UserWarning: tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer

The figure is still produced and appears to be fine.

The warning also occurs if below is implemented.

import matplotlib
matplotlib.use('pdf')

See matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

aflansburg · 2015-03-06T21:27:16Z

@c-benko Error is present on my Mac OSX 10.10.1 as well. Python 2.7.9, matplotlib 1.4.0 backend "MacOSX"

/Users/myName/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/matplotlib/tight_layout.py:225: UserWarning: tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer
  warnings.warn("tight_layout : falling back to Agg renderer")

Using

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

and calling

plt.tight_layout()
plt.show

avoid 'Fall back to Agg renderer' as suggested here matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

diego898 · 2017-01-13T15:33:24Z

I am seeing this warning while running anything using pycharm and anaconda with python 3.5.2 and matplotlib 1.5.3.

I dont see this if I run through the jupyter notebook.

janssen · 2017-01-21T19:54:02Z

I'm seeing this with 2.0.0rc1 and the Kivy backend.

bayesfactor · 2018-05-16T00:27:21Z

I'm having this issue with SVG backend on Windows + python 3.5.5 + matplotlib 2.1.1

- self.fig.set_tight_layout(True) and self.fig.tight_layout() both issue warnings (see matplotlib/matplotlib#1852, https://stackoverflow.com/questions/15455029/python-matplotlib-agg-vs-interactive-plotting-and-tight-layout). Removing the figure title and panel titles produces a figure without a lot of whitespace in the margins, so that's the solution for now.

smithsp · 2019-03-22T21:38:06Z

Bump for PDF backend.

anntzer · 2022-02-24T11:37:43Z

Closed by #15221, I think.

mdehoon mentioned this issue Mar 24, 2013

Configuring automatic use of tight_layout #1136

Merged

tacaswell added the API Changes label Aug 17, 2014

tacaswell added this to the v1.5.x milestone Aug 17, 2014

mmortonson added a commit to mmortonson/CosmoCombo that referenced this issue Oct 21, 2014

Change tight_layout commands to avoid errors on Mac OSX

3845eda

See the following links for more info: matplotlib/matplotlib#2654 matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

nilbus added a commit to andrewjesaitis/hexbug-tracker that referenced this issue Nov 28, 2014

Supprss a backend warning caused in tight_layout on OSX

645160c

See matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

antgonza mentioned this issue May 21, 2015

mpl 1.4.3 gives warning in IPython Notebook biocore/qiime#1997

Closed

larsoner mentioned this issue May 29, 2015

MRG: Fix OSX plotting mne-tools/mne-python#2166

Merged

dmargala mentioned this issue Jul 2, 2015

Axis range play dkirkby/bossdata#59

Merged

tacaswell mentioned this issue Aug 17, 2015

MNT: Add space to pylab examples with figsize and/or tight_layout #4937

Closed

ejeschke mentioned this issue Dec 30, 2015

override matplotlib rcParams to give more consistent plots ejeschke/ginga#33

Open

lettergram mentioned this issue Jan 23, 2016

OS X El Capitan - plot_hmm_stock_analysis.py - Issue hmmlearn/hmmlearn#85

Closed

shlicshlac mentioned this issu 8000 e Aug 12, 2016

problem with phenotype_phase_plane and matplotlib on OSX opencobra/cobrapy#265

Closed

hredestig added a commit to hredestig/cobrapy that referenced this issue Sep 19, 2016

fix broken plot on mac osx #1852

b802e14

avoid 'Fall back to Agg renderer' as suggested here matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

hredestig mentioned this issue Sep 19, 2016

fix broken plot on mac osx #265 opencobra/cobrapy#283

Merged

hredestig added a commit to opencobra/cobrapy that referenced this issue Oct 10, 2016

fix broken plot on mac osx #1852 (#283)

0d6b1f0

avoid 'Fall back to Agg renderer' as suggested here matplotlib/matplotlib#1852

achimnol mentioned this issue Jul 21, 2017

matplotlib's tight_layout() not working lablup/backend.ai-media#11

Open

tacaswell modified the milestones: 2.1 (next point release), 2.2 (next next feature release) Oct 3, 2017

adm746 mentioned this issue Oct 20, 2018

first example does not work on OSx Phlya/adjustText#68

Closed

anntzer mentioned this issue Jan 4, 2019

FigureCanvasAgg.renderer and FigureCanvasAgg.get_renderer have subtly different semantics #13099

Open

RolandBacon mentioned this issue Aug 7, 2019

Problem with backend qt4agg Phlya/adjustText#85

Open

tanujjain mentioned this issue Oct 9, 2019

A Warning，No result idealo/imagededup#42

Closed

anntzer mentioned this issue Apr 22, 2020

Don't fallback to agg in tight_layout.get_renderer. #15221

Merged

6 tasks

anntzer closed this as completed Feb 24, 2022

QuLogic modified the milestones: needs sorting, v3.3.0 Feb 24, 2022

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tight_layout relies on get_renderer, which is not available on all backends #1852

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tight_layout relies on get_renderer, which is not available on all backends #1852

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