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Contour

Overview

The contour trace type is used to create contour plots, which are useful for visualizing three-dimensional data in two dimensions. Contour plots are often used to represent things like elevation, temperature, or pressure distributions. The trace uses a matrix of Z values and optional X and Y coordinates to create a continuous representation of the data.

Contour traces allow you to customize line colors, fill colors, and the number of contour levels to highlight data variation.

Common Uses

  • Topographic Maps: Visualizing elevation levels across a geographic area.
  • Heat or Temperature Maps: Displaying temperature distributions over a surface.
  • Electromagnetic Fields: Representing the strength of a field at various points.
  • Pressure Levels: Visualizing pressure across different areas in meteorology.

Check out the Attributes for the full set of configuration options

Examples

Common Configurations

Here's a simple contour plot showing a basic grid of Z values, where X and Y represent spatial data:

You can copy this code below to create this chart in your project:

models:
  - name: contour-data
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        x,y,z
        1,1,10
        2,1,15
        3,1,20
        4,1,25
        5,1,30
        1,2,5
        2,2,10
        3,2,15
        4,2,20
        5,2,25
        1,3,0
        2,3,5
        3,3,10
        4,3,15
        5,3,20
        1,4,5
        2,4,10
        3,4,15
        4,4,20
        5,4,25
        1,5,10
        2,5,15
        3,5,20
        4,5,25
        5,5,30
traces:
  - name: Simple Contour Plot
    model: ${ref(contour-data)}
    props:
      type: contour
      z: 
        - ?{x}
        - ?{y}
        - ?{z}
      colorscale: "Viridis"
      ncontours: 20
charts:
  - name: Simple Contour Chart
    traces:
      - ${ref(Simple Contour Plot)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Simple Contour Plot<br><sub>Contour Plot Based on Z Values</sub>
      xaxis:
        title:
          text: "X Axis"
      yaxis:
        title:
          text: "Y Axis"

This example shows a contour plot with filled contours, where each level is shaded with a different color:

Here's the code:

models:
  - name: contour-data-filled
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        x,y,z
        0,0,10
        1,0,15
        2,0,20
        3,0,25
        4,0,30
        0,1,5
        1,1,10
        2,1,15
        3,1,20
        4,1,25
        0,2,0
        1,2,5
        2,2,10
        3,2,15
        4,2,20
        0,3,5
        1,3,10
        2,3,15
        3,3,20
        4,3,25
        0,4,10
        1,4,15
        2,4,20
        3,4,25
        4,4,30
traces:
  - name: Filled Contour Plot
    model: ${ref(contour-data-filled)}
    props:
      type: contour
      x: ?{x}
      y: ?{y}
      z: ?{z}
      colorscale: "Earth"
      contours:
        coloring: "heatmap"
        showlines: true
      ncontours: 25
charts:
  - name: Filled Contour Chart
    traces:
      - ${ref(Filled Contour Plot)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Filled Contour Plot<br><sub>Contour Plot with Filled Levels</sub>
      xaxis:
        title:
          text: "X Axis"
      yaxis:
        title:
          text: "Y Axis"

This example demonstrates how to customize the contour levels by specifying a set number of levels:

Here's the code:

models:
  - name: contour-data-multi
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        x,y,z
        -3,-3,0
        -2,-3,1
        -1,-3,2
        0,-3,3
        1,-3,4
        2,-3,5
        3,-3,6
        -3,-2,1
        -2,-2,2
        -1,-2,3
        0,-2,4
        1,-2,5
        2,-2,6
        3,-2,7
        -3,-1,2
        -2,-1,3
        -1,-1,4
        0,-1,5
        1,-1,6
        2,-1,7
        3,-1,8
        -3,0,3
        -2,0,4
        -1,0,5
        0,0,6
        1,0,7
        2,0,8
        3,0,9
        -3,1,4
        -2,1,5
        -1,1,6
        0,1,7
        1,1,8
        2,1,9
        3,1,10
        -3,2,5
        -2,2,6
        -1,2,7
        0,2,8
        1,2,9
        2,2,10
        3,2,11
        -3,3,6
        -2,3,7
        -1,3,8
        0,3,9
        1,3,10
        2,3,11
        3,3,12
traces:
  - name: Contour Plot with Multiple Levels
    model: ${ref(contour-data-multi)}
    props:
      type: contour
      x: ?{x}
      y: ?{y}
      z: ?{z}
      colorscale: "Jet"
      contours:
        start: 0
        end: 12
        size: 0.5
      ncontours: 24
charts:
  - name: Contour Chart with Multiple Levels
    traces:
      - ${ref(Contour Plot with Multiple Levels)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Contour Plot with Multiple Levels<br><sub>Custom Contour Levels</sub>
      xaxis:
        title:
          text: "X Axis"
      yaxis:
        title:
          text: "Y Axis"

A schema to validate plotly trace properties

Attributes

These attributes apply to traces where trace.props.type is set to contour. You would configure these attributes on the trace with the trace.props object. 

autocolorscale: boolean
autocontour: boolean
coloraxis: string
colorbar:
  bgcolor: any
  bordercolor: any
  borderwidth: number
  exponentformat: any
  len: number
  lenmode: any
  minexponent: number
  nticks: integer
  orientation: any
  outlinecolor: any
  outlinewidth: number
  separatethousands: boolean
  showexponent: any
  showticklabels: boolean
  showtickprefix: any
  showticksuffix: any
  thickness: number
  thicknessmode: any
  tickangle: number
  tickcolor: any
  tickfont:
    color: any
    family: 'string' #(1)!
    lineposition: any
    shadow: 'string' #(2)!
    size: number
    style: any
    textcase: any
    variant: any
    weight: integer
  tickformat: 'string' #(3)!
  tickformatstops: array
  ticklabeloverflow: any
  ticklabelposition: any
  ticklabelstep: integer
  ticklen: number
  tickmode: any
  tickprefix: 'string' #(4)!
  ticks: any
  ticksuffix: 'string' #(5)!
  ticktext: array
  ticktextsrc: 'string' #(6)!
  tickvals: array
  tickvalssrc: 'string' #(7)!
  tickwidth: number
  title:
    font:
      color: any
      family: 'string' #(8)!
      lineposition: any
      shadow: 'string' #(9)!
      size: number
      style: any
      textcase: any
      variant: any
      weight: integer
    side: any
    text: 'string' #(10)!
  x: number
  xanchor: any
  xpad: number
  xref: any
  y: number
  yanchor: any
  ypad: number
  yref: any
colorscale: any
connectgaps: boolean
contours:
  coloring: any
  end: number
  impliedEdits: any
  labelfont:
    color: any
    family: 'string' #(11)!
    lineposition: any
    shadow: 'string' #(12)!
    size: number
    style: any
    textcase: any
    variant: any
    weight: integer
  labelformat: 'string' #(13)!
  operation: any
  showlabels: boolean
  showlines: boolean
  size: number
  start: number
  type: any
customdata: array
customdatasrc: 'string' #(14)!
dx: number
dy: number
fillcolor: any
hoverinfo: array
hoverinfosrc: 'string' #(15)!
hoverlabel:
  align: array
  alignsrc: 'string' #(16)!
  bgcolor: array
  bgcolorsrc: 'string' #(17)!
  bordercolor: array
  bordercolorsrc: 'string' #(18)!
  font:
    color: array
    colorsrc: 'string' #(19)!
    family: 'string | array' #(20)!
    familysrc: 'string' #(21)!
    lineposition: array
    linepositionsrc: 'string' #(22)!
    shadow: 'string | array' #(23)!
    shadowsrc: 'string' #(24)!
    size: array
    sizesrc: 'string' #(25)!
    style: array
    stylesrc: 'string' #(26)!
    textcase: array
    textcasesrc: 'string' #(27)!
    variant: array
    variantsrc: 'string' #(28)!
    weight: array
    weightsrc: 'string' #(29)!
  namelength: array
  namelengthsrc: 'string' #(30)!
hoverongaps: boolean
hovertemplate: 'string | array' #(31)!
hovertemplatesrc: 'string' #(32)!
hovertext: array
hovertextsrc: 'string' #(33)!
ids: array
idssrc: 'string' #(34)!
legend: string
legendgroup: 'string' #(35)!
legendgrouptitle:
  font:
    color: any
    family: 'string' #(36)!
    lineposition: any
    shadow: 'string' #(37)!
    size: number
    style: any
    textcase: any
    variant: any
    weight: integer
  text: 'string' #(38)!
legendrank: number
legendwidth: number
line:
  color: any
  dash: 'string' #(39)!
  smoothing: number
  width: number
metasrc: 'string' #(40)!
name: 'string' #(41)!
ncontours: integer
opacity: number
reversescale: boolean
showlegend: boolean
showscale: boolean
stream:
  maxpoints: number
  token: 'string' #(42)!
text: array
textfont:
  color: any
  family: 'string' #(43)!
  lineposition: any
  shadow: 'string' #(44)!
  size: number
  style: any
  textcase: any
  variant: any
  weight: integer
textsrc: 'string' #(45)!
texttemplate: 'string' #(46)!
transpose: boolean
type: contour
uid: 'string' #(47)!
visible: any
x: array
xaxis: string
xcalendar: any
xhoverformat: 'string' #(48)!
xperiodalignment: any
xsrc: 'string' #(49)!
xtype: any
y: array
yaxis: string
ycalendar: any
yhoverformat: 'string' #(50)!
yperiodalignment: any
ysrc: 'string' #(51)!
ytype: any
z: array
zauto: boolean
zhoverformat: 'string' #(52)!
zmax: number
zmid: number
zmin: number
zorder: integer
zsrc: 'string' #(53)!
  1. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  2. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  3. Sets the tick label formatting rule using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format. And for dates see: https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format. We add two items to d3's date formatter: %h for half of the year as a decimal number as well as %{n}f for fractional seconds with n digits. For example, 2016-10-13 09:15:23.456 with tickformat %H~%M~%S.%2f would display 09~15~23.46
  4. Sets a tick label prefix.
  5. Sets a tick label suffix.
  6. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for ticktext.
  7. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for tickvals.
  8. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  9. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  10. Sets the title of the color bar.
  11. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  12. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  13. Sets the contour label formatting rule using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format.
  14. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for customdata.
  15. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for hoverinfo.
  16. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for align.
  17. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for bgcolor.
  18. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for bordercolor.
  19. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for color.
  20. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  21. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for family.
  22. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for lineposition.
  23. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  24. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for shadow.
  25. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for size.
  26. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for style.
  27. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for textcase.
  28. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for variant.
  29. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for weight.
  30. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for namelength.
  31. Template string used for rendering the information that appear on hover box. Note that this will override hoverinfo. Variables are inserted using %{variable}, for example "y: %{y}" as well as %{xother}, {%xother}, {%_xother}, {%xother_}. When showing info for several points, xother will be added to those with different x positions from the first point. An underscore before or after (x|y)other will add a space on that side, only when this field is shown. Numbers are formatted using d3-format's syntax %{variable:d3-format}, for example "Price: %{y:$.2f}". https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format for details on the formatting syntax. Dates are formatted using d3-time-format's syntax %{variable|d3-time-format}, for example "Day: %{2019-01-01|%A}". https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format for details on the date formatting syntax. The variables available in hovertemplate are the ones emitted as event data described at this link https://plotly.com/javascript/plotlyjs-events/#event-data. Additionally, every attributes that can be specified per-point (the ones that are arrayOk: true) are available. Anything contained in tag <extra> is displayed in the secondary box, for example "{fullData.name}". To hide the secondary box completely, use an empty tag <extra></extra>.
  32. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for hovertemplate.
  33. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for hovertext.
  34. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for ids.
  35. Sets the legend group for this trace. Traces and shapes part of the same legend group hide/show at the same time when toggling legend items.
  36. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  37. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  38. Sets the title of the legend group.
  39. Sets the dash style of lines. Set to a dash type string (solid, dot, dash, longdash, dashdot, or longdashdot) or a dash length list in px (eg 5px,10px,2px,2px).
  40. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for meta.
  41. Sets the trace name. The trace name appears as the legend item and on hover.
  42. The stream id number links a data trace on a plot with a stream. See https://chart-studio.plotly.com/settings for more details.
  43. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  44. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  45. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for text.
  46. For this trace it only has an effect if coloring is set to heatmap. Template string used for rendering the information text that appear on points. Note that this will override textinfo. Variables are inserted using %{variable}, for example "y: %{y}". Numbers are formatted using d3-format's syntax %{variable:d3-format}, for example "Price: %{y:$.2f}". https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format for details on the formatting syntax. Dates are formatted using d3-time-format's syntax %{variable|d3-time-format}, for example "Day: %{2019-01-01|%A}". https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format for details on the date formatting syntax. Every attributes that can be specified per-point (the ones that are arrayOk: true) are available. Finally, the template string has access to variables x, y, z and text.
  47. Assign an id to this trace, Use this to provide object constancy between traces during animations and transitions.
  48. Sets the hover text formatting rulefor x using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format. And for dates see: https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format. We add two items to d3's date formatter: %h for half of the year as a decimal number as well as %{n}f for fractional seconds with n digits. For example, 2016-10-13 09:15:23.456 with tickformat %H~%M~%S.%2f would display 09~15~23.46By default the values are formatted using xaxis.hoverformat.
  49. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for x.
  50. Sets the hover text formatting rulefor y using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format. And for dates see: https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format. We add two items to d3's date formatter: %h for half of the year as a decimal number as well as %{n}f for fractional seconds with n digits. For example, 2016-10-13 09:15:23.456 with tickformat %H~%M~%S.%2f would display 09~15~23.46By default the values are formatted using yaxis.hoverformat.
  51. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for y.
  52. Sets the hover text formatting rulefor z using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format.By default the values are formatted using generic number format.
  53. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for z.