Sstrhsrtj

I would like to draw a so called "skyplot" in PGFPlots. Skyplots display satellites with their positions over the visible sky. In addition, I would like to draw a background for some specific disturbances. Eventually it should look like this:

Creating the coordinate system and placing the satellites worked like a charm with PGFPlots' polaraxis:

documentclass{standalone}

usepackage{pgfplots}

usepackage{tikz}



pgfplotsset{compat=1.13}

usepgfplotslibrary{polar}



newlengthfigureheight

newlengthfigurewidth



definecolor{GPS_Color}{RGB}{0, 187, 0}

definecolor{GLO_Color}{RGB}{196, 163, 0}

definecolor{GAL_Color}{RGB}{0, 140, 190}

definecolor{BDS_Color}{RGB}{196, 0, 0}



begin{document}

scriptsize

setlengthfigureheight{textwidth}

setlengthfigurewidth{textwidth}



begin{tikzpicture}

begin{polaraxis}[

width=figurewidth,

height=figureheight,

rotate=-90,

axis lines*=none,

axis line style = {draw=transparent,line width=0.0001pt},

x dir=reverse,

xticklabel style={anchor=-tick-90},

xtick={0,30,60,90,120,150,180,210,240,270,300,330},

xticklabels={N,30,60,E,120,150,S,210,240,W,300,330},

ymin=0,

ymax=90,

ytick={0,10,...,90},

yticklabels=empty

]

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GPS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:30,90-80) {tiny{G30}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GAL_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:280,90-10) {tiny{E01}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GLO_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:150,90-89) {tiny{R13}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=BDS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:210,90-35) {tiny{C14}};

end{polaraxis}

end{tikzpicture}

end{document}

This results in this diagram:

However, I cannot find a way to display the background colors. I developed an application which calculates the satellite positions and the background, this is how I created the figure. Now I would like to extend this application to generate tikz/pgf code for publication in TeX. The color data for the background is available as some kind of image, so an rectangular array of pixels with specific colors. However, as this data relies on a cartesian axis, I cannot plot it directly in the polaraxis environment.

How can I create such a colored background in PGFPlots polaraxis environment?

Thank you very much.

If what you want to add a background image (generated with your other program), and you have the image available in whatever format, you can add it on the background. Notice that I used scale only axis to force the dimension of the polar plot to exactly fit the requested ones.

documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}

usepackage{pgfplots}

usepackage{tikz}

usetikzlibrary{backgrounds,calc}



pgfplotsset{compat=1.13}

usepgfplotslibrary{polar}



newlengthfigureheight

newlengthfigurewidth



definecolor{GPS_Color}{RGB}{0, 187, 0}

definecolor{GLO_Color}{RGB}{196, 163, 0}

definecolor{GAL_Color}{RGB}{0, 140, 190}

definecolor{BDS_Color}{RGB}{196, 0, 0}



begin{document}

scriptsize

setlengthfigureheight{textwidth}

setlengthfigurewidth{textwidth}



begin{tikzpicture}

    begin{scope}[on background layer]

        node[anchor=south west, inner sep=0pt,  opacity=0.3,

            ] at (0,0)

            {includegraphics[width=figurewidth,

                height=figureheight]{example-image-a}

            };

    end{scope}

    begin{polaraxis}[

        width=figurewidth,

        height=figureheight,

        rotate=-90,

        axis lines*=none,

        axis line style = {draw=transparent,line width=0.0001pt},

        x dir=reverse,

        xticklabel style={anchor=-tick-90},

        xtick={0,30,60,90,120,150,180,210,240,270,300,330},

        xticklabels={N,30,60,E,120,150,S,210,240,W,300,330},

        ymin=0,

        ymax=90,

        ytick={0,10,...,90},

        yticklabels=empty,

        scale only axis,

        ]

        node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GPS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:30,90-80) {tiny{G30}};

        node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GAL_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:280,90-10) {tiny{E01}};

        node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GLO_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:150,90-89) {tiny{R13}};

        node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=BDS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:210,90-35) {tiny{C14}};

    end{polaraxis}



end{tikzpicture}

end{document}

The OP posted the final result:

This is a way that can be adjusted in colors and the "blur" by you:

documentclass{standalone}

usepackage{pgfplots}

usepackage{tikz}



pgfplotsset{compat=1.13}

usepgfplotslibrary{polar}



newlengthfigureheight

newlengthfigurewidth



definecolor{GPS_Color}{RGB}{0, 187, 0}

definecolor{GLO_Color}{RGB}{196, 163, 0}

definecolor{GAL_Color}{RGB}{0, 140, 190}

definecolor{BDS_Color}{RGB}{196, 0, 0}

definecolor{SKY_Color}{RGB}{0, 157, 210}





begin{document}

scriptsize

setlengthfigureheight{textwidth}

setlengthfigurewidth{textwidth}



begin{tikzpicture}

begin{polaraxis}[

width=figurewidth,

height=figureheight,

rotate=-90,

axis lines*=none,

axis line style = {draw=transparent,line width=0.0001pt},

x dir=reverse,

xticklabel style={anchor=-tick-90},

xtick={0,30,60,90,120,150,180,210,240,270,300,330},

xticklabels={N,30,60,E,120,150,S,210,240,W,300,330},

ymin=0,

ymax=90,

ytick={0,10,...,90},

yticklabels=empty

]

end{polaraxis}

clip (5.27,5.27) circle (5.25);

fill[SKY_Color] (5.3,5.3) circle (5.3);

fill[orange!50!yellow,rotate=-30, shift={(70:10)}] (1.6,-2) ellipse (4 and 6);

draw[yellow,opacity=0.4,line width=0.2cm,rotate=-30,shift={(70:10)}] (1.6,-2) ellipse (4.05 and 6.05);

draw[yellow,opacity=0.2,line width=0.2cm,rotate=-30,shift={(70:10)}] (1.6,-2) ellipse (4.2 and 6.2);

draw[yellow,opacity=0.1,line width=0.2cm,rotate=-30,shift={(70:10)}] (1.6,-2) ellipse (4.3 and 6.3);

begin{scope}

begin{polaraxis}[

width=figurewidth,

height=figureheight,

rotate=-90,

axis lines*=none,

axis line style = {draw=transparent,line width=0.0001pt},

x dir=reverse,

xticklabel style={anchor=-tick-90},

xtick={0,30,60,90,120,150,180,210,240,270,300,330},

xticklabels={N,30,60,E,120,150,S,210,240,W,300,330},

ymin=0,

ymax=90,

ytick={0,10,...,90},

yticklabels=empty

]

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GPS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:30,90-80) {tiny{G30}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GAL_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:280,90-10) {tiny{E01}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GLO_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:150,90-89) {tiny{R13}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=BDS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:210,90-35) {tiny{C14}};

end{polaraxis}

end{scope}

end{tikzpicture}

end{document}

Output:

PS: I used a filled circle with your center, an ellipse with an appropriate color, center/rotation, some ellipses for "bluring" and cliped the image with a circle using your center and an appropriate radius.

At the conceptual level a bit similar to koleygr's answer but no hardcoded distances and a finer color transition. (EDIT: Use color picker to reproduce your color, big big thanks to AndrèC!)

documentclass[tikz,border=3.14mm]{standalone}

usetikzlibrary{backgrounds,calc}

usepackage{pgfplots}



pgfplotsset{compat=1.13}

usepgfplotslibrary{polar}



newlengthfigureheight

newlengthfigurewidth



definecolor{GPS_Color}{RGB}{0, 187, 0}

definecolor{GLO_Color}{RGB}{196, 163, 0}

definecolor{GAL_Color}{RGB}{0, 140, 190}

definecolor{BDS_Color}{RGB}{196, 0, 0}



definecolor{LEFT_Color}{RGB}{152, 205, 225}

definecolor{RIGHT_Color}{RGB}{242, 204, 48}

begin{document}

scriptsize

setlengthfigureheight{textwidth}

setlengthfigurewidth{textwidth}



begin{tikzpicture}

begin{polaraxis}[

width=figurewidth,

height=figureheight,

rotate=-90,

axis lines*=none,

axis line style = {draw=transparent,line width=0.0001pt},

x dir=reverse,

xticklabel style={anchor=-tick-90},

xtick={0,30,60,90,120,150,180,210,240,270,300,330},

xticklabels={N,30,60,E,120,150,S,210,240,W,300,330},

ymin=0,

ymax=90,

ytick={0,10,...,90},

yticklabels=empty

]

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GPS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:30,90-80) {tiny{G30}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GAL_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:280,90-10) {tiny{E01}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=GLO_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:150,90-89) {tiny{R13}};

node [anchor=center,draw,circle,black,fill=BDS_Color,minimum size=3ex,inner sep=0pt] at (axis cs:210,90-35) {tiny{C14}};

coordinate (c) at (axis cs:0,0);

coordinate (aux) at (axis cs:0,90);

coordinate (t) at (axis cs:15,90);

coordinate (m) at (axis cs:0,40);

coordinate (b) at (axis cs:200,90);

end{polaraxis}

begin{scope}[on background layer]

clip let p1=($(aux)-(c)$),n1={veclen(y1,x1)} in (c) circle (n1);

fill[LEFT_Color] let p1=($(aux)-(c)$) in (c) circle (y1);

path let p1=($([xshift=-6,yshift=10]t)-(c)$),n1={1.025*veclen(y1,x1)} in pgfextra{xdefmyrad{n1}};

foreach X [evaluate=X as Y using {int(50+X)}] in {-50,...,50}

{fill[RIGHT_Color!Y!LEFT_Color] ([xshift=0.2*X,yshift=10]t) to[out=-120,in=70]

([xshift=0.2*X]m) to[out=-110,in=90] ([xshift=0.2*X,yshift=-10]b) arc(250:435:myrad);}

end{scope}

end{tikzpicture}

end{document}

Even if one zooms in a lot, one has still a rather smooth transition.