[Bug]: Axes3D.set_frame_on not working as documented

[oscargus]

Bug summary

Axes3D.set_frame_on is documented as "Set whether the 3D axes panels are drawn.". However, this is really what set_axis_on and set_axis_off does (and set_frame_on doesn't do). (There is also get_frame_on.)

matplotlib/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py

Lines 1337 to 1350 in 4fda5ff

	def get_frame_on(self):
	"""Get whether the 3D axes panels are drawn."""
	return self._frameon
	def set_frame_on(self, b):
	"""
	Set whether the 3D axes panels are drawn.
	Parameters
	----------
	b : bool
	"""
	self._frameon = bool(b)
	self.stale = True

matplotlib/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py

Lines 176 to 182 in 4fda5ff

	def set_axis_off(self):
	self._axis3don = False
	self.stale = True
	def set_axis_on(self):
	self._axis3don = True
	self.stale = True

Code for reproduction

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import axes3d

X, Y, Z = axes3d.get_test_data(0.05)
ax1 = plt.subplot(1, 2, 1, projection="3d")
ax1.plot_wireframe(X, Y, Z)
ax2 = plt.subplot(1, 2, 2, projection="3d")
ax2.plot_wireframe(X, Y, Z)
ax2.set_frame_on(False)

Actual outcome

Nothing is affected by set_frame_on.

Expected outcome

It should do as documented.

Additional information

self._frameon is set to False in draw. However removing this line does not change anything anyway.

matplotlib/lib/mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py

Line 445 in 4fda5ff

self._frameon = False

I think that there are a few options:

1. Remove Axes3D.set_frame_on and get_frame_on. However, these will then be inherited from Axes, so not a good idea (although nothing is changed, documentation just more confusing).
2. Make Axes3D.set_frame_on call set_axis_on/off, keep both.
3. Make Axes3D.set_frame_on modify self._axison instead and deprecate set_axis_on/off.

The documentation for *_frame_on should be adapted to set_axis_* if kept and a get_axis_on method should probably be added.

Operating system

No response

Matplotlib Version

main

Matplotlib Backend

No response

Python version

No response

Jupyter version

No response

Installation

git checkout

[timhoffm]

There's a slight difference between set_frame_on and set_axis_on/off. the latter also removes ticks and tick labels. I think frame_on is more related to spines, though there is some intricate logic which I did not take the time to unravel.

More generally, I'd be happy to get rid of the frame_on concept. It seems not quite useful and is redundant. Also semantically, frame is a relatively poor concept for Axes (if anything I'd expect a frame to be outside around all ticks, titles and labels). spines and axis are much more appropriate.

Since I don't think we should follow up on the frame logic and it's not working anyway for 3D options 2 and 3 are out.

I think the cheap solution is 1. So far, nobody has complained it is not working, so by 1 we're effectively undocumenting it (and have the fallback to the still not working Axes method).
Alternatively, raise NotImplementedError and document that this is not supported and users should use axis/spine functionality instead.

[saranti]

@oscargus if you're happy with Tim's assessment, I can send in a PR that addresses solution 1?

[oscargus]

Please go ahead!

[saranti]

Please go ahead!

No worries. 👍 Would any kind of test be necessary for this?

[oscargus]

Not sure. I do not remember the details fully, but I think that it is hard to test removed non-working stuff in general...