Design matplotlib figure layouts visually, then reuse them in Python.

PyPI package: https://pypi.org/project/pyplotdesigner/

Quickstart (recommended: PyPI)

1) Install with pip

pip install -U pip
pip install pyplotdesigner

2) Start the GUI

python -m pyplotdesigner.gui.main

This opens your browser automatically. If it does not, open:

• http://127.0.0.1:8080/ui

Optional:

• python -m pyplotdesigner.gui.main --no-browser (disable auto-open)
• python -m pyplotdesigner.gui.main --reload (enable auto-reload for dev)

3) Build a layout in the GUI

1. Click Add Axis.
2. Drag boxes into place.
3. Add constraints (align, match size, aspect ratio, spacing, etc.).
4. Click Quick Copy to copy the code directly to your clipboard or alternatively click Import/Export for access to the layout string.

4) Use the exported layout in Python

# following lines will be automatically copied to your clipboard
from pyplotdesigner.core.design_loader import make_figure_from_b64
layout_b64 = "PASTE_EXPORTED_STRING"
fig, axes = make_figure_from_b64(layout_b64)

# example usage:
# left_panel = axes['left_panel']
# left_panel.plot([0, 1], [0, 1])

If you need to: clone and install locally

git clone git@github.com:gnwong/pyplotdesigner.git
cd pyplotdesigner
pip install -U pip
pip install -e .

Run tests

pip install pytest
pytest

Frontend E2E tests (Playwright)

These tests exercise the real browser UI against the FastAPI app.

Install once:

npm install
npx playwright install chromium

Run E2E suite:

npm run e2e

Useful variants:

npm run e2e:headed
npm run e2e:ui

Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

Expected workflow:

1. Open an issue (or reference an existing one) describing the change.
2. Create a focused branch and implement the change.
3. Add or update tests for any new feature or behavior change.
4. Run tests locally (pytest) and make sure they pass.
5. Open a PR with a clear summary and testing notes.

Guidelines:

• Keep changes focused and minimal.
• Preserve existing behavior unless your PR intentionally changes it.
• If behavior changes, document it and include regression coverage.

License

MIT (see LICENSE).