pyplotdesigner

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 Import/Export and copy the base64 layout string.

4) Use the exported layout in Python

from pyplotdesigner.core.design_loader import make_figure_from_b64

layout_b64 = "PASTE_EXPORTED_STRING"
fig, axes = make_figure_from_b64(layout_b64)

# Example:
# 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).