R help - Nov 2025 - Jump between figures in multifigure environment

After drawing multiple figures, I want to select an earlier figure to add some
low level commands.  Using mfg parameter runs all commands in the most recent
figure only.  How can an earlier figure be selected?

Thanks,
Naresh

par(mfrow = c(2, 2))
for (i in 1:4) plot(c(0, 1), c(0, 1), type = "n?)
for (i in 1:2) {for (j in 1:2) text(0.5, 0.5, labels = paste("(", i,
",", j, ")"), mfg = c(i, j, 2, 2))}
#All text is in bottom right figure only

Hi

Base graphics is designed for drawing everything in a figure before 
moving on to the next figure.  Also, 'mfg' can only be set via par().
Are you looking for something like this ... ?


par(mfrow = c(2, 2))
for (i in 1:2) {
     for (j in 1:2) {
         par(mfg = c(i, j))
         plot(c(0, 1), c(0, 1), type = "n")
         text(0.5, 0.5, labels = paste("(", i, ",", j,
")"))
     }
}


If you really want to revisit previous figures, you might try 
split.screen(), but it is pretty fragile and, as the example below 
shows, still not designed for revisiting a previous *plot* (just a 
previous figure region) ...


split.screen(c(2, 2))
for (i in 1:4) {
     screen(i)
     plot(c(0, 1), c(0, 1), type = "n")
}
for (i in 1:2) {
     for (j in 1:2) {
         screen(2*(i - 1) + j)
         text(0.5, 0.5, labels = paste("(", i, ",", j,
")"))
     }
}


If you REALLY want to revisit previous drawing, you might need to look 
at {grid} viewports, which are designed to allow you to get back to the 
original drawing context ...


library(grid)
grid.newpage()
pushViewport(viewport(layout=grid.layout(2, 2)))
for (i in 1:2) {
     for (j in 1:2) {
         pushViewport(viewport(layout.pos.row=i, layout.pos.col=j,
                               name=paste0(i, j)))
         grid.rect(width=.8, height=.8)
         upViewport()
     }
}
for (i in 1:2) {
     for (j in 1:2) {
         downViewport(paste0(i, j))
         grid.text(paste("(", i, ",", j, ")"))
         upViewport()
     }
}


Paul


On 13/11/25 07:28, Naresh Gurbuxani wrote:
> After drawing multiple figures, I want to select an earlier figure to add
some low level commands.  Using mfg parameter runs all commands in the most
recent figure only.  How can an earlier figure be selected?
> 
> Thanks,
> Naresh
> 
> par(mfrow = c(2, 2))
> for (i in 1:4) plot(c(0, 1), c(0, 1), type = "n?)
> for (i in 1:2) {for (j in 1:2) text(0.5, 0.5, labels = paste("(",
i, ",", j, ")"), mfg = c(i, j, 2, 2))}
> #All text is in bottom right figure only
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-- 
Dr Paul Murrell (he/him)
Te Kura Tatauranga | Department of Statistics
Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland
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paul at stat.auckland.ac.nz
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