history

Figure Studio edits one native subplot panel at a time

id: LK-20260721-figure-studio-native-panel-editing
date: 2026-07-21
sequence: 153
type: feat
compatibility: compatible
component: `labkit_FigureStudio_app` | `0.4.0 -> 0.6.0`
scope: Figure Studio

Context

Figure Studio reconstructed a limited portable snapshot from the first axes in a FIG. This could omit composite graphics such as traditional boxplot groups, gave no reliable way to choose a subplot from a mixed figure, and made export canvas controls look like live plot-resize controls.

Decision and rationale

Treat an opened FIG as a transient native document resource and select one axes from it by an ordered subplot panel choice. The selected axes remains the authoritative hierarchy for preview and editable/image export; the portable snapshot remains an explicit secondary data-package representation. This gives ordinary MATLAB charts a broader preservation path without promising that an arbitrary custom graphics class is portable.

Use a fixed, visually calibrated single-panel default (1600 by 1333, 6:5). The workbench now displays a raster rendering of that real export canvas, fit as one image into the available workspace. Resizing the window never feeds back into style sizing; supersampling remains export-only. Provide an explicit automatic X/Y-limit recovery action instead of trying to infer limits during unrelated style changes.

Changes

• Added ordered mixed-FIG subplot-panel selection; preview, styling, limits, and exports all operate on the selected axes only.
• Added private native-source cloning for popout handoff and FIG import, with cleanup through the existing document-resource lifecycle.
• Preserved native child hierarchies in preview and editable FIG export, including traditional grouped boxplot graphics and hidden-handle visual children.
• Preserved source tick labels and tick configuration when copying native axes.
• Replaced free-form preview resizing with source/fixed export-size choices, aspect choices, export supersampling, and a stable true-export preview.
• Added Recalculate X/Y limits and project persistence for explicit limit overrides.
• Migrated project schema 3 to remember the selected panel index.

User and data impact

Existing projects migrate automatically. A saved mixed FIG project restores the same selected panel when its source is available. Popout projects retain a portable snapshot after reload; their private native source is never saved. No scientific calculation, source file, or source axes is modified.

Compatibility and migration

Schema 1--3 projects migrate to schema 4. Schema 3 adds panelIndex = 1; earlier migrations retain their existing style and limit conversions.

Validation

• Project-schema tests cover migrations through schema 4.
• Hidden-GUI tests cover four-panel FIG selection, native boxplot preservation for FIG import and popout handoff, export, limit recovery, and a stable export-canvas preview through workspace resizing.
• Focused visual review checks a generated single-panel scientific probe at the default 1600-by-1333 reference size.

Evidence

The focused test artifacts and generated local visual probe are supporting evidence. No external laboratory data was used.

Known limitations and follow-up

Developer-led visual review remains necessary for unusual custom charts, native dialogs, and publication-specific annotation overlap. Portable data packages intentionally support fewer object types than native FIG export.