Scales for shapes, aka glyphs — scale

scale_shape() maps discrete variables to six easily discernible shapes. If you have more than six levels, you will get a warning message, and the seventh and subsequence levels will not appear on the plot. Use scale_shape_manual() to supply your own values. You can not map a continuous variable to shape unless scale_shape_binned() is used. Still, as shape has no inherent order, this use is not advised.

scale_shape(..., solid = TRUE)

scale_shape_binned(..., solid = TRUE)

Arguments

...

...	Arguments passed on to `discrete_scale` `palette` A palette function that when called with a single integer argument (the number of levels in the scale) returns the values that they should take (e.g., `scales::hue_pal()`). `breaks` One of: `NULL` for no breaks `waiver()` for the default breaks (the scale limits) A character vector of breaks A function that takes the limits as input and returns breaks as output `limits` One of: `NULL` to use the default scale values A character vector that defines possible values of the scale and their order A function that accepts the existing (automatic) values and returns new ones `drop` Should unused factor levels be omitted from the scale? The default, `TRUE`, uses the levels that appear in the data; `FALSE` uses all the levels in the factor. `na.translate` Unlike continuous scales, discrete scales can easily show missing values, and do so by default. If you want to remove missing values from a discrete scale, specify `na.translate = FALSE`. `na.value` If `na.translate = TRUE`, what aesthetic value should the missing values be displayed as? Does not apply to position scales where `NA` is always placed at the far right. `aesthetics` The names of the aesthetics that this scale works with. `scale_name` The name of the scale that should be used for error messages associated with this scale. `name` The name of the scale. Used as the axis or legend title. If `waiver()`, the default, the name of the scale is taken from the first mapping used for that aesthetic. If `NULL`, the legend title will be omitted. `labels` One of: `NULL` for no labels `waiver()` for the default labels computed by the transformation object A character vector giving labels (must be same length as `breaks`) A function that takes the breaks as input and returns labels as output `guide` A function used to create a guide or its name. See `guides()` for more information. `super` The super class to use for the constructed scale
solid	Should the shapes be solid, `TRUE`, or hollow, `FALSE`?

Arguments passed on to discrete_scale

palette

A palette function that when called with a single integer argument (the number of levels in the scale) returns the values that they should take (e.g., scales::hue_pal()).

breaks

One of:

NULL for no breaks
waiver() for the default breaks (the scale limits)
A character vector of breaks
A function that takes the limits as input and returns breaks as output

limits

One of:

NULL to use the default scale values
A character vector that defines possible values of the scale and their order
A function that accepts the existing (automatic) values and returns new ones

drop

Should unused factor levels be omitted from the scale? The default, TRUE, uses the levels that appear in the data; FALSE uses all the levels in the factor.

na.translate

Unlike continuous scales, discrete scales can easily show missing values, and do so by default. If you want to remove missing values from a discrete scale, specify na.translate = FALSE.

na.value

If na.translate = TRUE, what aesthetic value should the missing values be displayed as? Does not apply to position scales where NA is always placed at the far right.

aesthetics

The names of the aesthetics that this scale works with.

scale_name

The name of the scale that should be used for error messages associated with this scale.

name

The name of the scale. Used as the axis or legend title. If waiver(), the default, the name of the scale is taken from the first mapping used for that aesthetic. If NULL, the legend title will be omitted.

labels

One of:

NULL for no labels
waiver() for the default labels computed by the transformation object
A character vector giving labels (must be same length as breaks)
A function that takes the breaks as input and returns labels as output

guide

A function used to create a guide or its name. See guides() for more information.

super

The super class to use for the constructed scale

solid

Should the shapes be solid, TRUE, or hollow, FALSE?

Examples

dsmall <- diamonds[sample(nrow(diamonds), 100), ]

(d <- ggplot(dsmall, aes(carat, price)) + geom_point(aes(shape = cut)))
#> Warning: Using shapes for an ordinal variable is not advised
d + scale_shape(solid = TRUE) # the default
d + scale_shape(solid = FALSE)
d + scale_shape(name = "Cut of diamond")

# To change order of levels, change order of
# underlying factor
levels(dsmall$cut) <- c("Fair", "Good", "Very Good", "Premium", "Ideal")

# Need to recreate plot to pick up new data
ggplot(dsmall, aes(price, carat)) + geom_point(aes(shape = cut))
#> Warning: Using shapes for an ordinal variable is not advised

# Show a list of available shapes
df_shapes <- data.frame(shape = 0:24)
ggplot(df_shapes, aes(0, 0, shape = shape)) +
  geom_point(aes(shape = shape), size = 5, fill = 'red') +
  scale_shape_identity() +
  facet_wrap(~shape) +
  theme_void()