change line width of lines in matplotlib pyplot legend
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Okay, let's delve into how to modify the line width of lines specifically within a Matplotlib legend. This is a surprisingly common customization need, and while the core logic isn't overly complex, there are several approaches and nuances to consider depending on your specific scenario.
*Understanding the Challenge*
The default Matplotlib legend often inherits the line styles and widths from the plots it represents. However, sometimes you want the legend to be visually distinct, perhaps using a thinner line width for clarity, or thicker lines for emphasis. Modifying the properties directly of the lines in the original plot might not be desired, as you only want to change their appearance in the legend.
*General Approaches and Code Example*
Here's a breakdown of the most common techniques, along with explanations and code examples:
*Explanation of Methods*
1. *Modifying Existing Line Objects:*
This method focuses on directly accessing the `Line2D` objects that Matplotlib uses to represent the lines within the legend.
We obtain the legend using `ax.legend()`.
`legend.get_lines()` returns a list of the `Line2D` objects in the legend.
We iterate through this list and use `line.set_linewidth(desired_width)` to change the width of each line.
This is the most direct way to achieve the desired effect and is generally preferred when you've plotted lines using the standard `plot` function.
2. *Manual Proxy Artists:*
This method is the most flexible, but it requires more code. You create `Line2D` objects specifically for the legend. These `Line2D` objects are not related to the actual lines you plotted.
You import `matplotlib.lines` to get access to the `Line2D` class.
You create `Line2D` instances using `mlines.Line2D([], [], ...)` . The first two arguments are empty lists, as these lines won't be plotted directly on the axes. You set the `color` and `linewidth` as desired.
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