How to get an interactive plot of a pyplot when using PyCharm?

To get an interactive plot of a pyplot when using PyCharm, you need to configure the backend properly. PyCharm often defaults to inline backends that don't support interaction. By setting an interactive backend like Qt5Agg, you can enable zoom, pan, and other interactive features.

Setting Up Interactive Backend

The key is to use matplotlib.use() to set an interactive backend before importing pyplot ?

import matplotlib as mpl

# Set interactive backend before importing pyplot
mpl.use('Qt5Agg')

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Configure figure properties
plt.rcParams["figure.figsize"] = [7.50, 3.50]
plt.rcParams["figure.autolayout"] = True

# Create a simple plot
plt.plot(range(10))

# Display the interactive plot
plt.show()

Alternative Backends

If Qt5Agg doesn't work on your system, try these alternative interactive backends ?

# For TkAgg backend
mpl.use('TkAgg')

# For Qt4Agg backend  
mpl.use('Qt4Agg')

# For different Qt versions
mpl.use('QtAgg')

PyCharm Configuration

You can also enable interactive plots through PyCharm settings ?

• Go to File ? Settings ? Build, Execution, Deployment ? Console ? Python Console

• Check "Show plots in tool window" option

• Alternatively, uncheck it to use external interactive windows

Complete Interactive Example

import matplotlib as mpl
mpl.use('Qt5Agg')

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# Generate sample data
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x)

# Create the plot
plt.figure(figsize=(8, 6))
plt.plot(x, y, 'b-', linewidth=2, label='sin(x)')
plt.xlabel('X values')
plt.ylabel('Y values')
plt.title('Interactive Sine Wave Plot')
plt.legend()
plt.grid(True)

# Show interactive plot
plt.show()

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, check these common solutions ?

• Backend not found: Install required packages like PyQt5 or tkinter

• Plot not interactive: Ensure the backend is set before importing pyplot

• PyCharm blocking: Disable scientific mode or adjust console settings

Conclusion

Use mpl.use('Qt5Agg') before importing pyplot to enable interactive plots in PyCharm. Configure PyCharm settings to display plots externally for full interactivity with zoom, pan, and selection tools.