ListStreamPlot [varr]
generates a stream plot from an array varr of vectors.
ListStreamPlot [{{{x1,y1},{vx1,vy1}},…}]
generates a stream plot from vectors {vxi,vyi} given at points {xi,yi}.
ListStreamPlot [{data1,data2,…}]
plots data for several vector fields.
ListStreamPlot
ListStreamPlot [varr]
generates a stream plot from an array varr of vectors.
ListStreamPlot [{{{x1,y1},{vx1,vy1}},…}]
generates a stream plot from vectors {vxi,vyi} given at points {xi,yi}.
ListStreamPlot [{data1,data2,…}]
plots data for several vector fields.
Details and Options
- ListStreamPlot is known as a streamline plot.
- ListStreamPlot plots streamlines defined by and where is an interpolated function of the vector data and is an initial stream point. The streamline is the curve passing through point , and whose tangents correspond to the vector field at each point.
- The streamlines are colored by default according to the magnitude of the vector field and have an arrow in the direction of increasing value of .
- For regular data, the vector field has value varr〚i,j〛 at .
- For irregular data, the vector field has value {vxi,vyi} at .
- ListStreamPlot by default shows enough streamlines to achieve a roughly uniform density throughout the plot and shows no background scalar field. This is independent of the vector locations.
- ListStreamPlot by default interpolates the data given and shows enough streamlines to achieve a roughly uniform density throughout the plot.
- ListStreamPlot has the same options as Graphics , with the following additions and changes: [List of all options]
-
- The arguments supplied to functions in RegionFunction and StreamColorFunction are x, y, vx, vy, Norm [{vx,vy}].
- Possible settings for PlotLayout that show single streamlines in multiple plot panels include:
-
"Column" use separate streamlines in a column of panels"Row" use separate streamlines in a row of panels{"Column",k},{"Row",k} use k columns or rows
- Possible settings for ScalingFunctions are:
-
{sx,sy} scale x and y axes
- Common built-in scaling functions s include:
-
"Log" log scale with automatic tick labeling"Log10" base-10 log scale with powers of 10 for ticks"SignedLog" log-like scale that includes 0 and negative numbers"Reverse" reverse the coordinate direction"Infinite" infinite scale
-
AspectRatio 1 ratio of height to widthImageMargins 0. the margins to leave around the graphicPreserveImageOptions Automatic whether to preserve image options when displaying new versions of the same graphic
List of all options
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (3)
Plot streamlines computed from the interpolation of a specified set of vectors:
Plot the streamlines from data specifying coordinates and vectors:
Use a multi-panel layout to show multiple vector fields at the same time:
Scope (22)
Sampling (9)
Plot streamlines for a regular collection of vectors, and give a data range for the domain:
Plot streamlines for an irregular collection of vectors:
Plot streamlines for several vector fields:
Plot a vector field with streamlines placed with specified densities:
Plot the streamlines that go through a set of seed points:
Use both automatic and explicit seeding with styles for explicitly seeded streamlines:
Plot streamlines over a specified region:
Use a specific number of mesh lines:
Specify specific mesh lines:
Presentation (13)
Specify different dashings and arrowheads by settings to StreamScale :
Streamlines with arrows are colored by default according to the magnitude of the field:
Use a constant color for the streamlines:
Show multiple vector fields in separate panels:
Use a column instead of a row:
Style streamlines for multiple vector fields:
Use a named appearance to draw the streamlines:
Style the streamlines as well:
Specify mesh lines with different styles:
Specify global mesh line styles:
Shade mesh regions cyclically:
Apply a variety of styles to region boundaries:
Use a theme with simple ticks and grid lines:
Use a theme with detailed ticks and fine stream style:
Use a log scale in the y direction:
Options (98)
AspectRatio (3)
By default, ListStreamPlot uses the same width and height:
Use a numerical value to specify the height to width ratio:
AspectRatio Automatic determines the ratio from the plot ranges:
Axes (4)
By default, ListStreamPlot uses a frame instead of axes:
Use axes instead of a frame:
Use AxesOrigin to specify where the axes intersect:
Turn each axis on individually:
AxesStyle (4)
Change the style for the axes:
Specify the style of each axis:
Use different styles for the ticks and the axes:
Use different styles for the labels and the axes:
Background (1)
Use colored backgrounds:
DataRange (1)
By default, the data range is taken to be the index range of the data array:
Specify the data range for the domain:
EvaluationMonitor (1)
Count the number of times the vector field function is evaluated:
ImageSize (5)
Use named sizes such as Tiny , Small , Medium , and Large :
Specify the width of the plot:
Specify the height of the plot:
Allow the width and height to be up to a certain size:
Specify the width and height for a graphic, padding with space if necessary:
Setting AspectRatio Full will fill the available space:
Use maximum sizes for the width and height:
Mesh (5)
By default, no mesh lines are displayed:
Show the final sampling mesh:
Use a specific number of mesh lines:
Specify mesh lines:
Use different styles for different mesh lines:
MeshFunctions (3)
By default, mesh lines correspond to the magnitude of the field:
Use the value as the mesh function:
Use mesh lines corresponding to fixed distances from the origin:
MeshShading (3)
MeshStyle (1)
Apply a variety of styles to the mesh lines:
PerformanceGoal (2)
Generate a higher-quality plot:
Emphasize performance, possibly at the cost of quality:
PlotLayout (3)
Place each field in a separate panel using shared axes:
Use a row instead of a column:
Use multiple columns or rows:
Prefer full columns or rows:
PlotLegends (5)
Use legends for multiple datasets:
Use SwatchLegend to add an overall legend label:
Legends automatically pick up styles and shapes:
Use a legend for the color function:
Use Placed to put legends above the plot:
PlotRange (7)
The full plot range is used by default:
Specify an explicit limit for both and ranges:
Specify an explicit range:
Specify an explicit minimum range:
Specify an explicit range:
Specify an explicit maximum range:
Specify different and ranges:
PlotTheme (1)
Use a theme with high-contrast colors and simple ticks:
Change the stream style:
RegionBoundaryStyle (3)
The plotted region is highlighted by default:
Style the region boundary:
Omit the region boundary:
RegionFillingStyle (3)
The plotted region is highlighted by default:
Style the region interior:
Omit the region interior:
RegionFunction (3)
Plot vectors only over certain quadrants:
Plot vectors only over regions where the field magnitude is above a given threshold:
Use any logical combination of conditions:
ScalingFunctions (3)
By default, linear scales are used:
Use a log scale in the y direction:
Reverse the direction of the y direction:
StreamColorFunction (5)
By default, color streamlines according to the norm of the vector field:
Use any named color gradient from ColorData :
Use ColorData for predefined color gradients:
Specify a color function that blends two colors by the coordinate:
Use StreamColorFunctionScaling->False to get unscaled values:
StreamColorFunctionScaling (4)
By default, scaled values are used:
Use StreamColorFunctionScaling->False to get unscaled values:
Use unscaled coordinates in the direction and scaled coordinates in the direction:
Explicitly specify the scaling for each color function argument:
StreamMarkers (8)
Streamlines are drawn as arrows by default:
Use a named appearance to draw the streamlines:
Use different markers for different vector fields:
Use named styles:
Named arrow styles:
Named dot styles:
Named pointer styles:
Named dart styles:
StreamPoints (6)
Specify a maximum number of streamlines:
Use symbolic names to specify the number of streamlines:
Use both automatic and explicit seeding with styles for explicitly seeded streamlines:
Specify the minimum distance between streamlines:
Specify the minimum distance between streamlines at the start and end of a streamline:
Control the maximum length that each streamline can have:
StreamScale (9)
Create full streamlines without segmentation:
Use curves for streamlines:
Use symbolic names to control the lengths of streamlines:
Specify segment lengths:
Specify an explicit dashing pattern for streamlines:
Specify number of points rendered on each streamline segment:
Specify absolute aspect ratios relative to the longest line segment:
Specify relative aspect ratios relative to each line segment:
Scale the length of the arrows by the coordinate:
StreamStyle (5)
StreamColorFunction has precedence over colors specified in StreamStyle :
Set StreamColorFunction None to specify colors with StreamStyle :
Apply a variety of styles to the streamlines:
Specify a custom arrowhead:
Set the style for multiple vector fields:
Applications (6)
Global attractor of damped conservative system:
Visualize the first horizontal and vertical Gaussian derivatives of an image:
Combine the vertical and horizontal Gaussian derivatives:
Compute wind velocity from given coordinates:
Filter unavailable data:
Representation of Australia:
Wind velocity over Australia:
Organize several datasets into a tabbed view:
Explore various streamline styles and scales with several examples:
Generate icons to graphically represent field choices:
Click on the field icons to switch field plots:
Consider the heat equation on the unit square with on the left edge, (insulated) on the top and bottom edges, and for and for on the right edge.
Use finite differences to discretize the equation and the boundary conditions:
Solve the equations and compute the temperature gradients:
Plot the approximate temperatures with ListContourPlot and the heat flux with ListStreamPlot :
Properties & Relations (10)
Use StreamPlot for plotting functions:
Use ListVectorPlot for plotting data without a density plot of the scalar field:
Use ListStreamDensityPlot for plotting data with a density plot of the scalar field:
Use ListVectorDensityPlot to plot arrows instead of streams:
Use StreamDensityPlot to plot functions with a density plot of the scalar field:
Use VectorPlot to plot functions with vectors instead of streamlines:
Use ListVectorDisplacementPlot to visualize the deformation of a region associated with a displacement vector field:
Use ListVectorDisplacementPlot3D to visualize a deformation in 3D:
Use ListLineIntegralConvolutionPlot to plot the line integral convolution of vector field data:
Use ListVectorPlot3D and ListStreamPlot3D to visualize 3D vector field data:
Use ListSliceVectorPlot3D to plot a 3D vector field on a specified surface:
Use GeoStreamPlot to plot streams on a map:
Use GeoVectorPlot to plot arrows instead of streams:
Related Guides
History
Introduced in 2008 (7.0) | Updated in 2014 (10.0) ▪ 2018 (11.3) ▪ 2020 (12.1) ▪ 2020 (12.2) ▪ 2021 (13.0) ▪ 2022 (13.1)
Text
Wolfram Research (2008), ListStreamPlot, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListStreamPlot.html (updated 2022).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2008. "ListStreamPlot." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2022. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListStreamPlot.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2008). ListStreamPlot. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListStreamPlot.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_liststreamplot, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ListStreamPlot}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListStreamPlot.html}", note=[Accessed: 05-December-2025]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_liststreamplot, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ListStreamPlot}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ListStreamPlot.html}, note=[Accessed: 05-December-2025]}