R color scatter plot points based on values

Question

I am able to plot a scatter plot and color the points based on one criteria, i.e. I can color all points >=3 as red and the remainder as black. I would love to be able to co

Answer 1

Here is a method using a lookup table of thresholds and associated colours to map the colours to the variable of interest.

 # make a grid 'Grd' of points and number points for side of square 'GrdD'
Grd <- expand.grid(seq(0.5,400.5,10),seq(0.5,400.5,10))
GrdD <- length(unique(Grd$Var1))

# Add z-values to the grid points
Grd$z <- rnorm(length(Grd$Var1), mean = 10, sd =2)

# Make a vector of thresholds 'Brks' to colour code z 
Brks <- c(seq(0,18,3),Inf)

# Make a vector of labels 'Lbls' for the colour threhsolds
Lbls <- Lbls <- c('0-3','3-6','6-9','9-12','12-15','15-18','>18')

# Make a vector of colours 'Clrs' for to match each range
Clrs <- c("grey50","dodgerblue","forestgreen","orange","red","purple","magenta")

# Make up lookup dataframe 'LkUp' of the lables and colours 
LkUp <- data.frame(cbind(Lbls,Clrs),stringsAsFactors = FALSE)

# Add a new variable 'Lbls' the grid dataframe mapping the labels based on z-value
Grd$Lbls <- as.character(cut(Grd$z, breaks = Brks, labels = Lbls))

# Add a new variable 'Clrs' to the grid dataframe based on the Lbls field in the grid and lookup table
Grd <- merge(Grd,LkUp, by.x = 'Lbls')

# Plot the grid using the 'Clrs' field for the colour of each point
plot(Grd$Var1,
     Grd$Var2,
     xlim = c(0,400),
     ylim = c(0,400),
     cex = 1.0,
     col = Grd$Clrs,
     pch = 20,
     xlab = 'mX',
     ylab = 'mY',
     main = 'My Grid',
     axes = FALSE,
     labels = FALSE,
     las = 1
)

axis(1,seq(0,400,100))
axis(2,seq(0,400,100),las = 1)
box(col = 'black')

legend("topleft", legend = Lbls, fill = Clrs, title = 'Z')