From df3bc9649c3d54e68692a6bcc8ce799826162ac0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Aditya Singh <adisin650@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2026 07:54:46 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Let plot_probe accept xlims, ylims and zlims independently

The guard that fills in missing axis limits is an OR, but its body rebound
all three names at once:

    if xlims is None or ylims is None or (zlims is None and probe.ndim == 3):
        xlims, ylims, zlims = get_auto_lims(probe)

So a caller passing only xlims tripped the guard on ylims being None and had
its xlims silently overwritten with the auto value. In 3D, omitting zlims
discarded both xlims and ylims. Either limit only took effect if every limit
was supplied.

Fill in just the limits that are None and leave the supplied ones alone.

Fixes #119
---
 src/probeinterface/plotting.py |  7 ++++-
 tests/test_plotting.py         | 52 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 58 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/src/probeinterface/plotting.py b/src/probeinterface/plotting.py
index 8283f90e..ac163501 100644
--- a/src/probeinterface/plotting.py
+++ b/src/probeinterface/plotting.py
@@ -243,7 +243,12 @@ def on_press(event):
             ax.text(x, y, txt, ha="center", va="center", clip_on=True)
 
     if xlims is None or ylims is None or (zlims is None and probe.ndim == 3):
-        xlims, ylims, zlims = get_auto_lims(probe)
+        # Only fill in the limits the caller left unset. Rebinding all three would
+        # discard a caller-supplied xlims whenever ylims was omitted, and vice versa.
+        auto_xlims, auto_ylims, auto_zlims = get_auto_lims(probe)
+        xlims = auto_xlims if xlims is None else xlims
+        ylims = auto_ylims if ylims is None else ylims
+        zlims = auto_zlims if zlims is None else zlims
 
     ax.set_xlim(*xlims)
     ax.set_ylim(*ylims)
diff --git a/tests/test_plotting.py b/tests/test_plotting.py
index 12ec258e..d820c0ad 100644
--- a/tests/test_plotting.py
+++ b/tests/test_plotting.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from probeinterface import Probe, ProbeGroup
 from probeinterface import generate_dummy_probe, generate_dummy_probe_group
 from probeinterface.plotting import plot_probe, plot_probegroup
+from probeinterface.utils import get_auto_lims
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 import numpy as np
@@ -43,6 +44,57 @@ def test_plot_probegroup():
     plot_probegroup(probegroup_3d, same_axes=True)
 
 
+def test_plot_probe_partial_lims():
+    """Passing only one of xlims/ylims/zlims must not discard the ones that were given."""
+    probe = generate_dummy_probe()
+    auto_xlims, auto_ylims, _ = get_auto_lims(probe)
+
+    # x only: xlims is honoured, ylims falls back to auto
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    plot_probe(probe, ax=ax, xlims=(-11, 22))
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == (-11, 22)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == pytest.approx(auto_ylims)
+
+    # y only: ylims is honoured, xlims falls back to auto
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    plot_probe(probe, ax=ax, ylims=(-33, 44))
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == (-33, 44)
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == pytest.approx(auto_xlims)
+
+    # both given: neither is touched
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    plot_probe(probe, ax=ax, xlims=(-11, 22), ylims=(-33, 44))
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == (-11, 22)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == (-33, 44)
+
+    # neither given: both are auto
+    _, ax = plt.subplots()
+    plot_probe(probe, ax=ax)
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == pytest.approx(auto_xlims)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == pytest.approx(auto_ylims)
+
+
+def test_plot_probe_partial_lims_3d():
+    """In 3D, omitting zlims must not discard a supplied xlims or ylims."""
+    probe_3d = generate_dummy_probe().to_3d(axes="xz")
+    auto_xlims, auto_ylims, auto_zlims = get_auto_lims(probe_3d)
+
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, projection="3d")
+    plot_probe(probe_3d, ax=ax, xlims=(-11, 22), ylims=(-33, 44))
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == (-11, 22)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == (-33, 44)
+    assert ax.get_zlim() == pytest.approx(auto_zlims)
+
+    # zlims only: x and y fall back to auto
+    fig = plt.figure()
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(1, 1, 1, projection="3d")
+    plot_probe(probe_3d, ax=ax, zlims=(-55, 66))
+    assert ax.get_zlim() == (-55, 66)
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == pytest.approx(auto_xlims)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == pytest.approx(auto_ylims)
+
+
 def test_plot_probe_two_side():
     probe = Probe()
     probe.set_contacts(