Combining static and animated plotly objects using subplot - r

Question

Given the following data.frame
data <- structure(list(
a = c(3.022210021321, 3.31806778755904, 3.34379454984061, 3.47242836124846, 3.55604033866356, 1.11199792191451, 1.24063173332236, 1.31781202016707, 1.30494863902628, 1.3692655447302, 1.07983946906255, 1.2084732804704, 1.40142399758216, 1.60723809583472, 1.64582823925707),
b = c(2.64027979608152, 2.79483009168741, 2.90522315997732, 3.08185206924119, 2.86106593266136, 0.653204566863006, 0.697361794178973, 0.67528318052099, 0.653204566863006, 0.697361794178973, 2.06623584097395, 2.28702197755379, 2.48572950047564, 2.72859425071346, 2.77275147802942),
c = c(2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L),
d = c(1.16264425026133, 1.16264425026133, 1.16264425026133, 1.16264425026133, 1.16264425026133, 1.48373054411498, 1.48373054411498, 1.48373054411498, 1.48373054411498, 1.48373054411498, 3.35362520562369, 3.35362520562369, 3.35362520562369, 3.35362520562369, 3.35362520562369),
e = c(2015L, 2016L, 2017L, 2018L, 2019L, 2015L, 2016L, 2017L, 2018L, 2019L, 2015L, 2016L, 2017L, 2018L, 2019L),
f = c("X", "X", "X", "X", "X", "Y", "Y", "Y", "Y", "Y", "Z", "Z", "Z", "Z", "Z"),
h = structure(c(2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 2L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 3L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L, 1L), .Label = c("low", "mid", "high"), class = c("ordered", "factor"))),
row.names = c(NA, -15L),
class = "data.frame")
and the following code snippet
library(plotly)
p <- data %>% plot_ly(
x = ~a,
y = ~b,
size = ~c,
sizes = c(100, 850),
color = ~d,
colors = "YlOrRd",
alpha = 0.365,
frame = ~e,
text = ~paste0("Info: ", f),
hoverinfo = "text",
type = 'scatter',
mode = 'markers') %>%
add_text(textfont = list(size = 10, color = "black"), textposition = "top", text=~f, showlegend = F)
legend.plot <- plot_ly() %>%
add_markers(x = 1,
y = seq_len(length(unique(data$c))),
size = sort(unique(data$c)),
showlegend = F,
color = I("black"),
marker = list(sizeref=0.1, sizemode="area")) %>%
layout(
annotations = list(
list(x = 1.2,
y = 0.4,
text = "Size by: c",
showarrow = F,
xref='paper',
yref='paper')),
xaxis = list(
zeroline=F,
showline=F,
showticklabels=F,
showgrid=F),
yaxis=list(
side = "right",
range = c(0,10),
showgrid=F,
zeroline=F,
tickmode = "array",
tickvals = seq_len(length(unique(data$c))),
ticktext = c("low","mid","high")))
subplot(p, legend.plot, widths = c(0.85, 0.15), titleX=TRUE, titleY=TRUE) %>%
config(displayModeBar = F) %>%
colorbar(title = "Color by: d", x = 0.9, y = 1)
I manage to almost get a plotly plot that I want (ignoring the warnings along the way for now).
I am, however, unable to figure out, how to make the legend for size to stay during the animation. It appears in the initial stage, before the play button is hit, but as soon as I press play, it goes away.
So the static plot data points are disappearing from the subplot when I run the animation. Any hints?

Answer 1

This works. The reason that your pseudo-legend disappears is that you only have it for the first frame. What I did here is adding the data for all the 5 years (that's why I have rep) and making sure that frame is included in both plots.
legend.plot <- plot_ly() %>%
add_markers(x = rep(1,15),
y = rep(seq_len(length(unique(data$c))),5),
size = rep(sort(unique(data$c)),5),
showlegend = F,
color = I("black"),
frame = ~data$e,
marker = list(sizeref=0.1, sizemode="area")) %>%
layout(
annotations = list(
list(x = 1.2,
y = 0.4,
text = "Size by: c",
showarrow = F,
xref='paper',
yref='paper')),
xaxis = list(
zeroline=F,
showline=F,
showticklabels=F,
showgrid=F),
yaxis=list(
side = "right",
range = c(0,10),
showgrid=F,
zeroline=F,
tickmode = "array",
tickvals = seq_len(length(unique(data$c))),
ticktext = c("low","mid","high")))