python - Matplotlib: "Unknown projection '3d'" error

Question

I just installed matplotlib and am trying to run one of there example scripts. However I run into the error detailed below. What am I doing wrong?

from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import axes3d
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.gca(projection='3d')
X, Y, Z = axes3d.get_test_data(0.05)
cset = ax.contour(X, Y, Z, 16, extend3d=True)
ax.clabel(cset, fontsize=9, inline=1)

plt.show()

The error is

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 245, in run_nodebug
  File "<module1>", line 5, in <module>
  File "C:Python26libsite-packagesmatplotlibfigure.py", line 945, in gca
    return self.add_subplot(111, **kwargs)
  File "C:Python26libsite-packagesmatplotlibfigure.py", line 677, in add_subplot
    projection_class = get_projection_class(projection)
  File "C:Python26libsite-packagesmatplotlibprojections\__init__.py", line 61, in get_projection_class
    raise ValueError("Unknown projection '%s'" % projection)
ValueError: Unknown projection '3d'

Answer 1

First off, I think mplot3D worked a bit differently in matplotlib version 0.99 than it does in the current version of matplotlib.

Which version are you using? (Try running: python -c 'import matplotlib; print matplotlib."__version__")

I'm guessing you're running version 0.99, in which case you'll need to either use a slightly different syntax or update to a more recent version of matplotlib.

If you're running version 0.99, try doing this instead of using using the projection keyword argument:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import axes3d, Axes3D #<-- Note the capitalization! 
fig = plt.figure()

ax = Axes3D(fig) #<-- Note the difference from your original code...

X, Y, Z = axes3d.get_test_data(0.05)
cset = ax.contour(X, Y, Z, 16, extend3d=True)
ax.clabel(cset, fontsize=9, inline=1)
plt.show()

This should work in matplotlib 1.0.x, as well, not just 0.99.