# Finding plotting function attributes, e.g. alpha, for Makie plotting functions

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153>\
**Category:** Visualization\
**Tags:** makie\
**Created:** [September 14, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153 "2021-09-14T15:29:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Adam\_Fleischhacker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/adam_fleischhacker/32/24468_2.png) [@Adam\_Fleischhacker](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Adam_Fleischhacker)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153/1 "2021-09-14T15:29:32Z")

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Is there a programmatic way (or better documentation available) to find the available attributes for each plotting function. For example, the `arrows` function has a nice attribute list in help and at [https://makie.juliaplots.org/dev/examples/plotting\_functions/arrows/:](https://makie.juliaplots.org/dev/examples/plotting_functions/arrows/:)

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/b/a/baa985076fd5f7e8fafa14181dfe122470d37ebf.png)

However, I cannot find a similar list for scatter in the help documentation or at [https://makie.juliaplots.org/dev/examples/plotting\_functions/scatter/](https://makie.juliaplots.org/dev/examples/plotting_functions/scatter/) and I am now left wondering if my code below is wrong for setting alpha transparency on a scatter plot or if it is not supported.

```julia
using CairoMakie

f = Figure()
Axis(f[1, 1])
xs = LinRange(0, 10, 20)
ys = 0.5 .* sin.(xs)
scatter!(xs, ys, color = :red)
scatter!(xs, ys .- 1, color = :red, alpha = 0.1)
f

```

because as you see here, there is no transparency applied to the lower points:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/5/8/5879d0998c4a2c4f87106328335366f6cefca814.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Storopoli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/storopoli/32/209278_2.png) [@Storopoli](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Storopoli)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153/2 "2021-09-14T15:55:36Z")

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try:

```julia
using SomeMakie
help_attributes(your_desired_plotting_function)

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jules](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/41988e/32.png) [@jules](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/jules)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153/3 "2021-09-14T15:59:07Z")

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Plot object level alpha is currently not supported, you can pass alpha colors with a tuple (color, alpha) though

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Adam\_Fleischhacker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/adam_fleischhacker/32/24468_2.png) [@Adam\_Fleischhacker](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Adam_Fleischhacker)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 4:19pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153/4 "2021-09-14T16:19:45Z")

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thanks. this does work:

```julia
scatter!(xs, ys .- 1, color = (:red,0.5))

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Adam\_Fleischhacker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/adam_fleischhacker/32/24468_2.png) [@Adam\_Fleischhacker](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Adam_Fleischhacker)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/finding-plotting-function-attributes-e-g-alpha-for-makie-plotting-functions/68153/5 "2021-09-14T16:22:20Z")

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exactly what I needed 🙂 . For example:

![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/9/1/9109dd88608033c9d4e854f81fcbccf5e0ffa97f.png)

Now, is there a way to go one level deeper. For example, learn what `ambient` or `diffuse` is?