root/proc2plot/trunk/proc2plot/scratch/legend_scatter.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
from pylab import *
import os

N=100

props = dict( alpha=0.5, faceted=False )

handles = []
colours = ['red', 'green', 'blue', 'magenta', 'cyan', 'yellow']
colours = ['red', 'green', 'blue']
for colour in colours:
    x, y = rand(2,N)
    s = 400.0 * rand(N)
    handles.append(scatter(x, y, c=colour, s=s, **props))
    
legend(handles, colours)
grid(True)

leg = gca().get_legend()
ltext  = leg.get_texts()  # all the text.Text instance in the legend
llines = leg.get_lines()  # all the lines.Line2D instance in the legend
frame  = leg.get_frame()  # the patch.Rectangle instance surrounding the legend

# see text.Text, lines.Line2D, and patches.Rectangle for more info on
# the settable properties of lines, text, and rectangles
frame.set_facecolor('0.80')      # set the frame face color to light gray
setp(ltext, fontsize='small')    # the legend text fontsize
setp(llines, linewidth=1.5)      # the legend linewidth
#leg.draw_frame(False)           # don't draw the legend frame

#show()
savefig('legend_scatter.png')
os.system('ls *.png')
os.system('scp -r *.png haines@pitot.marine.unc.edu:/afs/isis.unc.edu/depts/marine/workspace/haines/public_html/nccoos/test')