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How to Invert the Y-Axis in a Matplotlib 3D Plot

Use Axes3D.set_yinverted(True) to reverse the y direction in a Matplotlib 3D plot, or set reversed limits when you need a specific range.
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To reverse the direction of y values in a Matplotlib 3D plot, call ax.set_yinverted(True) on the 3D axes object. If you already know the bounds you want, reverse them with ax.set_ylim(y_max, y_min).

Invert the 3D y-axis with set_yinverted

Create an axes with the 3d projection, plot your data on that axes, then set its y direction:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig = plt.figure()
ax = fig.add_subplot(projection="3d")

# Plot data with ax.plot, ax.scatter, ax.plot_surface, etc.
ax.set_yinverted(True)

plt.show()

The method Axes3D.set_yinverted explicitly sets whether the 3D y-axis is inverted. Use it when your main goal is to change direction without specifying new bounds—for example, to show zero depth toward the top and increasing depth downward.

Use reversed limits when the bounds are known

Setting the upper bound first and the lower bound second reverses the direction while also defining the displayed range:

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ax.set_ylim(5000, 0)

For a depth plot, this places 0 at the top and 5000 at the bottom. Matplotlib’s Axes3D.set_ylim documentation explains that when the bottom value is greater than the top value, y values decrease from bottom to top. Choose this approach when those limits are the desired bounds; otherwise, set_yinverted(True) states the orientation directly.

Which method should you use?

Approach Best when What it changes
ax.set_yinverted(True) You want to set the y direction explicitly. Axis orientation.
ax.set_ylim(y_max, y_min) You know the exact range to display. Both the y-axis orientation and its bounds.

The current stable Axes3D.invert_yaxis API marks that method as discouraged. For new code using the current API, prefer set_yinverted(True). Older Matplotlib documentation may differ, so check the API for the release installed in your environment.

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Axis direction is not camera rotation

Inverting y changes how y values increase along the axis; it does not rotate the 3D scene. If the data direction is correct but the plot is hard to interpret from its current perspective, adjust the camera view instead. Matplotlib documents interactive scene rotation separately in its 3D rotation example.

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