Animating drawgreatcircle

example_great_ani.py

import matplotlib
matplotlib.use("Agg")

from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.animation as ani
import numpy as np

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(12, 7))

nylat = 40.730610
nylon = -73.935242
sflat = 37.773972
sflon = -122.431297
drw_lst = []


FFMpegWriter = ani.writers['ffmpeg']
metadata = dict(title='Ani DGC Example', artist='Matplotlib',
                comment='Movie support!')
writer = FFMpegWriter(fps=3, metadata=metadata)


ax = fig.add_subplot(221)
ax.set_title('Regular DGC')
m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-119, llcrnrlat=22, urcrnrlon=-54, urcrnrlat=55, projection='lcc', resolution='l', lat_1=32,
            lat_2=45, lon_0=-95)
m.drawcoastlines()

# Grab points along line for animating.
dgc = m.drawgreatcircle(nylon, nylat, sflon ,sflat, linewidth=2, color='b', del_s=50)
dgc_path = [d for d in dgc.iter_segments()]

for a, b in dgc_path:
    q, r = tuple(a)
    drw_lst += [[q] + [r]]

with writer.saving(fig, 'Ani_DGC_Example.mp4', 300):

    for a, b in drw_lst:

        ax = fig.add_subplot(222)
        ax.set_title('Animated DGC')
        m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-119, llcrnrlat=22, urcrnrlon=-54, urcrnrlat=55, projection='lcc', resolution='l',
                    lat_1=32, lat_2=45, lon_0=-95)
        m.drawcoastlines()
        ax.plot(a, b, marker='.', color='b', markersize=6)

        ax = fig.add_subplot(223)
        ax.set_title('Animated DGC w/ random color')
        m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-119, llcrnrlat=22, urcrnrlon=-54, urcrnrlat=55, projection='lcc', resolution='l',
                    lat_1=32, lat_2=45, lon_0=-95)
        m.drawcoastlines()
        ax.plot(a, b, marker='.', color=np.random.rand(3,1), markersize=6)

        ax = fig.add_subplot(224)
        ax.set_title('Animated DGC single dot')
        m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-119, llcrnrlat=22, urcrnrlon=-54, urcrnrlat=55, projection='lcc', resolution='l',
                    lat_1=32, lat_2=45, lon_0=-95)
        m.drawcoastlines()
        pta = ax.plot(a, b, marker='.', color='b', markersize=8)
        writer.grab_frame()
        cp = pta.pop(0)
        cp.remove()
        del cp

    writer.grab_frame()