metachat.pl.plot_dis_thr

metachat.pl.plot_dis_thr(adata, dis_thr, spot_index, use_existing_distance=False, figsize=(6, 5), ax=None, plot_savepath=None)[source]

Visualize spatial neighborhood within a specified distance threshold around a selected spot.

This function highlights which spots in the spatial omics dataset fall within a given Euclidean distance (dis_thr) from a selected spot. The center spot is shown in a distinct color, while neighboring and non-neighboring spots are visually separated.

Parameters

adataanndata.AnnData

Annotated data matrix containing spatial coordinates in adata.obsm["spatial"].

dis_thrfloat

Distance threshold (in pixel or micron units, depending on adata scaling) used to define spatial neighbors.

spot_indexint

Index (0-based) of the reference/center spot.

use_existing_distancebool, default=False

Whether to reuse an existing precomputed distance matrix stored in adata.obsp["spatial_distance"]. If False, a new Euclidean distance matrix will be computed.

figsizetuple of float, default=(6, 5)

Figure size (width, height) in inches.

axmatplotlib.axes.Axes, optional

Existing Matplotlib axis to draw on. If None, a new figure and axis are created.

plot_savepathstr, optional

File path to save the plot (e.g., "results/dis_thr_spots.pdf"). The format is inferred from the file extension. If None, the plot is shown interactively.

Returns

axmatplotlib.axes.Axes

Matplotlib axis containing the rendered spatial scatter plot.

Notes

  • This function helps visualize local spot neighborhoods used in spatial communication or proximity-based analyses (e.g., for barrier-aware OT or diffusion modeling).

  • The color coding is:

    • center – the selected reference spot

    • neighbor – spots within dis_thr distance

    • outside – all other spots