More parameter functionality in matplotlib (default) drawer visualization

[rmhopkins4]

(screenshots of changes w/ example agent_portrayal functions coming)

Stuff like this is now possible:

def agent_portrayal(cell):

    return {
        "c": "white" if cell.isAlive else "black",
        "s": 45,
        "marker": "*",
        "edgecolors": "purple",
        "linewidths": 0.5,
        "alpha": 0.5,
    }

• updates necessary docstring
• supports all params in matplotlib's scatter with the exception of plotnonfinite
• manual colormapping to get around restrictions similar to those with 'marker', where a unique colormap cannot usually be provided for each point plotted
• streamlined code for _split_and_scatter and portray

[github-actions]

Performance benchmarks:

Model	Size	Init time [95% CI]	Run time [95% CI]
Schelling	small	🔵 +0.0% [-0.4%, +0.4%]	🔵 +1.6% [+1.2%, +1.9%]
Schelling	large	🔵 +0.9% [+0.1%, +1.7%]	🔵 +1.5% [-1.5%, +5.6%]
WolfSheep	small	🔵 +0.5% [-0.8%, +1.6%]	🔵 +0.6% [+0.3%, +0.9%]
WolfSheep	large	🔵 +0.5% [-0.1%, +0.9%]	🔵 +0.5% [-0.7%, +1.6%]
BoidFlockers	small	🔵 +0.9% [+0.4%, +1.4%]	🔵 +1.7% [+1.0%, +2.3%]
BoidFlockers	large	🔵 +1.0% [+0.6%, +1.3%]	🔵 +1.5% [+0.8%, +2.1%]

[EwoutH]

Thanks for this PR, sorry none of us got back to you (@projectmesa/maintainers we should be better in this - a full week is quite long).

It looks really useful. We indeed need to discuss how we handle variable names.

I might support going full matplotlib convention. So marker instead of shape, etc.

[rht]

There is a problem with using Matplotlib nomenclature because Altair's API naming might be different. But it's better to pick either Matplotlib/Altair than to create a separate new naming scheme that nobody is familiar with. I haven't looked at Altair's but I assume the naming would be more modern.

[EwoutH]

I really like the capabilities this brings. Thanks for working on this, good visualization is important.

This does need to be documented really well. Try if you can add some more examples and edge cases to your PR post.

[EwoutH]

Can you explain or link to how color and c differ in matplotlib (scatter)?

[EwoutH]

I have a feeling this can be done more elegant

[EwoutH]

@rmhopkins4 are you still interested in working on this? If so, how can I help?

[jackiekazil]

@EwoutH, while in a perfect world, we hope that @rmhopkins4 hasn't moved on and will gloriously return to this awesomeness to carry the torch, but if they have - I wonder if we should create a tag to recognize incomplete but valuable PRs that might be picked up in the future for completion? (Maybe it takes 2 core contributors to agree on the potential -- so we don't add the tag to every PR.)

[EwoutH]

Yeah I agree this one is worth getting in. Maybe @Corvince or @rht wants to finish it?

For now we can just add it to the 3.0 milestone.