# spacepy.plot.utils.show_used

`spacepy.plot.utils.``show_used`(fig=None)

  Show the areas of a figure which are used/occupied by plot elements.

  This function will overplot each element of a plot with a rectangle showing the full bounds of that element, to see for example the margins and such used by a text label.

  Returns
    boxes list of Rectangle

      The `Rectangle` objects used for the overplot.

  Other Parameters
    fig matplotlib.figure.Figure

      The figure to mark up; if not specified, the `gcf()` function will be used.

  Notes

  Calls `draw()` to ensure locations are up to date.

  Examples

      >>> import spacepy.plot.utils
      >>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
      >>> fig = plt.figure()
      >>> ax0 = fig.add_subplot(211)
      >>> ax0.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 1])
      [<matplotlib.lines.Line2D at 0x00000000>]
      >>> ax1 = fig.add_subplot(212)
      >>> ax1.plot([1, 2, 3], [2, 1, 2])
      [<matplotlib.lines.Line2D at 0x00000000>]
      >>> spacepy.plot.utils.show_used(fig)
      [<matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>,
       <matplotlib.patches.Rectangle at 0x0000000>]