matplotlib / matplotlib/basemap

zorder of drawmapboundary() gets on top of imshow()

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Description

Hi all,

I got this weird issue that changing the order of `drawmapboundary()` wrt `drawparallels()` and `drawmeridians()` gives different results. Specifically, calling `drawmapboundary(fill_color='0.8')` first leads to an overlay of grey over the `imshow()` (see left panel in figure). While putting `drawmapboundary()` after `drawparallels()` and `drawmeridians()` gives correct results (right panel in figure).

![basemap](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/8076931/63423894-d2caca80-c43f-11e9-9544-a224c703c007.png)

The script to create that plot:
```
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap

def plotBmap(data, x, y, ax, order):

bmap=Basemap(projection='cyl',\
llcrnrlat=y[0],llcrnrlon=x[0],\
urcrnrlat=y[-1],urcrnrlon=x[-1],\
ax=ax)

bmap.imshow(data, interpolation='nearest')

# plot axes labels
lat_labels=np.linspace(-90, 90, 5)
lon_labels=np.linspace(0, 360, 6)
ax.set_yticks(lat_labels)
ax.set_xticks(lon_labels)
ax.tick_params(axis='both',which='major',labelsize=10)
ax.xaxis.set_ticklabels([])
ax.yaxis.set_ticklabels([])

# draw continents
bmap.drawcoastlines(linewidth=1.5,linestyle='solid',color='k',\
antialiased=True)
bmap.drawcountries(linewidth=0.5,linestyle='solid',color='k',\
antialiased=True)

if order=='before':
bmap.drawmapboundary(color='k',linewidth=1.0,fill_color='0.8')
bmap.drawparallels(lat_labels,labels=[1,1,0,0],linewidth=0,\
labelstyle='+/-',fontsize=10)
bmap.drawmeridians(lon_labels,labels=[0,0,0,1],linewidth=0,\
labelstyle='+/-',fontsize=10)
elif order=='after':
bmap.drawparallels(lat_labels,labels=[1,1,0,0],linewidth=0,\
labelstyle='+/-',fontsize=10)
bmap.drawmeridians(lon_labels,labels=[0,0,0,1],linewidth=0,\
labelstyle='+/-',fontsize=10)
bmap.drawmapboundary(color='k',linewidth=1.0,fill_color='0.8')

return bmap

if __name__=='__main__':

x=np.arange(0, 361, 1) # lon
y=np.arange(-90, 91, 1) # lat
X,Y=np.meshgrid(x,y)
z=np.sin(X/90.)+np.cos(Y/90.)

# create an area of missings
z[10:50, 20:80]=np.nan

fig, (ax1, ax2)=plt.subplots(1, 2, figsize=(12,6))

bmap1=plotBmap(z, x, y, ax1, 'before')
ax1.set_title('before')

bmap2=plotBmap(z, x, y, ax2, 'after')
ax2.set_title('after')

fig.show()
```
I guess it's the zorder that is wrong. specifying `zorder=0` in `drawmapboundary()` doesn't work, by `zordre=-1` does.

The versions of relevant packages:

* basemap = 1.2.0
* matplotlib = 2.2.3

One of the combinations that doesn't have this issue:
* basemap = 1.0.7
* matplotlib = 2.2.3

Contributor guide

No contributing guide indexed for this repository

Research direction

Use the provided plotBmap reproducer with Basemap 1.2.0 and Matplotlib 2.2.3, then compare its behavior with Basemap 1.0.7. Start by tracing drawmapboundary(), drawparallels(), and drawmeridians() as they create artists and z-orders. Done means drawmapboundary(fill_color='0.8') does not cover imshow() regardless of call order.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
data-visualization
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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