code: def init_heatmap(x_vec, y_vec, hist_matrix, fig, colormap='Blues',
                   alpha=1, grid=False, colorbar=True,
                   vmax='auto', vmin='auto', crop=True):
      
      plt.figure(fig.number)
      ax = fig.gca()
  
      # set vmax and vmin
      vma = np.amax(hist_matrix) if vmax == 'auto' else vmax
      vmi = np.amin(hist_matrix) if vmin == 'auto' else vmin
  
      # an error check
      if vma <= vmi:
          vma = vmi + 1
  
      # grid the space for pcolormesh
      x_grid, y_grid = np.meshgrid(x_vec, y_vec)
  
      hmap = ax.pcolormesh(x_grid, y_grid, np.array(hist_matrix),
                 cmap=colormap, alpha=alpha, shading='gouraud',
                 vmax=vma, vmin=vmi)
  
      if colorbar:
          plt.colorbar(hmap)
  
      if not grid:
          ax.grid(False)
  
      if crop:
          ax.set_xlim([x_vec[0], x_vec[-1]])
          ax.set_ylim([y_vec[0], y_vec[-1]])
docs: convenience function to initialize a standard colormap in a figure