Plot over an image background in MATLAB - image

Question

I'd like to plot a graph over an image. I followed this tutorial to Plot over an image background in MATLAB and it works fine:
% replace with an image of your choice
img = imread('myimage.png');
% set the range of the axes
% The image will be stretched to this.
min_x = 0;
max_x = 8;
min_y = 0;
max_y = 6;
% make data to plot - just a line.
x = min_x:max_x;
y = (6/8)*x;
imagesc([min_x max_x], [min_y max_y], img);
hold on;
plot(x,y,'b-*','linewidth',1.5);
But when I apply the procedure to my study case, it doesn't work. I'd like to do something like:
I = imread('img_png.png'); % here I load the image
DEM = GRIDobj('srtm_bigtujunga30m_utm11.tif');
FD = FLOWobj(DEM,'preprocess','c');
S = STREAMobj(FD,flowacc(FD)>1000);
% with the last 3 lines I calculated the stream network on a geographic area using the TopoToolBox
imagesc(I);
hold on
plot(S)
The aim is to plot the stream network over the satellite image of the same area.
The only difference between the two examples that doesn't let the code working is in the plot line, in the first case "plot(x,y)" works, in the other one "plot(S)" doesn't.
Thanks guys.
This is the satellite image, imagesc(I)

Answer 1

It is possible that the plot method of the STREAMobj performs it's own custom plotting including creating new figures, axes, toggling hold states, etc. Because you can't easily control what their plot routine does, it's likely easier to flip the order of your plotting so that you plot your stuff after the toolbox plots the STREAMobj. This way you have completely control over how your image is added.
% Plot the STREAMobj
hlines = plot(S);
% Make sure we plot on the same axes
hax = ancestor(hlines, 'axes');
% Make sure that we can add more plot objects
hold(hax, 'on')
% Plot your image data on the same axes
imagesc(I, 'Parent', hax)

Answer 2

Maybe I am preaching to the choir or overlooking something here but the example you used actually mapped the image to the data range of the plot, hence the lines:
% set the range of the axes
% The image will be stretched to this.
min_x = 0;
max_x = 8;
min_y = 0;
max_y = 6;
imagesc([min_x max_x], [min_y max_y], img);
where you directly plot your image
imagesc(I);
If now your data coordinates and your image coordinates are vastly different you either see one or the other.

Answer 3

Thanks guys, I solved in this way:
I = imread('orto.png'); % satellite image loading
DEM = GRIDobj('demF1.tif');
FD = FLOWobj(DEM,'preprocess','c');
S = STREAMobj(FD,flowacc(FD)>1000); % Stream network extraction
x = S.x; % [node attribute] x-coordinate vector
y = S.y; % [node attribute] y-coordinate vector
min_x = min(x);
max_x = max(x);
min_y = min(y);
max_y = max(y);
imagesc([min_x max_x], [min_y max_y], I);
hold on
plot(S);
Here's the resulting image: stream network over the satellite image
Actually the stream network doesn't match the satellite image just because I'm temporarily using different images and DEM.