feat: add tight_layout wrapper with PYAUTO_FAST_PLOTS env var

When PYAUTO_FAST_PLOTS=1, skip plt.tight_layout() in all subplot
functions. This avoids expensive matplotlib font discovery and text
metrics computation (~0.5-1s per subplot figure), cutting smoke test
times significantly while preserving full code coverage.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: 2 people

autoarray/dataset/plot/imaging_plots.py

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
-from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, conf_subplot_figsize
+from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, conf_subplot_figsize, tight_layout
 
 
 def subplot_imaging_dataset(
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ def subplot_imaging_dataset(
 
     from autoarray.plot.utils import hide_unused_axes
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)
 
 
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ def subplot_imaging_dataset_list(
         plot_array(dataset.data, ax=axes[i][0], title="Data")
         plot_array(dataset.noise_map, ax=axes[i][1], title="Noise Map")
         plot_array(dataset.signal_to_noise_map, ax=axes[i][2], title="Signal-To-Noise Map")
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)
 
 

autoarray/dataset/plot/interferometer_plots.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from autoarray.plot.array import plot_array
 from autoarray.plot.grid import plot_grid
 from autoarray.plot.yx import plot_yx
-from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize
+from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize, tight_layout
 from autoarray.structures.grids.irregular_2d import Grid2DIrregular
 
 
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ def subplot_interferometer_dataset(
     )
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)
 
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def subplot_interferometer_dirty_images(
     )
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)
 
 

autoarray/fit/plot/fit_imaging_plots.py

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
 from autoarray.plot.array import plot_array
-from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, symmetric_vmin_vmax, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize
+from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, symmetric_vmin_vmax, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize, tight_layout
 
 
 def subplot_fit_imaging(
@@ -121,5 +121,5 @@ def subplot_fit_imaging(
     )
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)

autoarray/fit/plot/fit_interferometer_plots.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 from autoarray.plot.array import plot_array
 from autoarray.plot.yx import plot_yx
-from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, symmetric_vmin_vmax, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize
+from autoarray.plot.utils import subplot_save, symmetric_vmin_vmax, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize, tight_layout
 
 
 def subplot_fit_interferometer(
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def subplot_fit_interferometer(
     )
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)
 
 
@@ -195,5 +195,5 @@ def subplot_fit_interferometer_dirty_images(
     )
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)

autoarray/inversion/plot/inversion_plots.py

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 from autoarray.inversion.mappers.abstract import Mapper
 from autoarray.plot.array import plot_array
-from autoarray.plot.utils import numpy_grid, numpy_lines, numpy_positions, subplot_save, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize
+from autoarray.plot.utils import numpy_grid, numpy_lines, numpy_positions, subplot_save, hide_unused_axes, conf_subplot_figsize, tight_layout
 from autoarray.inversion.plot.mapper_plots import plot_mapper
 from autoarray.structures.arrays.uniform_2d import Array2D
 
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ def _recon_array():
         pass
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, f"{output_filename}_{mapper_index}", output_format)
 
 
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ def subplot_mappings(
     )
 
     hide_unused_axes(axes)
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(
         fig, output_path, f"{output_filename}_{pixelization_index}", output_format
     )

autoarray/inversion/plot/mapper_plots.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 from autoarray.plot.array import plot_array
 from autoarray.plot.inversion import plot_inversion_reconstruction
-from autoarray.plot.utils import numpy_grid, numpy_lines, subplot_save, conf_subplot_figsize
+from autoarray.plot.utils import numpy_grid, numpy_lines, subplot_save, conf_subplot_figsize, tight_layout
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -133,5 +133,5 @@ def subplot_image_and_mapper(
         ax=axes[1],
     )
 
-    plt.tight_layout()
+    tight_layout()
     subplot_save(fig, output_path, output_filename, output_format)

autoarray/plot/__init__.py

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def _set_backend():
     conf_mat_plot_fontsize,
     save_figure,
     subplot_save,
+    tight_layout,
     auto_mask_edge,
     zoom_array,
     numpy_grid,

autoarray/plot/utils.py

@@ -12,6 +12,18 @@
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+def tight_layout():
+    """Call ``plt.tight_layout()`` unless fast-plot mode is active.
+
+    When ``PYAUTO_FAST_PLOTS=1`` the expensive layout-optimisation pass
+    is skipped.  All figure creation, data computation, and rendering
+    still execute — only the final spacing adjustment is bypassed.
+    """
+    if os.environ.get("PYAUTO_FAST_PLOTS") == "1":
+        return
+    plt.tight_layout()
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # autoarray → numpy conversion helpers (used by high-level plot functions)
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------