matplotlib · timhoffm · Jan 10, 2019 · Jan 9, 2019
diff --git a/...users/next_whats_new/2018-12-30-add-cache_frame_data-kwarg-to-FuncAnimation.rst b/...users/next_whats_new/2018-12-30-add-cache_frame_data-kwarg-to-FuncAnimation.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+Add ``cache_frame_data`` keyword-only argument into ``matplotlib.animation.FuncAnimation``
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+| ``matplotlib.animation.FuncAnimation`` has been caching frame data by default.
+
+| However, this caching is not ideal in certain cases.
+| e.g. When ``FuncAnimation`` needs to be only drawn(not saved) interactively and memory required by frame data is quite large.
+
+| By adding ``cache_frame_data`` keyword-only argument, users can disable this caching now if necessary.
+| Thereby, this new argument provides a fix for issue #8528.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/animation.py b/lib/matplotlib/animation.py
@@ -1598,10 +1598,14 @@ def init_func() -> iterable_of_artists
        blitting any animated artists will be drawn according to their zorder.
        However, they will be drawn on top of any previous artists, regardless
        of their zorder.  Defaults to *False*.
+
+    cache_frame_data : bool, optional
+       Controls whether frame data is cached. Defaults to *True*.
+       Disabling cache might be helpful when frames contain large objects.
     """
 
     def __init__(self, fig, func, frames=None, init_func=None, fargs=None,
-                 save_count=None, **kwargs):
+                 save_count=None, *, cache_frame_data=True, **kwargs):
         if fargs:
             self._args = fargs
         else:
@@ -1649,6 +1653,8 @@ def __init__(self, fig, func, frames=None, init_func=None, fargs=None,
         # for a single frame from init, which is not what we want.
         self._save_seq = []
 
+        self._cache_frame_data = cache_frame_data
+
     def new_frame_seq(self):
         # Use the generating function to generate a new frame sequence
         return self._iter_gen()
@@ -1703,8 +1709,9 @@ def _init_draw(self):
         self._save_seq = []
 
     def _draw_frame(self, framedata):
-        # Save the data for potential saving of movies.
-        self._save_seq.append(framedata)
+        if self._cache_frame_data:
+            # Save the data for potential saving of movies.
+            self._save_seq.append(framedata)
 
         # Make sure to respect save_count (keep only the last save_count
         # around)

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_animation.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_animation.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import weakref
 
 import numpy as np
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -258,3 +259,51 @@ def test_failing_ffmpeg(tmpdir, monkeypatch):
                 make_animation().save("test.mpeg")
     finally:
         animation.writers.reset_available_writers()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("cache_frame_data, weakref_assertion_fn", [
+    pytest.param(
+        False, lambda ref: ref is None, id='cache_frame_data_is_disabled'),
+    pytest.param(
+        True, lambda ref: ref is not None, id='cache_frame_data_is_enabled'),
+])
+def test_funcanimation_holding_frames(cache_frame_data, weakref_assertion_fn):
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    line, = ax.plot([], [])
+
+    class Frame(dict):
+        # this subclassing enables to use weakref.ref()
+        pass
+
+    def init():
+        line.set_data([], [])
+        return line,
+
+    def animate(frame):
+        line.set_data(frame['x'], frame['y'])
+        return line,
+
+    frames_generated = []
+
+    def frames_generator():
+        for _ in range(5):
+            x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
+            y = np.random.rand(100)
+
+            frame = Frame(x=x, y=y)
+
+            # collect weak references to frames
+            # to validate their references later
+            frames_generated.append(weakref.ref(frame))
+
+            yield frame
+
+    anim = animation.FuncAnimation(fig, animate, init_func=init,
+                                   frames=frames_generator,
+                                   cache_frame_data=cache_frame_data)
+
+    writer = NullMovieWriter()
+    anim.save('unused.null', writer=writer)
+    assert len(frames_generated) == 5
+    for f in frames_generated:
+        assert weakref_assertion_fn(f())