diff --git a/src/traces/splom/attributes.js b/src/traces/splom/attributes.js
index 0c5dd6a9185..dbc9169bbe4 100644
--- a/src/traces/splom/attributes.js
+++ b/src/traces/splom/attributes.js
@@ -58,6 +58,23 @@ module.exports = {
             description: 'Sets the dimension values to be plotted.'
         },
 
+        axis: {
+            type: {
+                valType: 'enumerated',
+                values: ['linear', 'log', 'date', 'category'],
+                role: 'info',
+                editType: 'calc+clearAxisTypes',
+                description: [
+                    'Sets the axis type for this dimension\'s generated',
+                    'x and y axes.',
+                    'Note that the axis `type` values set in layout take',
+                    'precedence over this attribute.'
+                ].join(' ')
+            },
+
+            editType: 'calc+clearAxisTypes'
+        },
+
         // TODO should add an attribute to pin down x only vars and y only vars
         // like https://seaborn.pydata.org/generated/seaborn.pairplot.html
         // x_vars and y_vars
diff --git a/src/traces/splom/base_plot.js b/src/traces/splom/base_plot.js
index 80bef941fb1..7e747ca0fd5 100644
--- a/src/traces/splom/base_plot.js
+++ b/src/traces/splom/base_plot.js
@@ -45,36 +45,34 @@ function drag(gd) {
     for(var i = 0; i < cd.length; i++) {
         var cd0 = cd[i][0];
         var trace = cd0.trace;
-        var scene = cd0.t._scene;
+        var stash = cd0.t;
+        var scene = stash._scene;
 
         if(trace.type === 'splom' && scene && scene.matrix) {
-            dragOne(gd, trace, scene);
+            dragOne(gd, trace, stash, scene);
         }
     }
 }
 
-function dragOne(gd, trace, scene) {
-    var dimensions = trace.dimensions;
+function dragOne(gd, trace, stash, scene) {
     var visibleLength = scene.matrixOptions.data.length;
+    var visibleDims = stash.visibleDims;
     var ranges = new Array(visibleLength);
 
-    for(var i = 0, k = 0; i < dimensions.length; i++) {
-        if(dimensions[i].visible) {
-            var rng = ranges[k] = new Array(4);
+    for(var k = 0; k < visibleDims.length; k++) {
+        var i = visibleDims[k];
+        var rng = ranges[k] = new Array(4);
 
-            var xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]);
-            if(xa) {
-                rng[0] = xa.r2l(xa.range[0]);
-                rng[2] = xa.r2l(xa.range[1]);
-            }
-
-            var ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]);
-            if(ya) {
-                rng[1] = ya.r2l(ya.range[0]);
-                rng[3] = ya.r2l(ya.range[1]);
-            }
+        var xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]);
+        if(xa) {
+            rng[0] = xa.r2l(xa.range[0]);
+            rng[2] = xa.r2l(xa.range[1]);
+        }
 
-            k++;
+        var ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]);
+        if(ya) {
+            rng[1] = ya.r2l(ya.range[0]);
+            rng[3] = ya.r2l(ya.range[1]);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/traces/splom/index.js b/src/traces/splom/index.js
index 11cdba8dedc..738ac23280e 100644
--- a/src/traces/splom/index.js
+++ b/src/traces/splom/index.js
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ function calc(gd, trace) {
     // only differ here for log axes, pass ldata to createMatrix as 'data'
     var cdata = opts.cdata = [];
     var ldata = opts.data = [];
+    // keep track of visible dimensions
+    var visibleDims = stash.visibleDims = [];
     var i, k, dim, xa, ya;
 
     function makeCalcdata(ax, dim) {
@@ -71,6 +73,8 @@ function calc(gd, trace) {
                 // should not make it here, if both xa and ya undefined
                 makeCalcdata(ya, dim);
             }
+
+            visibleDims.push(i);
         }
     }
 
@@ -80,26 +84,24 @@ function calc(gd, trace) {
     var visibleLength = cdata.length;
     var hasTooManyPoints = (visibleLength * commonLength) > TOO_MANY_POINTS;
 
-    for(i = 0, k = 0; i < dimensions.length; i++) {
+    for(k = 0; k < visibleDims.length; k++) {
+        i = visibleDims[k];
         dim = dimensions[i];
 
-        if(dim.visible) {
-            xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]) || {};
-            ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]) || {};
-
-            // Reuse SVG scatter axis expansion routine.
-            // For graphs with very large number of points and array marker.size,
-            // use average marker size instead to speed things up.
-            var ppad;
-            if(hasTooManyPoints) {
-                ppad = 2 * (opts.sizeAvg || Math.max(opts.size, 3));
-            } else {
-                ppad = calcMarkerSize(trace, commonLength);
-            }
-
-            calcAxisExpansion(gd, trace, xa, ya, cdata[k], cdata[k], ppad);
-            k++;
+        xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]) || {};
+        ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]) || {};
+
+        // Reuse SVG scatter axis expansion routine.
+        // For graphs with very large number of points and array marker.size,
+        // use average marker size instead to speed things up.
+        var ppad;
+        if(hasTooManyPoints) {
+            ppad = 2 * (opts.sizeAvg || Math.max(opts.size, 3));
+        } else {
+            ppad = calcMarkerSize(trace, commonLength);
         }
+
+        calcAxisExpansion(gd, trace, xa, ya, cdata[k], cdata[k], ppad);
     }
 
     var scene = stash._scene = sceneUpdate(gd, stash);
@@ -133,9 +135,7 @@ function sceneUpdate(gd, stash) {
             // draw traces in selection mode
             if(scene.matrix && scene.selectBatch) {
                 scene.matrix.draw(scene.unselectBatch, scene.selectBatch);
-            }
-
-            else if(scene.matrix) {
+            } else if(scene.matrix) {
                 scene.matrix.draw();
             }
 
@@ -191,34 +191,32 @@ function plotOne(gd, cd0) {
     matrixOpts.upper = trace.showlowerhalf;
     matrixOpts.diagonal = trace.diagonal.visible;
 
-    var dimensions = trace.dimensions;
+    var visibleDims = stash.visibleDims;
     var visibleLength = cdata.length;
     var viewOpts = {};
     viewOpts.ranges = new Array(visibleLength);
     viewOpts.domains = new Array(visibleLength);
 
-    for(i = 0, k = 0; i < dimensions.length; i++) {
-        if(trace.dimensions[i].visible) {
-            var rng = viewOpts.ranges[k] = new Array(4);
-            var dmn = viewOpts.domains[k] = new Array(4);
+    for(k = 0; k < visibleDims.length; k++) {
+        i = visibleDims[k];
 
-            xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]);
-            if(xa) {
-                rng[0] = xa._rl[0];
-                rng[2] = xa._rl[1];
-                dmn[0] = xa.domain[0];
-                dmn[2] = xa.domain[1];
-            }
+        var rng = viewOpts.ranges[k] = new Array(4);
+        var dmn = viewOpts.domains[k] = new Array(4);
 
-            ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]);
-            if(ya) {
-                rng[1] = ya._rl[0];
-                rng[3] = ya._rl[1];
-                dmn[1] = ya.domain[0];
-                dmn[3] = ya.domain[1];
-            }
+        xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]);
+        if(xa) {
+            rng[0] = xa._rl[0];
+            rng[2] = xa._rl[1];
+            dmn[0] = xa.domain[0];
+            dmn[2] = xa.domain[1];
+        }
 
-            k++;
+        ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]);
+        if(ya) {
+            rng[1] = ya._rl[0];
+            rng[3] = ya._rl[1];
+            dmn[1] = ya.domain[0];
+            dmn[3] = ya.domain[1];
         }
     }
 
@@ -260,25 +258,23 @@ function plotOne(gd, cd0) {
         var xpx = stash.xpx = new Array(visibleLength);
         var ypx = stash.ypx = new Array(visibleLength);
 
-        for(i = 0, k = 0; i < dimensions.length; i++) {
-            if(trace.dimensions[i].visible) {
-                xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]);
-                if(xa) {
-                    xpx[k] = new Array(commonLength);
-                    for(j = 0; j < commonLength; j++) {
-                        xpx[k][j] = xa.c2p(cdata[k][j]);
-                    }
-                }
+        for(k = 0; k < visibleDims.length; k++) {
+            i = visibleDims[k];
 
-                ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]);
-                if(ya) {
-                    ypx[k] = new Array(commonLength);
-                    for(j = 0; j < commonLength; j++) {
-                        ypx[k][j] = ya.c2p(cdata[k][j]);
-                    }
+            xa = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][0]);
+            if(xa) {
+                xpx[k] = new Array(commonLength);
+                for(j = 0; j < commonLength; j++) {
+                    xpx[k][j] = xa.c2p(cdata[k][j]);
                 }
+            }
 
-                k++;
+            ya = AxisIDs.getFromId(gd, trace._diag[i][1]);
+            if(ya) {
+                ypx[k] = new Array(commonLength);
+                for(j = 0; j < commonLength; j++) {
+                    ypx[k][j] = ya.c2p(cdata[k][j]);
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -293,8 +289,8 @@ function plotOne(gd, cd0) {
         }
     }
     else {
-        scene.matrix.update(matrixOpts);
-        scene.matrix.update(viewOpts);
+        scene.matrix.update(matrixOpts, null);
+        scene.matrix.update(viewOpts, null);
         stash.xpx = stash.ypx = null;
     }
 
@@ -313,8 +309,8 @@ function hoverPoints(pointData, xval, yval) {
     var ypx = ya.c2p(yval);
     var maxDistance = pointData.distance;
 
-    var xi = getDimIndex(trace, xa);
-    var yi = getDimIndex(trace, ya);
+    var xi = getDimIndex(trace, stash, xa);
+    var yi = getDimIndex(trace, stash, ya);
     if(xi === false || yi === false) return [pointData];
 
     var x = cdata[xi];
@@ -363,8 +359,8 @@ function selectPoints(searchInfo, polygon) {
     var hasOnlyLines = (!subTypes.hasMarkers(trace) && !subTypes.hasText(trace));
     if(trace.visible !== true || hasOnlyLines) return selection;
 
-    var xi = getDimIndex(trace, xa);
-    var yi = getDimIndex(trace, ya);
+    var xi = getDimIndex(trace, stash, xa);
+    var yi = getDimIndex(trace, stash, ya);
     if(xi === false || yi === false) return selection;
 
     var xpx = stash.xpx[xi];
@@ -445,17 +441,15 @@ function style(gd, cds) {
     }
 }
 
-function getDimIndex(trace, ax) {
+function getDimIndex(trace, stash, ax) {
     var axId = ax._id;
     var axLetter = axId.charAt(0);
     var ind = {x: 0, y: 1}[axLetter];
-    var dimensions = trace.dimensions;
+    var visibleDims = stash.visibleDims;
 
-    for(var i = 0, k = 0; i < dimensions.length; i++) {
-        if(dimensions[i].visible) {
-            if(trace._diag[i][ind] === axId) return k;
-            k++;
-        }
+    for(var k = 0; k < visibleDims.length; k++) {
+        var i = visibleDims[k];
+        if(trace._diag[i][ind] === axId) return k;
     }
     return false;
 }
diff --git a/test/jasmine/tests/splom_test.js b/test/jasmine/tests/splom_test.js
index 4be73e3f881..73243c8495b 100644
--- a/test/jasmine/tests/splom_test.js
+++ b/test/jasmine/tests/splom_test.js
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ describe('Test splom trace calc step:', function() {
         var cd = gd.calcdata[0][0];
 
         expect(cd.t._scene.matrixOptions.data).toBeCloseTo2DArray([[2, 1, 2]]);
+        expect(cd.t.visibleDims).toEqual([1]);
     });
 });