def create_figures(self):
        """
        creates the maplotlib figures]
        self.matplotlibwidget_1
        self.matplotlibwidget_2
        and toolbars
        self.mpl_toolbar_1
        self.mpl_toolbar_2
        Returns:

        """


        try:
            self.horizontalLayout_14.removeWidget(self.matplotlibwidget_1)
            self.matplotlibwidget_1.close()
        except AttributeError:
            pass
        try:
            self.horizontalLayout_15.removeWidget(self.matplotlibwidget_2)
            self.matplotlibwidget_2.close()
        except AttributeError:
            pass
        self.matplotlibwidget_2 = MatplotlibWidget(self.plot_2)
        sizePolicy = QtWidgets.QSizePolicy(QtWidgets.QSizePolicy.Expanding, QtWidgets.QSizePolicy.Expanding)
        sizePolicy.setHorizontalStretch(0)
        sizePolicy.setVerticalStretch(0)
        sizePolicy.setHeightForWidth(self.matplotlibwidget_2.sizePolicy().hasHeightForWidth())
        self.matplotlibwidget_2.setSizePolicy(sizePolicy)
        self.matplotlibwidget_2.setMinimumSize(QtCore.QSize(200, 200))
        self.matplotlibwidget_2.setObjectName("matplotlibwidget_2")
        self.horizontalLayout_16.addWidget(self.matplotlibwidget_2)
        self.matplotlibwidget_1 = MatplotlibWidget(self.plot_1)
        self.matplotlibwidget_1.setMinimumSize(QtCore.QSize(200, 200))
        self.matplotlibwidget_1.setObjectName("matplotlibwidget_1")
        self.horizontalLayout_15.addWidget(self.matplotlibwidget_1)

        self.matplotlibwidget_1.mpl_connect('button_press_event', self.plot_clicked)
        self.matplotlibwidget_2.mpl_connect('button_press_event', self.plot_clicked)

        # adds a toolbar to the plots
        self.mpl_toolbar_1 = NavigationToolbar(self.matplotlibwidget_1.canvas, self.toolbar_space_1)
        self.mpl_toolbar_2 = NavigationToolbar(self.matplotlibwidget_2.canvas, self.toolbar_space_2)
        self.horizontalLayout_9.addWidget(self.mpl_toolbar_2)
        self.horizontalLayout_14.addWidget(self.mpl_toolbar_1)

        self.matplotlibwidget_1.figure.set_tight_layout(True)
        self.matplotlibwidget_2.figure.set_tight_layout(True)