How to get landscape float with correct numbering?

Question

I am setting a figure in landscape and then two other figures in normal mode. However, the landscape figure goes between the normal figures and the numbering gets messed up, including in the table of contents. How do I avoid the numbers being in the wrong order?

Unfortunately, I was not able to create a minimal example where this happens. Here is the structure of what I am using:

\clearpage
\begin{landscape}
  % figure 2
\end{landscape}
% figure 1
% figure 3

I'll tried with and without \clearpage before and after the landscape environment.

Edit:

Due to the comment by David, I saw that it is actually the following that causes the problem:

\afterpage{
  \clearpage
  \begin{landscape}
    % figure 2
  \end{landscape}
}
% figure 1
% figure 3

Edit 2:

Finally, a minimal example:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{afterpage}
\usepackage{pdflscape}
\usepackage{float}
\begin{document}
\listoffigures
\clearpage
\blindtext[4]
\afterpage{
\begin{landscape}
\begin{figure}
... figure contents ...
\caption{Figure 1}
\end{figure}
\end{landscape}
}
\begin{figure}
... figure contents ...
\caption{Figure 2}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}[H]
... figure contents ...
\caption{Figure 3}
\end{figure}
\blindtext[4]
\end{document}

Note: Removing the [H] option of the third figure produces a whole page for just one small figure which isn't desired.

Edit 3:

Removing the [H] option does not change the order of figures either.

Edit 4:

For reference, here is what seems to be the result I was looking for: https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/472608/36836

Answer 1

I'm not exactly sure what do you want to achieve? Do you want the figures not to change their position in text? Or do you want to change the numbering so that fig 1 will be on the first page, fig 3 on the second (landscape page) and then fig 2 on the third page?

In case 1 you can use the float package which adds an option [H] (uppercase H instead of default latex lowercase h). It forces the float to stay exactly where it is put in the text. The code will look like this:

\begin{figure}[H] 
%figure
\end{figure}

Regarding case 2, you can change the numbering of the figures by changing the figure counter like this:

%figure1
\addtocounter{figure}{1}
%figure3
\addtocounter{figure}{-2}
%figure2
\addtocounter{figure}{1}

Then you'll have first figure 1 then figure 3 then figure 2 then figure 4, 5, 6...

Answer 2

LaTeX will keep floats in order but...

If you use afterpage the latex commands are only interpreted hen the delayed text is inserted so that figure is figure 2, so in that case the numbering and ordering (as seen in the table of contents) is correct it is just the caption text is wrong. But presumably no real caption would be "figure two" in words.

The situation with [H] is different. If you use [H] then you are asserting manual control and that figure will not move, even if other figures float past it, in that case it is your responsibility to force the correct float numbering.

I don't think you need \afterpage or [H] here (I'm somewhat responsible for both those things and I wouldn't use them here) Just allow Latex to number floats as usual.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{pdflscape}
\usepackage{float}
\usepackage{rotating}
\begin{document}
\listoffigures
\clearpage
\blindtext[4]
\begin{sidewaysfigure}
... figure contents ...
\caption{Figure 1}
\end{sidewaysfigure}
\begin{figure}
... figure contents ...
\caption{Figure 2}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
... figure contents ...
\caption{Figure 3}
\end{figure}
\blindtext[4]
\end{document}