Я не могу воспроизвести вашу проблему:
% create random 3D-unit8-matrix (to mimic an image)
img = uint8(randi(255,10,12,3)); % 10x12x3 matrix
% maximum over all rows (direction 1) of each of the 3 10x12 matrices => returns 3 1x12 arrays
[val,idx] = max(img,[],1); % default direction
% maximum over all columns (direction 2) of each of the 3 10x12 matrices => returns 3 10x1 vectors
[val,idx] = max(img,[],2);
% maximum over all slices (direction 3) of each of the 10x12 1x3 "depth" arrays => returns a 10x12 matrix
[val,idx] = max(img,[],3);
общий максимум
max(max(max(img))) % no useful information about the position
позиция максимума:
[val_slc,idx_slc] = max(img,[],3); % I can better think in 2D
[val_row,idx_row] = max(val_slc);
[val_col,idx_col] = max(val_row);
idx_max = [idx_row(idx_col),idx_col,idx_slc(idx_row(idx_col),idx_col)];
проверка
assert( max(max(max(img))) == img(idx_max(1),idx_max(2),idx_max(3)) )