Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
Newbie needs a little help on the value axis
Never created a chart from Excel before.
My chart is simple. I simply need to chart 10 columns. 1 for each year going back. Actually each year needs to show 2 columns side by side, 1 showing the count of our total portfolio (avg 180,000), and the other showing our onboard staff for the given year (avg 50). As you can see already, the problem I'm having with the chart I created using the wizard, using column type, is that the value axis goes clear up to 200,000 in 20,000 increments. So his column shows nice and fine but the staff on board column is not even visible as it doesn't approach anywhere close to 20,000. How do I edit those values so that the first ones would be increments of 10 until 100, then boost it out in 20,000 increments? Also, the category axis shows numbers 1 through 10 for the columns. How do I change those numbers to read the year I want? |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.charting
|
|||
|
|||
Newbie needs a little help on the value axis
On Tue, 2 Oct 2007, in microsoft.public.excel.charting,
Rockitman said: the problem I'm having with the chart I created using the wizard, using column type, is that the value axis goes clear up to 200,000 in 20,000 increments. So his column shows nice and fine but the staff on board column is not even visible as it doesn't approach anywhere close to 20,000. How do I edit those values so that the first ones would be increments of 10 until 100, then boost it out in 20,000 increments? You *could* hand-roll a custom axis, but that's a bit of an advanced technique (stick around here and you'll learn the tricks in a while). Also it kind of defeats the object of a bar graph if the length of the bar has no linear relationship with the value. I think a much better option for you is to make use of the built-in facility for a secondary axis scale. That will go up the right-hand side while the primary scale goes up the left. When you've made your graph, and are looking at the invisible stumps of bar that are the Staff numbers, right click on those bars and select "Format Series". Then select the "Axis" tab and click the "Secondary Axis" radio button. Your staff numbers should leap up. Actually, I worry that it will cause the two bars to be overlapped, in which case you'll have to be sneaky getting them to display separately. See below. Also, the category axis shows numbers 1 through 10 for the columns. How do I change those numbers to read the year I want? Have your data look like this before you click on the Wizard button: [blank cell] Portfolio Dummy1 Dummy2 Staff 2001 180,000 0 0 50 2002 180,000 0 0 50 2003 180,000 0 0 50 The blank cell in the top left clues the (slightly dim-brained) Wizard which is the series that goes on the category axis. After you've made the graph, it's all right to fill the cell in with a title or something. The two dummy series are there to stop your bars from overlapping. Leave Dummy1 on the primary axis and put Dummy2 on the secondary axis. Now Dummy 1 overlaps Staff, but we don't care because it's zero and isn't visible, and Dummy2 overlaps Portfolio, but we don't care because *that's* invisible. If you're having trouble finding and clicking on these because they're too small, then temporarily populate the table with big numbers to make visible bars. To get the dummy series out of the legend, you can slowly single-click twice on the legend label (not the symbol) and delete it. -- Del Cotter NB Personal replies to this post will send email to , which goes to a spam folder-- please send your email to del3 instead. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Need PivotChart x axis to cross Y axis at minimum Y axis value | Charts and Charting in Excel | |||
Real Newbie newbie question | New Users to Excel | |||
Newbie...need more space between entries on X axis | Charts and Charting in Excel | |||
How to insert X axis scale values next to axis and X axis grid lin | Charts and Charting in Excel | |||
Newbie Questions - X Axis and Data Range | Charts and Charting in Excel |