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Graphing inconsistent dates and data
I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up
the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next to the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I would have a nice smooth graph. However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day or 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on the skipped days. I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that goofs up some of the other things I want to do. Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby forcing a smooth graph. Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any suggestions / advice would be appreciated. TIA Chuck |
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If the cells are really blank, that is, no formulas that return "", then
select the chart, then select Options from the Tools menu, and on the Chart tab, select how you want the blanks to be treated, either skipped with a gap in the line or skipped with the line interpolating over the gap. - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Peltier Technical Services Tutorials and Custom Solutions http://PeltierTech.com/ _______ Chuck Jurgens wrote: I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next to the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I would have a nice smooth graph. However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day or 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on the skipped days. I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that goofs up some of the other things I want to do. Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby forcing a smooth graph. Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any suggestions / advice would be appreciated. TIA Chuck |
Jon,
THANK YOU! That is exactly what I needed. BTW, what is the lowest version of Excel that has that feature? Chuck "Jon Peltier" wrote in message ... If the cells are really blank, that is, no formulas that return "", then select the chart, then select Options from the Tools menu, and on the Chart tab, select how you want the blanks to be treated, either skipped with a gap in the line or skipped with the line interpolating over the gap. - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Peltier Technical Services Tutorials and Custom Solutions http://PeltierTech.com/ _______ Chuck Jurgens wrote: I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next to the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I would have a nice smooth graph. However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day or 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on the skipped days. I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that goofs up some of the other things I want to do. Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby forcing a smooth graph. Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any suggestions / advice would be appreciated. TIA Chuck |
Chuck -
You're welcome. This behavior definitely goes back to 97, and probably at least one version prior. - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Peltier Technical Services Tutorials and Custom Solutions http://PeltierTech.com/ _______ Chuck Jurgens wrote: Jon, THANK YOU! That is exactly what I needed. BTW, what is the lowest version of Excel that has that feature? Chuck "Jon Peltier" wrote in message ... If the cells are really blank, that is, no formulas that return "", then select the chart, then select Options from the Tools menu, and on the Chart tab, select how you want the blanks to be treated, either skipped with a gap in the line or skipped with the line interpolating over the gap. - Jon ------- Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP Peltier Technical Services Tutorials and Custom Solutions http://PeltierTech.com/ _______ Chuck Jurgens wrote: I would like to graph some data - body weight for example. I would set up the date on the X-axis and the weight on the Y-axis. When inputting the data, I would LIST every day sequentially and then record the weight next to the date. If I were to consistently record a weight reading every day, I would have a nice smooth graph. However, if I were to record a weight for 2 or 3 days and then skip a day or 2, I would have blanks (0's) by the skipped days. When I graph that data range, the graph goes haywire because it drops all of the way down to 0 on the skipped days. I could easily just delete the days when I didn't take a reading but that goofs up some of the other things I want to do. Is there a way to get Excel to generate a smooth graph? I was thinking there might be a way to "average" the weight on the skipped days, thereby forcing a smooth graph. Maybe this has already been figured out but I can't find it. Any suggestions / advice would be appreciated. TIA Chuck |
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