Area Chart Formatting Question
 

I have created an Area chart that shows January through December across the
bottom axis. The chart shows data for each month. I have data entered through
November, so the chart area should END at November, but it doesn't. It
gradually keeps tapering until it gets to December. I want it to STOP at
November. How can I change this? I have looked through all the options, but
am missing it. Please help.

Thank you. :)

Avrilon

Jon Peltier has instructions on how to create a Dynamic Chart here and will
exclude the data for December until there is something in the field.

http://www.peltiertech.com/Excel/Cha...umnChart1.html

If you want to have December displayed, but not plotted, you'll need to put
the NA function into that field. I'm sure there's a more elegant way to do
it and someone else can post it here.

"Avrilon" wrote in message
...
I have created an Area chart that shows January through December across
the
bottom axis. The chart shows data for each month. I have data entered
through
November, so the chart area should END at November, but it doesn't. It
gradually keeps tapering until it gets to December. I want it to STOP at
November. How can I change this? I have looked through all the options,
but
am missing it. Please help.

Thank you. :)

Avrilon

If Jon's example happens to not work for an Area chart,
another option would be to add a triangle autoshape over
the Nov - Dec area. You can then size the shape
appropriately and blend the color of the shape into the
background of the chart to cause that part of the Area
chart not to appear. For example, if the background of
the chart is gray and the area is blue, you would color
the shape gray to cover the top of the blue background.
You might have to do a little more formatting after that
to make it look "clean".

John Mansfield

-----Original Message-----
I have created an Area chart that shows January through
December across the
bottom axis. The chart shows data for each month. I have
data entered through
November, so the chart area should END at November, but
it doesn't. It
gradually keeps tapering until it gets to December. I
want it to STOP at
November. How can I change this? I have looked through
all the options, but
am missing it. Please help.

Thank you. :)

Avrilon

.

Hi,

Here is one way to get the area chart to stop dead at Novemeber instead
of sloping down to zero by December.
Ensure the axis is formatted as a time scale, right click the chart and
show the chart options dialog. The axis type should be Time-scale.
Automatic if the axis labels are really dates.
You will need to add an additional data point inbetween Nov and Dec with
the value November date repeated and a value of zero.

Cheers
Andy

Avrilon wrote:
I have created an Area chart that shows January through December across the
bottom axis. The chart shows data for each month. I have data entered through
November, so the chart area should END at November, but it doesn't. It
gradually keeps tapering until it gets to December. I want it to STOP at
November. How can I change this? I have looked through all the options, but
am missing it. Please help.

Thank you. :)

Avrilon


--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info