I am trying to convert a Gantt chart with a timeline into a horizontal 3-D
bar chart. the field labels contain "Apr Wk1, Apr Wk2" and so on, extending
through September. The resulting chart is a mess. 'Any suggestions?

DOUG

First, use a 2D chart. All the extra shapes and colors needed to make a 2D
chart look like 3D simply adds a ton of clutter to begin with, before you
even get problems with the data itself.

Second, use real dates for your values. Excel doesn't know how to plot text
like "Apr Wk 1" on a value axis.

To get labels like "Apr Wk 1", add a fake axis using an XY series as in
these examples:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/...tml#AxisScales

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______


"DOUG ECKERT" wrote in message
...
I am trying to convert a Gantt chart with a timeline into a horizontal 3-D
bar chart. the field labels contain "Apr Wk1, Apr Wk2" and so on,
extending
through September. The resulting chart is a mess. 'Any suggestions?

DOUG

Jon: I figured the dates part out on my own and substituted the dates of
each Monday from Apr through Sep. Then, I built the chart instructions -
VERY laboriously, I might add. The result shows the dates in the Y-axis, no
data on the chart and no labels on the X-Axis. (The X-axis shows just
numbers, like 0, 0.5, 1.0 and so on). I turned this over to a co-worker who
is much smarter than I am, but I have not heard from him all day, so there is
a good chance he has been stumped, too. Part of the problem, I believe, is
that the data cells do not contain data as such. Rather, they have status
updates for employee positions, "ASSIGNED AND AVAILABLE, ASSIGNED AND
UN-AVAILABLE and POSITION UN-FILLED". I tried a pivot table too, but, as in
the basic chart, the department labels from Column 1 were missing, (i.e., the
X-axis labels). So, any constructive advice is welcome.

(The user requested a horizontal, 3-D chart showning a timeline. The first
column lists departments and the field headings display (now) the Mondays of
each week. The data shows when staff members are available to work and when
positions will become vacant. It made a very nice, color-coded MS Excel
spreadsheet - but, the bar chart is not working out so well.

Thanks for your time and wise counsel.

Sincerely,
DOUG

Hmmm, the worksheet is nicely color-coded and shows what you need, but
somebody requested a nice shiny 3D bar chart? That sounds like a manager to
me, or a marketing guy (or god forbid a marketing manager).

There's nothing wrong with a graphic that is built up of worksheet cells, as
opposed to an official Excel Chart Object (TM). What matters is how well the
information is displayed, not the specific mechanisms by which it is
displayed. And of course, a static 3D chart NEVER displays information as
well as a static 2D chart (interactive 2D/3D packages that cost $5k a seat
are a different story, in the right hands). Well, this sounds like
destructive advice, so I'll try again.

I presume your employee availability chart is done using conditional
formatting of worksheet cells? This kind of display is pretty easy to set up
in a worksheet. This kind of chart is also very complicated to do using
stacked bars. You never know how someone's status will vary, so you have to
make allowances for lots of series, or for independent custom formatting of
points in each series. This sounds like advice meant to discourage. Maybe
that's my objective, because if you roast too many neurons with a complex
(i.e., undoable) project like this, you'll never return to this medium for
more Excel discussions.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://PeltierTech.com/WordPress/
_______


"DOUG ECKERT" wrote in message
...
Jon: I figured the dates part out on my own and substituted the dates of
each Monday from Apr through Sep. Then, I built the chart instructions -
VERY laboriously, I might add. The result shows the dates in the Y-axis,
no
data on the chart and no labels on the X-Axis. (The X-axis shows just
numbers, like 0, 0.5, 1.0 and so on). I turned this over to a co-worker
who
is much smarter than I am, but I have not heard from him all day, so there
is
a good chance he has been stumped, too. Part of the problem, I believe,
is
that the data cells do not contain data as such. Rather, they have status
updates for employee positions, "ASSIGNED AND AVAILABLE, ASSIGNED AND
UN-AVAILABLE and POSITION UN-FILLED". I tried a pivot table too, but, as
in
the basic chart, the department labels from Column 1 were missing, (i.e.,
the
X-axis labels). So, any constructive advice is welcome.

(The user requested a horizontal, 3-D chart showning a timeline. The
first
column lists departments and the field headings display (now) the Mondays
of
each week. The data shows when staff members are available to work and
when
positions will become vacant. It made a very nice, color-coded MS Excel
spreadsheet - but, the bar chart is not working out so well.

Thanks for your time and wise counsel.

Sincerely,
DOUG