The Grid
All Chartsmith series types (except pie
series) are drawn on a grid. You can think of the grid as a sheet of graph
paper that Chartsmith uses to plot series data to create a chart.
When the drawing order of the grid is changed relative to other chart
components, using the Format->Send_To_Back and Format->Bring_To_Front
menu items, all series are reordered with the grid. Series always draw on top
of the grid, and no other graphic objects can draw between the series and the
grid. When the grid is resized, the series are also resized to fit the new
dimensions of the grid.
Parts of the Grid
A Chartsmith grid has several parts as described below. Each part of a grid has
independently controlled attributes.
|
¥ Grid Axes
Every grid has an X axis and at least
one Y axis. These are the perpendicular lines that frame the grid on the
lower and side borders. The Y axis can be positioned on the left side, the
right side, or you can have Y axes on both sides. Each axis accepts dragged
colors, and can have a different color, and line width.
¥ Axis Titles
Axis titles have default values of
"Axis Title". Axis titles may be edited by double clicking on them
and editing on the chart, or by changing the axis title text fields in the Data
View Window. Axis titles accept dragged colors. The font of axis titles may
be changed by selecting them and setting the font from the font panel.
¥ Major Lines
Each axis has a set of major lines
associated with it. Major lines are placed at multiples of the step value.
Major lines accept dragged colors.
¥ Minor Lines
Each axis has a set of minor lines
associated with it. Minor lines are placed at user defined increments between
the major lines. Minor lines accept dragged colors.
¥ Tick Marks
Each axis has a set of tick marks
associated with it. Tick marks are lines placed on the axis at the same points that
major and minor lines are placed. Only major lines and ticks can be labelled.
Tick marks can be drawn inside and/or outside the grid boundary, and
are always the same color as the major or minor grid lines that
they are associated with.
¥ Tick labels
Tick labels indicate the values measured
along an axis and are automatically generated. Tick labels cannot be edited.
Tick labels accept dragged colors. The font of tick labels may be changed by
selecting the grid and setting the font from the font panel. From the Grid
Inspector, tick labels can be rotated.
|
Grid Inspector
The Grid Inspector is a complex inspector. ItÕs important to understand how to navigate through it. Read this next
paragraph carefully.
Across the top of the Grid Inspector are three, sometimes four, tabs, labeled
"Main", "X Axis", "Y1 Axis" and/or "Y2
Axis". Each tab allows you to inspect a group of related grid attributes.
The "Main" tab inspects attributes that are not specific to any one
part of the grid, but are common to all parts of the grid. The "X
Axis", "Y1 Axis" and "Y2 Axis" tabs inspect attributes
specific to each of those parts of the grid. Each of the Axis tabs contain the
exact same controls as the other Axis tabs; however, the controls apply to the
attributes associated with the selected axis. This is because all axes have the
same attributes whether the axis is the X-axis or one of the Y-axes. Each Axis
tab has five sub panels that are accessed by clicking the buttons across the
top of the Axis tab labeled ÒAxisÓ, ÒRangeÓ, ÒMajorÓ, ÒMinorÓ and ÒLabelsÓ.
The sections that follow look at the function of each of these sections of the
Grid Inspector.
Main Tab of Grid Inspector
From the Main tab you can control the basic attributes of the grid.
|
¥ Axes
The grid can have a Y axis on its left
or right side, or on both sides. The axis located on the left side of the
grid is the Y1 axis, the one on the right is the Y2 axis. Each has its own
set of attributes, including its data range. Each Y axis serves as a display
scale only to those series that are associated with that axis. See the Series
Help files for instruction on setting the Y axis that a series is associated
with.
¥ Grid Range Auto Adjust
Auto Adjust will automatically set the
range of the X and Y axes based on the data in the Data View. When data is
entered in the Data View , the grid will automatically adjust its range so
that all data falls within the grid range. When you manually adjust the range
of values for either the X or Y axes (discussed below), auto adjust is
automatically turned off. If there is both a Y1 and Y2 axis, they auto adjust
independently. The tick label frequency (see Labels Tab below) and the Major
Steps Per Major Line (see Major Tab below) attributes are also automatically
set by the auto adjust feature. As with the data range, manually adjusting
either of these automatically turns auto adjust off. Selecting a new grid
type automatically turns on the Auto Adjust.
¥ Orientation
A one-dimensional grid (as on a Bar
chart ) can be oriented either vertically (the default) or horizontally. Note
that the Y axis title moves to the X axis when the orientation is changed;
all attributes of the X and Y axes are swapped when you change orientation.
The orientation of a two-dimensional grid (as on a XY chart) cannot be
changed. And a grid which has a Y2 axis cannot be made horizontal.
¥ Grid Type
The grid type sets the type of
"graph paper", or scale the grid will use to plot data. By default
the grid type is linear. Semilog sets the grid's Y Axis to use a logarithmic
(base 10) scale, and the grid's X Axis to use the linear scale. Log sets both
the X and Y Axis to use the logarithmmic scale. The Log option is only
enabled when inspecting an XY,Scatter or Bubble chartÕs grid.
¥ 3D Effect
The grid can have a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional (3D) appearance. When
using the 3D effect, the controls in the 3D Effect box are enabled. The Line
Width slider and color well set the width and the color of the 3D grid frame.
The depth slider and text field set the depth of the Z axis of the 3D grid.
The Angle slider and text field set the angle that the Z axis forms with the
X Axis.
On a 3D grid, all Bar series will be drawn in 3D, and all other series types
will be displayed on the back wall of the grid.
¥ Background Color
The Background color well sets the fill
color that is drawn behind the grid.
|
X, Y1 and Y2 Axis Tabs of the Grid Inspector
The X, Y1 and Y2 Axis Tabs of the Grid Inspector all have the same controls,
and inspect the same attributes, but only for the specified axis. Near the top
of each axis tab are five buttons, labeled "Axis", ÒRangeÓ,
"Major", "Minor" and "Labels". Each button, when
clicked, displays a sub-panel. Each sub-panel allows you to inspect a group of
related attributes for parts of the axis. The "Axis" button inspects
attributes of the axis line and axis title. The ÒRangeÓ button inspects the
min, max and step increment for the axis. The "Major" and
"Minor" buttons inspect attributes specific to the Major and Minor
grid lines for the axis. The "Labels" button inspects the tick labels
for the axis.
Each of these five sub-panels are covered below.
Axis Sub-Panel
The Axis Sub-Panel allows you to change attributes of the axis, such as color
and line width.
|
¥ Axis Type
This control is disabled if the axis is logarithmic. It allows you to change
the type of the axis to Numeric (a basic number line), Duration (values are
based on time intervals) or Date (values are based on calendar dates). For
Date axes, values in the data sheet can be calendar dates(most date formats
are accepted). For Duration axes, values in the data sheet can be lengths of
time in weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds (e.g. 3w 2d 42s)(stardard
numbers are assumed to be seconds).
¥Title Position
This control is only enabled when you are inspecting the Y axis. It allows
you to place the title either horizontally above the grid (the default) or
vertically down the left side of the grid.
¥ Title Color
The Title Color well sets the color of the Axis title. The axis title also
accepts dragged colors.
¥ Axis Line
The Line Width slider and color well set
the width and color of the axis line. The On/Off switch turns the axis line
on or off.
|
Range Sub-Panel
The Range Sub-Panel allows you to change
the range of values along the axis being inspected, as well as the size of
increments, or step, between the min and max.
Each Axis Tab of the Grid Inspector has three fields, displayed in the Range
Sub-Panel, that are used to set the Minimum, Maximum and Step values. The
Minimum and Maximum set the range of the axis values. The Step sets the
increment between major grid lines. When Auto Adjust is on all three of these
fields are automatically set by Chartsmith based on the range of values
provided in the Data View. Manually entering a value into any of these three
fields will turn Auto Adjust off, and set the new value for the axis.
For Axes of type Date or Duration (this type is selected in the Axis Sub-Panel
discussed above), the minimum, maximum and range values are date or time
interval values. These values are set using the Time/Data panel. This panel is
retrieved by clicking the Set button next to the Minimum, Maximum and Step
fields. The Time/Date panel functions just like a standard Color panel, where
dates or durations are dragged to their respective wells in the sub-panel.
Major Sub-Panel
The Major Sub-Panel allows you to change attributes of the major lines
associated with the selected axis.
|
¥ Show Lines
Turns the major lines on or off.
¥ Show Ticks
Turns the major ticks on or off and allows the choice of
ticks being drawn inside the grid and/or outside the grid.
¥ Major Steps Per Major Line
Sets the frequency of major lines. E.g.,
if the value is 1 every major line is active; if the value is 3 every 3rd
major line is active. This value is set automatically when Auto Adjust is on.
And when this value is set manually, Auto Adjust is turned off.
¥ Line Style
Sets the line style used to draw the major grid lines to solid, or one of
three dash patterns.
¥ Line Width and Color
The Line Width slider and color well set the width and color used to draw the
major grid lines.
|
Minor Sub-Panel
The Minor Sub-Panel allows you to change attributes of the minor lines
associated with the selected axis.
|
¥ Show Lines
Turns the minor lines on or off.
¥ Show Ticks
Turns the major ticks on or off and allows the choice of
ticks being drawn inside the grid and/or outside the grid.
¥ Minor Lines Per Major Line
Determines how many minor lines are
drawn between each major line.
¥ Line Style
Sets the line style used to draw the minor grid lines to solid, or one of
three dash patterns.
¥ Line Width and Color
The Line Width slider and color well set the width and color used to draw the
minor grid lines.
|
Labels Sub-Panel
The Labels Sub-Panel allows you to change attributes of the tick labels
associated with the major lines of the selected axis. Some of the attributes
only apply to the labels on a numeric axis (i.e., one axis of a one-dimensional
grid, both axes on a two-dimensional grid). When you are inspecting an axis to
which they don't apply, their controls are disabled.
The Format section of the Labels Sub-Panel changes based on the axis type, i.e.
whether the axis type is Numeric, Date or Duration.
|
¥ Show Labels
Every __ Major Lines
Turns the tick labels on or off, and sets the frequency of tick labeling. For
example, a value of 1 will label every major tick, a value of 2 will label at
every other major tick. This value is set automatically when Auto Adjust is
on. And when this value is set manually, Auto Adjust is turned off.
¥ Last Label
Forces the last tick label to be displayed regardless if the Label Every__
attribute (described above) would otherwise remove the last tick label.
¥ Label Color
This color well sets the color of the tick labels. Tick labels also accept
dragged colors.
¥ Label Prefix
The label prefix allows you to place any string of characters at the front of
the labels. The "To All" switch controls whether the prefix is
applied to all the labels, or just to the top- or right-most label. For
example, this allows you to construct labels such as pH 7.5 .
¥ Label Postfix
The label postfix allows you to place any string of characters at the end of
the labels. The "To All" switch controls whether the postfix is
applied to all the labels, or just to the top- or right-most label. For
example, this allows you to construct labels such as $375/oz.
¥ Rotation
Sets the angle at which tick labels are drawn.
¥ Format
The contents of this section of the
sub-panel vary based on the Axis type (i.e Numeric, Date or Duration) which
is set in the Axis Inspector discussed above.
|
|
¥ Decimal
Places
"Auto" tells Chartsmith to automatically determine the number of
decimal places. "Manual" sets the number of decimal places used for
tick labels to the number specified in the "places" text field.
Note that the number of decimal places is applied after all of the other
numeric formatting, so that the number 1520.25, would appear as 1520.3 when shown
in ones with 1 decimal place, but as 1.5K when shown in thousands with 1
decimal place.
¥ Numeric Format
There are six numeric format options:
e format forces all
labels into scientific notation. For example, 15 is shown as 1.5e+01.
$ format places a dollar sign at
the front of all labels. For example, 15 is shown as $15.
% format forces all labels into
percent notation. The label value is multiplied by 100, and a percent sign is
placed at the end of the label. For example, 0.15 is shown as 15%.
() and - formats control how labels with negative values are
shown. Only one of these formats is allowed at a time.
() format shows negative numbers
surrounded by parentheses, with no minus sign. For example, -15 is shown as
(15).
- format shows negative numbers
with leading minus signs. For example, -15 is shown as -15.
, format divides large numbers
into groups of three digits for better legibility. For example, 1500000 is
shown as 1,500,000.
With the exception of () and -, all of the above numeric formats
can be mixed. For example, -1500000 can be formatted to appear as ($1,500K).
¥ Label Divider
Allows scaling of all of the labels to show them in ones, thousands, millions
or billions. Below is an example of the same number, shown in each style.
150000000
1500000K
1500M
1.5B
|
|
¥ Decimal
Places
"Auto" tells Chartsmith to automatically determine the number of
decimal places. "Manual" sets the number of decimal places used for
tick labels to the number specified in the "places" text field.
Note that the number of decimal places is applied after all of the other
numeric formatting, so that the number 1520.25, would appear as 1520.3 when
shown in ones with 1 decimal place, but as 1.5K when shown in thousands with
1 decimal place.
¥ Time increment label
For each time increment (Weeks, Days,
etc) a label can be attached to the numeric value. Each such label can be
enabled or disabled using the ÒEnabledÓ switch.
|
|
¥ Date
Format / Time Format
Specifies the format of the date and time labels. Each permits the choice of
None to omit that component of the label.
|