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Once you have created a visualization or chart, you can customize and style your content. For example, you can add axis titles or a header. The customization options vary depending on the type of chart or visual you are developing.
The options on the Format tab, in the Features group allow you to add effects and different functionality to your charts.
Note: When working with maps, all options in the Features group are disabled with the exception of Frame & Background and Accessibility.
Note: When working with charts in HTML5 format, the 3D Effect option is not supported.
Note: Annotate is not available in HTML5.
You can add labels to charts and visualizations using the Labels group on the Format tab.
Note: When working with maps, the Axes option is disabled.
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In Live Preview, the canvas on the right of the window provides a preview of the content that you can interact with. The preview is context sensitive, meaning that depending on what portion you select different options become available.
In Live Preview, when you hover the mouse over a graph element (for example, legend, axis label, title), the bounding area is highlighted with a dotted line.
In Live Preview, when you select a graph element (for example, legend, axis label, title), the bounding area is highlighted with a solid line.
Once you select a chart element, you can access all available design options on the ribbon, or you can right-click an element to open a shortcut menu of frequently-used design options. Once you have selected your design option from the ribbon or the menu, InfoAssist instantly applies it to the chart element, so that you see the result immediately.
Shortcut menus are enabled for charts that are generated with either sample data, or live data from your data source.
The following sections describe the chart elements and the ribbon options that you can work with to design your charts in Live Preview.
Related Information:
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A series is a measure field that is included in a chart or visualization. You can format a series in a variety of ways. For example, you can change the color of a series, add a trendline to a series, or change the appearance of markers on a series.
You can access the full set of formatting options on the Series tab and Field tab. For more information, see Series Tab and Field Tab.
You can also access a subset of frequently-used options by right-clicking a series element on a chart to open a menu of those options.
Tip: The options that you see on the menu depend on the type of chart that you are creating. For example, the Series Type option would not appear on the menu for a pie chart, but it would appear for a bar, line, and area chart.
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Whether you access series options from the ribbon or the shortcut menu, you are presented with a dialog box of options. The following dialog boxes are commonly used for formatting a series:
For Instructions on how to open these dialog boxes, see the procedures in Using Series Properties.
The Format Series dialog box contains options to format the fill and border of each series on a chart. To access this dialog box, on the Series tab, in the Style group, click Style.
The Format Series dialog box contains the following tabs:
Use the Fill tab to modify the color of a chart series.
The Fill tab contains the following options:
Use the Border tab to specify a border for a chart series.
Note: When you create a bubble chart and attempt to apply a border using the Style options on the Series tab, the border does not display.
The Border tab contains the following options:
Use the Effect tab to specify styling and shadowing options for HTML5 charts.
Note: This tab only displays when working with HTML5 charts.
The Effect tab contains the following options:
To edit the title of a series, right-click a series on the canvas, and click Change Title. The Enter Title dialog box contains a text field in which you can type the title for a series on a chart. Click OK and the title appears on the chart.
The Traffic Light Condition dialog box contains fields for adding new conditional styling or modifying existing conditional styling by applying a traffic light color to the selected field.
The Traffic Light Condition dialog box contains the following fields.
Note: If you are creating a Traffic Light condition on a full date field, the Value field will have a calendar icon adjacent to it. You can use this icon to select a date using a calendar control.
The Traffic Light Condition dialog box contains the following buttons:
When working with visualizations, you can use various filtering and editing tools to format the display of measure and dimension data in any given visual. For example, for measures, you can use the Edit Format option to set the display of decimals in the values of your selected measure. For measures and dimensions, you can add filters to limit the display of information. These options, which can be found on the right-click menu of a field, are defined and described in the following table.
Option | Description |
Filter Values |
Creates a filter for the selected measure or dimension. You can select all values or only the one the data values that you want to display. In this way, you can exclude unwanted data. For visualizations, prompts are created, by default. However, you can clear this option when setting your filter options. This option displays for both measures and dimensions. |
Sort |
Enables you to set sorting options for the measure or dimension that you select. For example, you can sort your data values in ascending or descending order, or you can set limits for the display of information, the value for which is set to No Limit, by default. This option displays for both measures and dimensions. |
Visibility |
Controls the display of the selected measure or dimension in a visual. The default value is Show, but if you set the option to Hide, the values are hidden from the visual. This option displays for both measures and dimensions. |
Change Title |
Enables you to edit the title of the measure or dimension. In the Edit Title dialog box, type the new title in the Enter Title field, and click OK. Depending on the axis that you select, the new label will be applied accordingly. This option displays for both measures and dimensions. |
Edit Format |
Enables you to change the format of a field. This includes field type, display options, field length, and the specification of applicable decimal points. For more information, see Changing a Field Format. This option displays for measure fields only. Note: Any changes to the format of a field will be reflected in the tooltip for visualizations at design and run time. |
Drill Down |
Opens the Drill Down dialog box, where you can create multiple drill down links on a data field to external procedures or websites. This option is available for any measure field in a visualization. |
More |
Provides access to Aggregation functions, which enables you to apply Aggregation functions (for example, Sum, Average, and Count) to the numeric field that you select. This option is only available for measure fields. This option displays for both measures and dimensions. |
Delete |
Deletes the selected field. This option is available in every field container. Note: In the Query and Filter panes, you can select and delete multiple data fields at one time. Press the Ctrl key, select two or more data fields, right-click, and then click Delete. |
Create Group |
Allows you to create a group of elements based on the field data type that you select. Once you define a new group, a higher-level field is created that contains the selected elements. This option is available for dimension fields of non-numeric format or attribute. For more information, see Dynamic Grouping. |
When you right-click a series, a menu of options opens. The menu contains options that are available on the Field and Series tabs.
The menu options are described in the following table. The table provides links to the sections of this document in which those options are also discussed.
Option |
Description |
---|---|
Filter Values |
Enables you to create or modify a WHERE statement, using the Filter dialog box. With a WHERE statement, you select only the data that you want to display, and exclude unwanted data. For information on filtering your data, see Data Tab and Field Tab. |
Sort |
Enables you to sort the series in either ascending or descending order. |
Visibility |
Controls the display of the selected series (field) on a chart. The value Hide suppresses the display of the series, and the default value Show displays the series. For instructions, see How to Hide a Field in a Series. |
Change Title |
Enables you to edit the title of the selected series. In the Edit Title dialog box, type the new title in the Enter Title field, and click OK. |
Edit Format |
Enables you to change the format of a field. This includes field type, display options, field length, and the specification of applicable decimal points. For more information, see Changing a Field Format. Note: Any changes to the format of a field will be reflected in the tooltip for charts at run time, as well as for visualizations at design and run time. |
Series Type |
Changes the chart type of the selected series to bar, line, or area. The option None (default) returns the series to the chart type that was in effect before you changed it. This option applies to bar, line, and area chart types only. |
Series Color |
Enables you to specify the color of the selected series, using the Color dialog box. For more information, see Color Dialog Box. |
More Style Options |
Opens the Format Series dialog box. For more information, see Format Series Dialog Box. |
Data Labels |
Controls the display of data labels (values) on the selected series. The default value Hide suppresses the display of labels, and the value Show displays labels. This option does not apply to the gauge chart type. For instructions, see How to Show and Hide Data Labels. |
Color Mode |
Controls how color is applied to a series (measure field) on a chart. The possible settings are By Series (default) and By Group. For example, assume that there is only one series on a sample bar chart. The By Series setting applies the same color to all the bars in the series. The By Group setting applies a different color to each bar. For instructions, see How to Control the Color Mode. |
Add Trendline |
Draws a line on a chart to indicate a statistical trend. This option does not apply to the pie, funnel, 3D, gauge, or stock chart type. For an example of a chart with a trendline, see How to Add a Trendline. |
Drill Down |
Opens the Drill Down dialog box, where you can configure a hyperlink or a drill-down procedure for the selected field. Clicking that field in the report output, at run-time, redirects you to the URL you specified or executes the indicated procedure. |
More |
Contains the Aggregation Functions, Traffic Light Conditions, and Missing options. Aggregation Functions assign an aggregation value to a numeric measure field in a report. For instructions, see How to Display Aggregations on Measure Data. Traffic Light Conditions enables you to specify the color of numeric measure fields in the output, depending on conditions that you set. You can use the Traffic Light Condition dialog box to specify the conditions and colors. For instructions, see How to Apply Traffic Light Conditions With Drill-Down to a Numeric Measure Field (By Constant) and How to Apply Traffic Light Conditions With Drill-Down to a Numeric Measure Field (By Field). The Missing option allows you to show or hide fields with no value. |
Delete |
Removes the selected series from the report and updates the Live Preview accordingly. |
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How to: |
The following sections contain procedures for customizing a series.
The Series appears in the drop-down menu field.
The Format Series dialog box opens.
For more information, see Format Series Dialog Box.
The Format Series dialog box closes. The series fill and border are formatted accordingly.
How to: |
The Properties group contains commands for enhancing charts, such as changing the type or adding a trendline, for the selected series.
The chart contains the new series type.
A trendline is a line that is drawn over the plot area of a chart or visual to show the pattern of data points. The pattern reveals a statistical trend. In particular, the slope of the trendline, which is calculated by subtracting and dividing two different x, y coordinate values, is a value that indicates the rate at which the y value of a line rises or falls as the x value increases. Once the slope of your chart or visual is determined, you can further extrapolate your results and gain further insight into your data.
Note: The mathematical equation for the selected trendline option is only available in chart mode. It is not available in visualization mode.
The trendline appears on the canvas.
The Series tab contains options for formatting charts.
The Smooth Line effect is applied to the series.
Lines appear between markers by default.
To hide a series line between a marker:
The series line between the markers disappears.
To make the series line reappear, click Connect Lines again.
Markers are used to display points of data on a line chart. They are also used in the legend to identify the data that is on the chart. The different marker shapes distinguish one series from another.
The markers are formatted.
The following image shows a triangle marker for gross profit data and a star marker for revenue data.
The pie expands accordingly.
The slice is hidden.
The Filter dialog box opens.
The series values are filtered.
The chart appears with the series sorted accordingly.
The field is hidden.
You can display numeric measure data using a variety of aggregation values.
The aggregation function is applied to the series.
Note: If you change the Measure (Sum) Query field container in the Query pane from Sum to Print, Count, or List, the change overrides all assigned aggregation values.
You can use various aggregations when working with dimension (non-numeric) fields in a chart, including Count, Count Distinct, and Percent of Count. The Count aggregation counts the number of occurrences of a field. Count Distinct counts the number of distinct values within a field. Percent of Count computes a field percentage, based on the number of instances found. When a dimension (non-numeric) field is placed in the Vertical Axis field container, it is converted to a Count field. You can subsequently change the aggregation to Count Distinct or Percent of Count.
The aggregation is applied to the series.
The Traffic Light Condition dialog box opens. For more information, see Traffic Light Condition Dialog Box.
The Type dialog box opens.
The value that you selected appears in the field to the right of the operator drop-down menu.
The Color dialog box opens.
The color appears in the Preview box.
The Drill Down dialog box opens.
The Traffic Light Condition dialog box opens. For more information, see Traffic Light Condition Dialog Box.
The Type dialog box opens.
The Type dialog box displays the Dimensions, and Measures and Properties of your data. You can display the data in the following ways:
The field that you selected appears in the field to the right of the operator drop-down menu.
The Color dialog box opens.
The color appears in the Preview box.
The Drill Down dialog box opens.
The Edit Title dialog box opens.
The series has a new title.
When you create a single-series chart, all series groups appear in the same color. To use a different color for each group, set the color mode to By Group.
A different color is applied to each group in the series. To return to the default display of the series in one color, right-click the series, point to Color Mode, and then click By Series.
The series is deleted.
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Data labels highlight important data points on a chart. They identify exact numbers. You can customize data labels in a variety of ways to make them stand out more clearly on the chart. For example, you can change the position, angle, color, or size of data labels.
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Whether you access data label options from the ribbon or the shortcut menu, you are presented with a dialog box of options. The following dialog boxes are commonly used for formatting data labels:
For instructions on how to open these dialog boxes, see the procedures in Using Data Labels Properties.
The Format Labels dialog box contains options for editing data labels. The Format Labels dialog box offers different options depending on the chart type that you are using. Bar, line, and area charts share the same tabs.
The Format Labels dialog box contains the following tabs:
General Options Tab
Use the General Options tab to add data labels to a chart and set their position, angle, and radius.
The General Options tab contains the following options:
The following table describes the characters that you can use in a custom format.
Character |
Description |
---|---|
# |
Is a digit. |
0 (zero) |
Shows as absent. |
. (period) |
Is a placeholder for decimal separator. |
, (comma) |
Is a placeholder for grouping separator. |
; (semicolon) |
Separates formats. |
- (dash) |
Is the default negative prefix. |
% (percent) |
Divides by 100 and shows as a percentage. |
x |
Determines that any other characters can be used in the prefix or suffix. |
‘ (apostrophe) |
Is used to quote special characters in a prefix or suffix. |
Advanced Tab
Use the Advanced tab to modify additional data labels properties.
The Advanced tab contains the following options:
Pie Title Tab
Use the Pie Title tab to create and style a pie title.
The Pie Title tab contains the following options:
Pie Labels Tab
Use the Pie Labels tab to customize your pie data labels.
The Pie Labels tab contains the following options:
Ring Label
Feeler Line
Funnel Labels Tab
Use the Funnel Labels tab to customize the labels on a funnel or a pyramid chart.
The Funnel Labels tab contains the following options:
Feeler Line
Note: While some style options, such as Show Pie Title and Show Feeler Lines, are enabled by default, a StyleSheet applied to the chart may contain different settings that will override these default settings.
The Style dialog box contains options to style the data labels.
The Style dialog box contains the following options:
Note: Reset only works while the Style dialog box is open. Once you click OK, all changes are committed. To undo global styling after it has been committed, you must use the Undo command on the Quick Access Toolbar.
The Line Style dialog box contains options to style lines on a chart.
The Line Style dialog box contains the following options:
When you right-click a data label on a bar, line, or area chart, a menu of the following options opens:
The shortcut menu contains options that are available on the Series tab.
How to: |
The following sections contain procedures for customizing data labels.
The data labels appear, and are formatted and styled accordingly.
The following image shows a chart with data labels.
The data labels are positioned accordingly.
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A legend contains information that is necessary to accurately interpret the data on a chart. By default, a chart displays either a vertical axis title if there is a single measure field, or a legend if there are multiple measure fields.
Whether you access legend options from the ribbon or the shortcut menu, you are presented with the Format Legend dialog box of options. For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see Using Legend Properties.
The Format Legend dialog box contains options for formatting a legend on a chart or visualization. It contains the following tabs:
For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see the procedures in Using Legend Properties.
Use the Legend Options tab to customize the appearance of a legend on a chart or visualization.
The Legend Options tab is shown in the following image.
The Legend Options tab contains the following options.
Use the Markers & Labels tab to customize the appearance of markers and labels on legends.
The Markers & Labels tab contains the following options:
Use the Fill tab to modify the color of the legend area. For more information, see Format Series Dialog Box.
Use the Border Styles tab to place a border around a legend. For more information, see Format Series Dialog Box.
The Border Styles tab contains the following options:
When you right-click a legend on a chart, a menu of options opens. The menu contains options that are available on the Format tab.
The shortcut menu options are described in the following table. The table provides links to the sections of this document in which those options are also discussed.
Option |
Description |
---|---|
Show legend |
Controls the display of the legend. InfoAssist displays the legend by default. When you clear this option, InfoAssist suppresses the legend. For instructions, see Using Legend Properties. The background shortcut menu has an option to restore the legend after it has been suppressed. |
Legend Position |
Controls the placement of the legend on the chart. For instructions see, Using Legend Properties. |
Legend Area Color |
Enables you to specify the color of the legend background area using the Color dialog box. This option is available only when you right-click the area around the legend. For instructions see, Using Legend Properties. |
Legend Border Color |
Enables you to specify the color of the border around the legend background area using the Color dialog box. This option is available only when you right-click the area around the legend. For instructions see, Using Legend Properties. |
More Legend Options |
Opens the Format Legend dialog box. |
How to: |
The following sections contain procedures for customizing the legend. The procedures are organized by the tab and group in which their associated options appear on the ribbon.
The legend is hidden.
The Format Legends dialog box opens. For more information, see Format Legend Dialog Box.
The legend border is formatted accordingly.
The following image is an example of a bar chart with a styled legend.
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Gridlines are used on a chart as a reference to help you understand the quantities and values of your data and decode information on the axis. There are four types of gridlines that you can display and edit on your chart. They are:
Major gridlines enhance the display of values, while minor gridlines supplement major gridlines. If a plot point falls in between major gridlines, you can use minor gridlines for more precise interpretation of the data.
Note: The orientation of a chart determines the available gridline options.
You can format horizontal and vertical gridlines, color bands, and frames on a chart using the options in the Format Grid Lines dialog box. For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see the procedures in Using Gridline Properties.
Color bands come in a pair, with each band uniquely colored. They appear in a continually repeating pattern behind a series on a chart. The contrast of colors is designed to make the chart easier to read.
Alternate formatting can be used to apply different colors to sections, called regions, of an axis.
The Format Grid Lines dialog box contains the following tabs:
Use the Major Grid Lines tab to format the major gridlines on the chart.
The Major Grid Lines tab contains the following options:
Use the Minor Grid Lines tab to format the minor gridlines on your chart.
The Minor Grid Lines tab contains the following options:
Use the Color Bands tab to format the color bands on your chart.
The Color Bands tab contains the following options:
Use the Frames tab to enable or disable frame regions, and to set the location and style of the frame text.
The Frames tab contains the following options:
For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see the procedures in Using Gridline Properties.
When you right-click a gridline on a chart, a menu of options opens. The options for the gridline elements are described in the following table.
Element |
Option |
Description |
---|---|---|
Horizontal Major Gridlines Horizontal Minor Gridlines Vertical Major Gridlines Vertical Minor Gridlines |
Delete |
Removes the gridlines from the chart and updates the Live Preview accordingly. |
Set Line Color |
Enables you to specify the color of the gridlines, using the Color dialog box. For more information, see Color Dialog Box. |
|
More Grid Lines Options |
Opens the Format Gridlines dialog box. |
How to: |
The following sections contain procedures for customizing gridlines.
If your chart does not display gridlines by default, use this procedure to generate gridlines.
Horizontal major gridlines are added to the chart.
Horizontal minor gridlines are added to the chart.
Vertical major gridlines are added to the chart.
Vertical minor gridlines are added to the chart.
The Format Grid Lines dialog box opens.
The Line Style dialog box opens.
The gridlines are formatted accordingly.
The following image shows a line chart with styling applied to the gridlines.
Ticks are short lines which are perpendicular to a gridline. They are used to tick off specific increments along the gridline.
The Format Grid Lines dialog box opens.
The tick marks are formatted accordingly.
The following image shows a chart with tick marks spanning both the vertical axis and horizontal axis.
The Format Grid Lines dialog box opens.
The following image shows a chart with color bands along the horizontal gridline.
The gridline is deleted from the chart.
The Format Grid Lines dialog box opens.
Colored frames are added to the chart, using the default styling options. Optionally, you may use the color and border color options to change these.
The following image shows a bar chart with colored frames around each region.
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Reference: |
Vertical and horizontal axes are based on the orientation of the graph. For example, in a vertical graph, the horizontal axis refers to the X axis and the vertical axis refers to the Y axis. In a horizontal graph, the horizontal axis refers to the Y axis and the vertical axis refers to the X axis. This is important to consider, since options could change depending on the orientation of the graph.
A chart can contain the following types of axis labels:
Whether you access axis options from the ribbon, or the shortcut menu, you are presented with the Format Axis dialog box of options for formatting for both vertical and horizontal axes. The Format Axis dialog box contains the following tabs:
You use the Format Vertical Axis dialog box to specify formatting options for the vertical axis in your chart.
Use the Scale tab to modify scale properties.
The Scale tab contains the following options:
Use the Title tab to show or hide the axis title, and create and style the title for the axis.
The Title tab contains the following options:
Use the Labels tab to format the layout of the axis labels.
The Labels tab contains the following options:
The Format Labels drop-down menu provides a list of preset formats that you can apply to labels. When you select a custom format, it must be defined using a custom format pattern. See the following table for a list and description of the characters that you can use in a custom format.
Character |
Description |
---|---|
# |
Is a digit. |
0 (zero) |
Shows as absent. |
. (period) |
Is a placeholder for a decimal separator. |
, (comma) |
Is a placeholder for a grouping separator. |
; (semicolon) |
Separates formats. |
- (dash) |
Is the default negative prefix. |
% (percent) |
Divides by 100 and shows as a percentage. |
x |
Determines that any other characters can be used in the prefix or suffix. |
‘ (apostrophe) |
Is used to quote special characters in a prefix or suffix. |
Use the Advanced tab to modify additional axis properties.
The Advanced tab contains the following options:
For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see the procedures in Using Axis Properties.
You use the Format Horizontal Axis dialog box to specify formatting options for the horizontal axis in your chart.
Use the Scale tab to modify scale properties.
The Scale tab contains the following options:
Use the Title tab to create and style the title for the axis.
The Title tab contains the following options:
Use the Labels tab to format the layout of the axis labels.
The Labels tab contains the following options:
Use the Advanced tab to modify additional axis properties.
The Advanced tab contains the following options:
For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see the procedures in Using Axis Properties.
Formatting options are available for secondary axes in dual-axis charts. For example, in a vertical dual-axis chart, the secondary vertical axis refers to the Y2 axis.
The Format Secondary Axis dialog box contains the following tabs for both vertical and horizontal axes:
When you right-click an axis label or title in a chart in Live Preview, a menu of options opens. The options for the right-click axis label elements are described in the following table.
Element |
Option |
Description |
---|---|---|
Axis Title |
Delete |
Deletes the axis title from the chart and updates the Live Preview accordingly. |
Change Title |
Enables you to change the axis title. |
|
Style Title |
Enables you to apply styling to the axis title, using the Style dialog box. For more information, see Style Dialog Box. |
|
Horizontal Labels |
Delete |
Deletes labels from the chart and updates the Live Preview accordingly. |
Stagger |
Controls the positioning of the labels. The On value positions the labels in a zigzag pattern. The Off default value positions the labels in a straight row. |
|
Rotate |
Rotates the labels a specified number of degrees. |
|
Style Labels |
Enables you to apply styling to the labels, using the Style dialog box. For more information, see Style Dialog Box. |
|
More Axis Options |
Opens the Format Axis dialog box. For more information, see Formatting Axis Labels. |
|
Vertical Labels |
Delete |
Deletes labels from the chart and updates the Live Preview accordingly. |
Rotate |
Rotates the labels a specified number of degrees. |
|
Format Labels |
Formats the labels according to the value that you specify. |
|
Style Labels |
Enables you to apply styling to the labels, using the Style dialog box. For more information, see Style Dialog Box. |
|
More Axis Options |
Opens the Format Axis dialog box. For more information, see Formatting Axis Labels. |
How to: |
The following sections contain procedures for customizing an axis. The procedures are organized by the tab and group in which their associated options appear on the ribbon.
Axis labels appear by default.
The axis labels are deleted from the chart.
Note: You can only apply a staggered effect to horizontal axis labels.
The axis labels are staggered.
The axis labels are rotated.
The axis labels are formatted accordingly.
The Format Axis dialog box opens.
The axis scale is set accordingly.
The Format Axis dialog box opens.
The axis title is styled accordingly.
Note: Right-click the axis title to delete, change, or style the axis title.
The Format Axis dialog box opens.
You can edit the color, weight, and style of all the lines that you set in the Line Style dialog box.
The axis advanced options are set accordingly.
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The frame of a chart is the area that contains the plot points. It is also the area in which horizontal and vertical gridlines are drawn.
The background of a chart is the area around the frame.
You can adjust the appearance of the frame and background to achieve different visual effects for your charts. For example, you can change the appearance of the chart frame line, or you can change the color of the background of your chart, as shown in the following image.
Whether you access frame and background options from the ribbon, or the shortcut menu, you are presented with the Frame & Background dialog box of options for formatting the frame and background of a chart. The Frame & Background dialog contains the following tabs:
The Frame & Background dialog box and pertinent tabs are discussed in this section for the following types of charts:
Note: The options in the Frame tab vary based on the chart type selected.
Use the Frame tab for 2D charts and 2D charts with 3D effects to set a frame depth angle and depth radius, select a fill for a frame, and set a shadow for a frame for these types of charts.
The Frame tab for 2D charts and 2D charts with 3D effects contains the following options:
Fill
Gradient style
Shadow
Use the Frame Edge tab for 2D charts and 2D charts with 3D effects to set a frame depth angle and depth radius, select a fill for a frame, and set a shadow for a frame for these types of charts.
The Frame tab for 2D charts and 2D charts with 3D effects contains the following options:
Side Frame
Bottom Frame
Use the Frame tab for pie charts to set pie depth and tilt, select a fill and color for a pie frame, and set a shadow for the frame.
The Frame tab for pie charts contains the following options:
Fill
Shadow
Use the Frame Edge tab for pie charts to set the edge of a pie frame.
The Frame Edge tab for pie charts contains the following options:
Bottom Frame
Use Wall and Floor tabs to set the walls and floor of a 3D chart.
These Wall and Floor tabs contain the following options:
Use the Advanced tab for 3D charts to modify additional properties for 3D frames.
The Advanced tab contains the following options:
Use the Background tab to set and customize a border for a chart.
The Background tab contains the following options:
Gradient Style
For instructions on how to open this dialog box, see the procedures in Using Frame and Background Properties.
When you right-click a chart background, a menu of options opens. The options for the background and frame elements are described in the following table.
Element |
Option |
Description |
---|---|---|
Background |
Background Color |
Enables you to specify the color of the background, using the Color dialog box. For instructions, How to Change the Color of the Background. |
Show legend |
Controls the display of the legend on the background. When selected, it displays the legend. When cleared, it suppresses the display of the legend. |
|
More Frame and Background Options |
Opens the Frame & Background dialog box. For more information, see Frame & Background Dialog Box. |
|
Frame |
Frame Color |
Enables you to specify the color of the frame, using the Color dialog box. For more information, see Color Dialog Box. |
Show 3D |
Controls the depth of the frame. The value On renders the frame in 3D depth. The value Off renders the frame in one dimension. |
|
More Frame and Background Options |
Opens the Frame & Background dialog box. For more information, see Frame & Background Dialog Box. |
How to: |
The following sections contain procedures for customizing frame and background properties. The options for the following procedures are found in the Features group of the Format tab.
The default color of the frame in a chart is determined by the Document Theme selected on the Options dialog box. For more information, see Changing InfoAssist User Preferences.
This procedure describes how to change the color of the frame.
The Frame & Background dialog box opens.
Note: Solid fill must be selected for the Color icon to appear.
The Color dialog box opens. Select a new color for the frame. For more information on the Color dialog box, see Color Dialog Box. You can also set the depth angle and depth radius for the frame, as well as set a shadow for the frame.
The chart displays the new frame color.
The default color of the background of a chart is determined by the Document Theme selected on the Options dialog box. For more information, see Changing InfoAssist User Preferences.
The Frame & Background dialog box opens.
The Color dialog box opens. Select a new color for the background. For more information on the Color dialog box, see Color Dialog Box.
The chart displays the new background color.
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A gauge chart is a circular chart that indicates the current position of a single data value within a given spectrum.
You can change the appearance of a gauge chart by using the gauge chart options found on the Format Gauge dialog box. To access the Format Gauge dialog box, on the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
Whether you access gauge options from the ribbon, or the shortcut menu, you are presented with the Format Gauge dialog box of options for formatting a gauge chart. Such options include setting and styling a title for the gauge chart, setting tick marks, enabling and styling color bands, as well as setting advanced options, such as the gauge start and stop angle.
The Format Gauge dialog box contains the following tabs:
Use the General Options tab to set general gauge options.
The General Options tab contains the following options:
Note: The number of charts displayed per row can differ, based on the output format selected. For example, HTML format will display two charts per row, and HTML5 will display three.
Gauge Title
Gauge value
Use the Axis Scale & Labels tab to set the axis scale and label properties for the gauge needle.
The Axis Scale & Labels tab contains the following options:
Scale
Labels
The Tick Marks tab contains options to format tick marks on a gauge chart.
The Tick Marks tab contains the following options for both major and minor ticks:
The Bands tab contains options to format the color of the scale background on a gauge chart.
The Bands tab contains the following options:
Fill
The Advanced tab contains options to set additional properties for the gauge needle.
The Advanced tab contains the following options:
When you right-click a gauge chart, a menu containing the More Gauge Options becomes available. Select this option to open the Format Gauge dialog box. This is only available when using the HTML output format.
The following sections contain procedures for gauge properties. The Gauges option can be found on the Format tab, in the Features group.
Note: This option is only available when you are working with a gauge chart.
If you have multiple gauges on a chart, you might want to specify how many gauges appear on each row.
The Format Gauge dialog box opens.
After changing the setting from the default of 2 gauges per row to the number of values in the chart, all the gauges now appear on one row.
The Format Gauge dialog box opens.
The gauge scale reflects the selections that you have made.
The Style dialog box opens.
The scale labels reflect the style selections that you have made.
The menu of available format options opens.
Note: If you select a custom format (for example, User Pattern, or Use Pattern /100), from the Format Labels menu on the Format Gauge dialog box, the Custom Format menu becomes available. When you select a custom format, it must be defined using a custom format pattern. For a list and description of the characters that you can use in a custom format, see the table in Formatting Data Labels.
The scale labels reflect the format selection that you have made.
This procedure describes how to set the grid step, tick color, and tick length for the major and minor tick marks.
The Format Gauge dialog box opens.
The Format Gauge dialog box opens.
Note: The gradient fill option is not available for color bands.
The bands are formatted accordingly.
This option matches the needle center color to the color of the band that the needle is pointing to.
The Format Gauge dialog box opens.
Note: The gradient fill and transparency options are not available for gauge needles.
Note: This option displays in HTML, but not in HTML5.
The color of the center of the gauge needle now matches the color of the band.
This procedure explains how to change the gauge needle from the Normal style to the Pencil style.
The Format Gauges dialog box opens.
The gauge needle changes to a pencil.
You cannot change the fill color and border color of the needles in a multi-series gauge chart through the General Options tab of the Format Gauge dialog box. You can do so through the Format Series dialog box. However, you can still use the General Options tab to change the style of the needle.
The Format Series dialog box opens.
The color of the gauge needles and their borders changes accordingly.
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Page headings and page footings supply context and key information about a chart, such as its purpose, audience, and author. Page headings and page footings also enhance visual appeal.
The procedure uses sample values, but you can supply values that apply to your own charts.
This feature is available in Query Design view, Live Preview, and Document view.
The Header & Footer dialog box opens.
Tip: Another way to access the Heading & Footing dialog box is to click the arrow next to the Header & Footer button. Doing so opens a drop-down menu from which you can select the heading or footing that you want to work with. After you make your selection, the Header & Footer dialog box opens, and the heading or footing that you selected is active.
By default, the Page Heading tab is selected. In this procedure, accept the default to add a page heading first.
For example, the text for a sample page heading might be Customers By Occupation.
For example, 14 pt. bold Helvetica with center alignment.
For this procedure, you are going to add one of the supplied quick text options, followed by some text of your own.
The chart contains the page heading and page footing that you added and styled.
The following image shows a chart with a styled header and footer.
You can control the way in which a page heading and page footing are rendered on a chart at run time.
A drop-down menu, with two options for rendering the page heading and page footing, opens.
Tip: Your selection for a page heading also applies to a page footing, and vice versa.
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This section describes additional formatting features that are available for charts.
You can apply a 3D-effect to a 2D-chart.
Note: If you find that the depth of the 3D effect makes it difficult to distinguish the values on the Y-axis scale, then you can turn this option off. This procedure explains how to set the 3D effect for a default vertical bar chart.
The following image shows a bar chart before the 3D effect is applied.
The 3D effect is applied to the chart, as shown in the following image.
You can rotate bar, line, and area charts to change the orientation of the data.
The chart is rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
Once you create a bar, line, or area chart, you can sort the results in ascending or descending order. While this feature was implemented specifically for Stacked Bar charts, it also applies to other chart types, as previously mentioned. This feature enables you to view your data in numerical order, allowing you to identify trends and determine what data points are priorities.
Note: This feature is available in Chart and Visualization mode.
Reference lines draw attention to specific data locations on a chart. You can add up to three horizontal (X axis) and three vertical (Y axis) reference lines to a chart.
Reference lines can be created using either a constant or a computed field.
Field values allow a property to be dynamic, so that the reference line can change position dynamically on the chart depending on the value of the field that is assigned to it.
Note: A reference line value should be a single value, such as 10K, for example. In the Reference Line dialog box, if you select a field with multiple values, (Quantity Sold, for example), then InfoAssist plots the last value on the chart.
The Reference Line dialog box opens.
The reference line is added to the chart.
Reference lines can be created using either a constant or a computed field.
Field values allows a property to be dynamic, so that the reference line can change position dynamically on the chart depending on the value of the field that is assigned to it.
Note: A reference line value should be a single value, such as 10K, for example. In the Reference Line dialog box, if you select a field with multiple values, (Quantity Sold, for example), then InfoAssist plots the last value on the chart.
The following procedure provides an example of how to create a dynamic reference line, where the value changes based on the date. In this example, you can track the number of estimated delivery days per shipping company, where the number of days estimated for delivery are based on whether or not the sale date is a holiday. This example uses the wf_retail_lite sample data.
The Summary Field (COMPUTE) dialog box opens.
The Reference Line dialog box opens.
Auto Prompt appears.
Annotations are explanatory notes or comments. You can add up to eight annotations on a chart.
The Annotation dialog box opens.
The annotation is added to the chart.
Charts that have the new attribute syntax respect collation, which provides alphabetical sorting. Collation is also used in other areas, such as filtering.
Collation is set to CODEPAGE by the WebFOCUS Business User Edition installation, by default. This can be changed in the Custom Settings section of the Administration Console. For more information, see How to Configure Collation Sequence Settings.
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