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Charting with data outside of Numbers 09 norm

Hello all,


I'm going out of my ever lovin' mind trying to create both an X-Y Scatter and Line chart but, my data is NOT in the iWork standard of A1 being the upper left corner of the header and/or data block. For instance, my data block starts at X2 with the X column of data starting at X2 and the three series of Y values are in columns Y, Z and AA. Yes, the header row for three series starts at cell X1 and the first X data value is at X2 as well as the first three y values are in Y2, Z2 and AA2.


So, how do I select my data set so that all three series plot as a line chart properly? Then, the same, what range of cells do I select so that this same data pack plots correctly as three plot lines on an X/Y scatter chart? Next, yes, how do I set my header row and header colimn correctly for both plots?


Thanks in advance for the help.

PowerBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 1GB/80GB/1.5GHz

Posted on Feb 18, 2013 10:23 PM

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4 replies

Feb 18, 2013 11:26 PM in response to gulmatan

No problem with your table set up.


Header column will be ignored.

Header row labels will be used to label the chart.

Select the data block (X2:AA9 in the example below)

Click the Charts button and select the scatter chart.

You'll get a chart that doesn't look right.

Now click the 'gear' icon to the upper left of the selected data to show the menu below:

User uploaded file

Choose "Share X values"

Your selection and chart should now change to resemble the one below:

User uploaded file

Changes from default chart attributes:


In the Chart Inspector:

I selected Series, and chose to connect the data points with straight line segments, and reduced the size of the data point symbols to 8 points.

I selected Axis, and set the number of steps for each axis to give me labels that were all integers.


On the Table:

I clicked the colour square above each Y column then used the Stroke section of the format bar to increase the line weight to 3 points.


Regards,

Barry

Feb 19, 2013 10:36 PM in response to gulmatan

A line chart is a "Category" chart.


One axis, usually the 'x' axis, is a Category axis. The category axis does not show numerical values (even if the values are numbers, they are simply text that names each category). Categories are evenly spaced along this axis. Labels for the categories must be placed into a Header Column.


Values shown on the Value axis (usually the 'y' axis) are numerical.


Here are two examples of the same data, presented first as a scatter chart with the data points connected by line segnments, then as a line graph.


Note the differences in organization of the table, and the differences in spacing along the x axis.


Scatter chart:
All data in 'body' cells. Series labels in Header row. Note the shape of the line for Data series B (Green) and C (Yellow).

User uploaded file

Line Chart:

Category labels in a Header column (Column A), Data series labels in a Header Row (Row 1). The 'numbers ' in column A are seen as text, and a regularly spaced along the x axis.

Data series in regular cells (B2:D8) Only the data cells are selected when making the chart.

Note the shapes of the lines for data series B (Green) and C (Yellow).

User uploaded file


For your setup, you would need to place the 'x' values into a Header column. The Y values in columns Y, Z and AA could stay in those columns.

You would select only columns Y, Z and AA, then make the Line chart, as I've done in the example below after inserting some new columns to the left of that data.

User uploaded file


Regards,

Barry

Charting with data outside of Numbers 09 norm

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