Scaling x-axis on chart

users
#1

Using Version: 4.1.6.2 Build ID: 410m0(Build:2) on 64 bit openSUSE 13.1 with KDE desktop.

I am trying to plot a chart of readings taken approximately every three months over 4 years but with actual days on which reading were taken recorded. The plot is to have time on X-axis and readings on Y-axis.How can I scale the X-axis?

There is no chart axis option in format menu before the chart has been drawn. If I start the chart wizard I cannot access any of the menu items until wizard has finished. Once a chart has been finished I can then use format x axis scale etc. I can select what I want, I think, but nothing on the chart changes. The plot points all lie in a heap and it seems like I should re-plot with new axis scale set.

What am I doing wrong and how do I sort this out please?

#2

Hi :slight_smile:
Sorry no-one was able to help with this! :frowning: Did you manage to figure
it out? The official guides might be able to give you a better
over-view and maybe some idea of whether you are doing something wrong
or what is going on;
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Publications

There is also an Faq, although again i haven't looked through to see
if there is something to help.
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq/Calc
The charts section is at the end so just click on the
Table-of-Contents at the top to jump down the page faster.
Apols and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#3

Hi Tom,
Thanks for the reply. No joy so far. The problem is expanding the x axis which is using dates. It is set up for date format but I cannot find how to expand the scale. I have a screen shot which illustrates my problem. I shall try and attach it here. If there is another procedure for sending data please let me know.
Regards.

#4

I am assuming you are using Calc

Have you tried expanding the table area vertically?

Click outside the table and then click on the table once, then click on the tick mark on horizontal center and pull up or down.
Does this change the number of entries?

#5

Hi :slight_smile:
Attachments get taken off the emails. You can use Nabble though.

You can upload files to a file-sharing cloud type thing and then give
us a link to the file. If you go to the main LibreOffice website and
through the "Get Help" section find Nabble. When you upload a file it
injects the line of html coding into the message part of the
email-type thing for you. Getting the file uploaded is very much the
same as uploading an attachment to an email. The "browse" button is
one of the top options in one of the "More" buttons.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#6

1) menu:View>HighlightValues (Ctrl+F8
Are your dates and numbers highlighted in blue font now? If your dates
are black, then they are no dates at all.
2) Chart type needs to be "x/y-scatter". Line charts have no numeric
x-axis. They treat all values as literal text

#7

Hi Andreas,
Yes the dates and values in sheet are all in blue.
I am using x/y-scatter type of chart.
Could the problem be that the dates of the readings are not at regular intervals? I have set the minimum and maximum for the x axis as 01/01/2009 and 31/12/2020 but whatever I do with the intervals the chart stays the same size.

#8

Hi Tom,
Found Nabble and tried to register but couldn't get past the validation code. Tried a dozen times but to no avail so am stuck.
Any suggestions?
Budgie

#9

Hi :slight_smile:
Sorry about that!

Quite a few other people say that the validation code is tricky too.
I didn't have any trouble with it on Ubuntu 12.04 using Firefox but i
am not sure if that helps at all. Sounds like it might be good to
sign up with Google Drive or something and share the file that way.
On the other hand quite a few people have tried to help even without
seeing the file. So i'm really hoping one of them guessed closely
enough for you to describe the difference between their guess and what
you see.

Apols and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hi :slight_smile:
Attachments get taken off the emails. You can use Nabble though.

<snip />

#10

Budgie wrote:

Hi Tom,
Thanks for the reply. No joy so far. The problem is expanding the x
axis which is using dates. It is set up for date format but I cannot
find how to expand the scale. I have a screen shot which illustrates my
problem. I shall try and attach it here. If there is another procedure
for sending data please let me know.
Regards.

1) menu:View>HighlightValues (Ctrl+F8
Are your dates and numbers highlighted in blue font now? If your dates
are black, then they are no dates at all.
2) Chart type needs to be "x/y-scatter". Line charts have no numeric
x-axis. They treat all values as literal text

Hi Andreas,
Yes the dates and values in sheet are all in blue.
I am using x/y-scatter type of chart.
Could the problem be that the dates of the readings are not at regular
intervals? I have set the minimum and maximum for the x axis as
01/01/2009 and 31/12/2020 but whatever I do with the intervals the chart
stays the same size.

The interval controls the interval between the tick marks along the axis (some or all of which are labelled, depending how close together they are). The ticks will always be at regular intervals, even if the points plotted on the graph are not. For dates it's not really possible to get the ticks at exact monthly intervals due to the differing number of days in each month. On one chart where I want them every 4 months, I have the interval set 121.75 (= 365.25 * 4 / 12). The day of month at each tick is not always the same (starting from 01/01/2009, the ticks are sometimes on the 1st, sometimes the 2nd and sometimes 3rd of the month) but it's good enough for my purpose.

(OT: How about crowd-funding a project to adjust the Earth's rotation and/or orbit such that a year divides sensibly into months and days? A few £gazillion ought to cover it? May also need to take out insurance against crashing the Earth into the Sun...)

Do you mean you want to make the whole chart wider?
1. Click on a cell outside of the chart, to ensure the chart is not selected.
2. Single-click on the chart.
3. There should be a small square at each corner and in the centre of each edge of the chart's frame. You can click and drag those to resize the frame, and the chart also scales with it.
4. Or, for more precise control of the size, right-click and select "Position and Size" from the context menu, or go to Format menu > Graphic > Position and Size.

If you want to change the size of the chart itself but not the frame surrounding it (e.g. to make expand the chart into empty space within the frame):
1. Double-click on the chart to start editing it.
2. Click on a blank area of the chart's background (i.e. within the area of the axes, but not actually on either of the axes or lines).
3. There should now be a small square at each corner and in the centre of each edge of the chart itself. You can click and drag those to resize the chart.
4. Or, for more precise control of the size, right-click and select "Position and Size" from the context menu, or go to Format menu > Position and Size.

Hope that helps.
Mark.

#11

Hi Mark,
Now I am making progress and dragging does expand what I need. Many thanks. I had expected to be able to do it by scaling the axes but what I have now will serve.

One supplementary question.

At present the key for the various symbols used in the chart appears in the frame and when I expand the chart proper they get in the way. How may I move the key to below so it does not obscure the graph?

Thanks again,
Budge

#12

Budgie wrote:

Hi Mark,
Now I am making progress and dragging does expand what I need. Many
thanks.

That's great.

I had expected to be able to do it by scaling the axes but what
I have now will serve.

One supplementary question.

At present the key for the various symbols used in the chart appears in
the frame and when I expand the chart proper they get in the way. How
may I move the key to below so it does not obscure the graph?

A couple of ways...

In either case, double-click on the chart to start editing it. Then the easiest is probably to go to Format menu > Legend... > Position tab, select "Bottom" (or wherever you want it to appear) and click OK.

If you need a bit more control, you can drag the legend to position it. To resize it, click on it and then drag the green handles which appear around it.

Thanks again,
Budge

Mark.