Axes Formatting
To obtain information about formatting chart axes, mouse-click in the figure shown below.
The text string in this field is used to label the x-axis; it can be of any length and may contain any alpha-numeric character.
The text string in this field is used to label the y-axis; it can be of any length and may contain any alpha-numeric character.
The text entered in this field is placed in front of every label on the x-axis.
The text entered in this field is placed in front of every label on the y-axis.
Abscissa (x-axis) Label Format
Sets the x-axis label format; the following options are available:
None: No axis labelling.
Number: Each axis mark is numbered.
User Text: Each axis mark is labelled by the user.
Date and Time: Each axis mark is labelled as a date and time.
Time: Each axis mark is labelled as a time.
To use the User Text option, click the ‘Labels’ button to the right, which becomes active when this option is selected, and enter a set of axis labels separated by the ‘|’ symbol.
Tip: The number of labels in the set should equal the number of major scale marks shown on the x-axis.
eg. one|two|three|four|five|six will place these numbers, in sequence, on the x-axis starting from the axis origin.
To use Date and Time or Time labels, select the option that you want and then, to add data, either use the coordinate entry field’s pop-up menu or press the ‘d’ or ‘t’ key on the keyboard when the cursor is located in the coordinate entry field.
For more information see the Dates and Time Entries topic.
Ordinate (y-axis) Label Format
See the previous topic.
Abscissa (x-axis) Maximum Value
Sets the maximum value on the x-axis.
Ordinate (y-axis) Maximum Value
Sets the maximum value on the y-axis.
Abscissa (x-axis) Minimum Value
Sets the minimum value on the x-axis.
Ordinate (y-axis) Minimum Value
Sets the minimum value on the y-axis.
Grid Pitch in the Abscissa (x-axis) Direction
Sets the grid spacing in the x-axis direction.
NB. This field is only enabled when grid display is selected in the ‘Layout’ pane.
Grid Pitch in the Ordinate (y-axis) Direction
Sets the grid spacing in the y-axis direction.
NB. This field is only enabled when grid display is selected in the ‘Layout’ pane.
Sets intermediate (short) marks on the x-axis either on or off.
Sets intermediate (short) marks on the y-axis either on or off.
Sets the number of decimal places displayed on the x-axis.
Sets the number of decimal places displayed on the y-axis.
Abscissa (x-axis) Minimum Number of Scale Marks
Sets the minimum number of marks displayed on the x-axis.
Tip: If too few values are shown on the x-axis, increase the value of this control.
Ordinate (y-axis) Minimum Number of Scale Marks
Sets the minimum number of marks displayed on the y-axis.
Tip: If too few values are shown on the y-axis, increase the value of this control.
Abscissa (x-axis) Scale Format
Sets the scale format to either linear or logarithmic.
NB. The ‘Log’ setting can’t be set if there are any x-values less than or equal to zero.
Tip: If x-values span more than two orders of magnitude (ie. a factor of 100), set this control to ‘Log’.
Ordinate (y-axis) Scale Format
Sets the scale format to either linear or logarithmic.
NB. The ‘Log’ setting can’t be set if there are any y-values less than or equal to zero.
Tip: If y-values span more than two orders of magnitude (ie. a factor of 100), set this control to ‘Log’.
Abscissa (x-axis) Standard Form Display (scientific)
Sets the x-axis to standard form number display.
eg. 1e102 instead of 100 or 1e10-2 instead of 0.01
Ordinate (y-axis) Standard Form Display (scientific)
Sets the y-axis to standard form number display.
eg. 1e102 instead of 100 or 1e10-2 instead of 0.01
Enables part of the chart to be enlarged or ‘zoomed’.
To use this option, tick (check) this control and then draw a box around the region of the chart that you want to enlarge.
To draw the box, place the mouse cursor at the location within the chart at which you want to start and then, keeping the left mouse button depressed, ‘drag’ the box outline to the size you require, releasing the left mouse button when the box reaches the required size. When you release the left mouse button, the chart will be rescaled to show only the area enclosed by the box that you have drawn.
Tip: When a chart has been enlarged, a button appears to the right of this control which allows you to reinstate the original chart settings.
To scroll back and forth through previous zoomed states, hold the shift key down on you keyboard whilst pressing the right mouse button to go to a previous zoomed state or the left mouse button to go to a subsequent zoomed state.
To return to the chart’s original scale settings, click the ‘Undo….’ button shown below the ‘Auto Range’ control.
Resize Chart
Enables part of the chart to be enlarged or ‘zoomed’.
To use this option, tick (check) this control and then, keeping the left mouse button depressed, move the mouse within the chart in the direction in which you want to enlarge it. Release the left mouse button when the chart has the settings that you require.
Set this control to enable text labels to be moved. When this control is ticked (checked), you can select a text label with the mouse and ‘drag’ it to a new location.
NB. This control is not enabled if the chart has no text labels.
Set this control to enable the chart to be panned in the x or y directions. When this control is ticked (checked), you can ‘drag’ the chart by keeping the left mouse button depressed and moving the mouse within it.
Set Chart Scales Automatically
Set this control to allow the axes ranges to be set automatically.
Tip: If you want to quickly set the axes scales to cover the range of your entered data or function, tick (check) this control. This control is also useful if your entered data lie outside the scales set for the axes: just click this control and your data will be brought into view.
This slider sets the speed at which a chart animation runs: move it to the right to increase animation speed and to the left to slow it down.
NB. For complicated charts, animation is very processor intensive and so, on older computers, this slider will appear to be ineffective.
This field allows you to enter the x-axis window width through which animation runs.
For example, if the x-axis scale runs from 0 to 100, setting this control to 10 will animate the chart in a window in which one tenth of the x-axis is visible.