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Microsoft Graph 6 Footer Controls (Worksheet)


When the Microsoft Graph 6 option button is selected, creating graphs will activate the Graph 6 footer controls.

Use of the Top, Sort and Filter controls is identical for both Microsoft Graph 5 and Microsoft Graph 6. For examples of how these controls can be applied, see the Graph 5 section.

This section covers the controls unique to MS Graph 6:

  • Graph type selector
  • Legend
  • Series
  • Title
  • Footnote
  • Xx (X-axis)
  • Zx (Z-axis)
  • Trackball

Microsoft Graph 6 supports 12 different styles of graph:

  1. 2D Pie
  2. 2D XY
  3. 2D Bar
  4. 3D Bar
  5. 2D Line
  6. 3D Line
  7. 2D Area
  8. 3D Area
  9. 2D Step
  10. 3D Step
  11. 2D Combo
  12. 3D Combo

Most of these graph styles are self-explanatory. Some, such as 2D XY graphs, are used only for particular sorts of data. The links in the above list provide examples of the (non-obvious) uses of these chart styles. (Note that the 2D Combo and 3D Combo don't seem to be any different than the 2D and 3D Bar styles. The 3D Step style is effectively the same as both the 3D Bar and Combo, with slightly different default widths.)

The Legend checkbox toggles a color-coded key explaining what each of the (up to) 14 colors means. With the Series box unchecked, the Legend will show X-axis labels (database values). To conserve space, you can then clear the Xx (X-axis) checkbox. With the Series box checked, the Legend represents the column headings (Z-axis labels). With Series legends on, you can clear the Zx (Z-axis) checkbox.

When the Legend shows the X values, only their font and size can be changed. In Series mode, both their style and text can be changed. The format for changing a legend entry is: Caption;Index[;Font][;Size] The brackets indicate optional parameters. The index refers to the caption's position in the list of captions comprising the full legend.

To change the second entry of a legend (say from "UnitsInStock" to the more readable "Units In Stock", click the legend while depressing the Shift key. Replace the parts of the prompt (eg. UnitsInStock;2;MS Sans Serif;14) you want to change. If the prompt shows the wrong index, you must retype the text of the entry you intend to change, and append the proper index. Font changes apply to all entries in the legend at once.

The legend can be resized in the same way that the graph portion of an MS Graph 6 chart can be -- click it once to expose the sizing controls (the correct sizing box will be the one that completely surrounds the legend or graph). Once selected, either legend or graph can be dragged around the window using the left mouse button.

Note that selectors can be activated within the graph, such as selectors for series or axes. However no editing capabilities currently apply to these selectors.

The Title checkbox allows you to add a title line into the graph. Checking the box brings up a prompt in our now familiar Title[;Font][;Size] format. Unchecking the box removes the title. Shift-clicking the title brings up an editing prompt; selecting the title allows you to resize and reposition it.

The features of the Footnote checkbox are identical to those of the Title box, Aside from its initial placement (lower left vs center top), it behaves in exactly the same manner.

The Trackball control at the lower right of the Microsoft Graph 6 footer appears to do the same thing as using the <Ctrl+mouse> combination, but it actually has slightly different functionality. While the mouse technique can also be used to rotate the 3D graph, it does not change the thickness of the graph bars. Clicking on the upper-left or lower-right portions of the trackball changes the relative size of the width to the breadth for each bar. This "feels" like lengthening the bars by pushing them away and flattening them by pulling them toward you.

The opposite corners of the trackball, the upper-right and lower-left, have the effect of skewing (or unskewing) the graph 45 degrees around a central point. This action can generally be done more quickly using the <Ctrl+mouse> combo.

Last Updated: March, 2002