Chart Window Options
  • 09 Oct 2023
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Chart Window Options

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Chart Window Options

Once you generate the chart (by clicking the Chart button in the Selection window), the Chart window opens. This window contains many additional configuration and display options for presentation.

Most of the menu options are also available via the toolbar, with the exception of some of the options on the File menu. Some options are also available via a right-click menu.

Several of the toolbar buttons also contain sub-menus with additional options.

Chart Window Toolbar

Option

Description

File > Open Chart

Allows you to open a saved chart in the Chart window. Refer to Saving Charts for more information.

NOTE: Keep in mind that if you open a saved chart, the data will be the same as it was when you created the chart. The data will not refresh from FIMS.

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

File > Save Chart

Saves the current chart, in .cfx format (the default format for the charting tool). Refer to Saving Charts for more information.

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

File > Page Setup

Opens a window where you can configure page setup options for printing the chart (for example, the page orientation and margin size).

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

File > Print Preview

Displays a preview of how the chart will look when it is printed.

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

File > Print

Prints the current chart.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

Copy to Clipboard > As a Bitmap

Copies the chart to the clipboard as a bitmap graphic (.bmp format). This is useful if you want to copy the chart to Word or another application that accepts graphics.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

Copy to Clipboard > As a Metafile

Copies the chart to the clipboard as a Windows metafile graphic (.wmf format). This is useful if you want to copy the chart to Word or another application that accepts graphics.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

Copy to Clipboard > As Text (Data Only)

Copies the data to the clipboard as a comma-separated text file. This option is useful if you want to copy the data to Excel.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

View > 3D / 2D

Determines whether you want to view the chart in two or three dimensions.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

View > Clustered

Enables / disables series clustering along a Z-axis. This is useful if there are multiple series in the chart.

When clustering is enabled, the series (for example the bars in a bar chart) appear with one in front of the other instead of side-by-side.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

View > Properties

Allows you to view and edit current chart properties, including General, Series, and Y Axis settings. Refer to Configuring Chart Properties for more information.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar or by right-clicking and selecting Properties.

Tools > Values Legend

Displays or hides a legend of the values in the chart. This is particularly useful if you are working with a pie chart.

When the legend is visible, you can place your mouse over the desired value in the legend to highlight its location in the chart.

You can also right-click on the legend to change its location on the chart (top, right, left, or bottom).

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar.

Tools > Series Legend

Displays or hides a legend of the series values in the chart (the data types that you have chosen to include in the chart)

When the legend is visible, you can place your mouse over the desired value in the legend to highlight its location in the chart.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar or by right-clicking and selecting Legend Box.

Tools > Data Editor

Opens the Data Editor, where you can edit the chart values, along with the series and x-axis labels for the chart. Refer to Editing Chart Data for more information.

NOTE: This option is also available from the toolbar or by right-clicking and selecting Data Editor.

Tools > Toolbar

Displays or hides the toolbar in the Chart window.

NOTE: This option is also available by right-clicking and selecting Toolbar.

Tools > Menu

Displays or hides the menu bar in the Chart window.

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

Help > Online Help

Opens the online help system for FIMS Chart It.

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

Help > About

Displays information about the current version of FIMS Chart It.

NOTE: This option is only available from the menu bar.

 Personalized Charts > Load My Chart

Loads pre-configured chart settings (format and layout) that you saved via Save My Chart. Refer to Using Personalized Charts for more information.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar.

 Personalized Charts > Save My Chart

Saves the current chart settings (including formatting, layout, and colors). You can then apply the settings to charts that you create in the future. Refer to Using Personalized Charts for more information.

NOTE: This option does not save the data in the chart. It only saves the settings.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar.

 Personalized Charts > Restore Defaults

Restores the chart settings to system-defaults. Refer to Using Personalized Charts for more information.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar.

Gallery

Opens a drop-down that allows you to select from fourteen different chart types. The available types include line, curve, area (line), area (curve), step, scatter, bar (vertical), bar (horizontal), block, pie, doughnut, pareto, pyramid, and radar. Refer to Selecting the Chart Type for more information.

NOTE: This option is also available by right-clicking and selecting Gallery.

Anti-Aliasing

Enables or disables anti-aliasing, which smoothes the edges of the chart graphic.

 Palette Selector

Opens a drop-down that allows you to select one of ten system-defined color palettes to apply to the chart.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar.

 Rotated View

Enables or disables rotational viewing for 3D charts.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar and is only available when you are viewing the chart in 3D.

Rotate Around Y Axis

Rotates the chart around the vertical axis.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar and is only available when the Rotated View option is selected.

Rotate Around X Axis

Rotates the chart around the horizontal axis.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar and is only available when the Rotated View option is selected.

Axes Settings

Opens a sub-menu that allows you to configure display options for the X and Y axis on the chart.

Refer to Configuring Axes Settings for more information.

NOTE: NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar.

Point Labels

Displays or hides the point labels for the chart.

In a bar chart, these are the labels that appear above the bar and display the value represented by each bar.

In a pie chart, point labels appear next to the corresponding slice, connected by a line.

NOTE: This option is also available right-clicking and selecting Point Labels.

Zoom

Zooms in or zooms out on the current chart data.

NOTE: This option is only available from the toolbar.

Color

Right-click and select Color to change the color of the section of the chart you clicked on (e.g., window background, chart background, or data element).

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu. If you want to change the full palette of colors for the entire chart, use the Color Palette option.

Edit Title

Right-click and select Edit Title if you want to add, edit or remove a title for the chart.

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is not over a data element.

Font

Right-click and select Font to change the font of the text in your text labels or chart title.

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is not over a data element.

Text Color

Right-click on any text label in the chart and select Text Color to choose a different color for the selected text.

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is over a label.

Staggered

Right-click on any text label in the chart and select Staggered to stagger the layout of the selected label.

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is over a label.

Vertical Labels

Right-click on any text label in the chart and select Vertical Labels to display the labels vertically instead of horizontally.

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is over a label.

Grid

Right-click on any text label in the chart and select Grid to add grid lines to the chart.

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is over a label.

Interlaced

Right-click on any text label in the chart and select Interlaced to set an interlaced background for the chart (alternating bands of shading that appear behind the chart elements at each Y axis interval).

NOTE: This option is only available from the right-click menu while your mouse is over a label.

 


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