Excel 2000 & Charts with Graphic overlays

Hi,

I am looking for a solution for a problem that I am having with Excel Version 7.0 [Window 95]. The ultimate solution should be to buy the 2000 verison. I don't want to spend the money only to find that the problem still exists.

I have searched Microsoft's site for any references to my problem and have not found it mentioned. This indicates to me that Microsoft may not have addressed it.

The problem?

Create an xy scatter chart. It may be a blank chart. The result is a border that outlines the space on the sheet occupied by the chart. Within this border there is a grey rectangle (assuming you sized the chart that way) that contains the plot of the data

Using the drawing tools draw a rectangle between the upper right corner of the border and the upper right corner of the grey rectangle. Use the 1 pixel line thickness. Repeat this activity for the remaining three corners. Make the rectangle align perfectly with the border's corner and the grey area's corner.

Save the results. Close Excel. Open Excel. Open the worksheet that contains the above created chart. Observe the alignment between the chart's border and the drawing tool rectangle's edges. Observe the alignment of the grey rectangle's edges and the drawing tool rectangle's edges.

In Excel Version 7.0 mismatches abound between the grey rectangle's edges and the drawing tool rectangle's edges. Sometimes the errors are minor. Sometimes the errors are major . Regardless errors are there.

My question is, Does this happen in Excel 2000?

I found discussions of this problem in the Archives. The only suggested fix was to use a seperate sheet for the charts. i.e. do not embed them on the same sheet with the data. The claim was resizing the column widths would affect the chart size and thus the alignnment of the graphics. I tried it and it did not work.

I have also found my grey areas collapsed vertically to nearly a single character height when I have opened a workbook. Has this been seen in Excel 2000?

I use graphic overlays grouped and ungrouped extensively for time critical annotation on my charts. This behavior of Excel really bums me out. Every time I open my workbooks that contain charts, I have to resize the grey rectangle in order to obtain correct time alignment of my overlays. (I do this via the above described technique of using corner rectangles.) Since these corner rectangles are hidden from view during the resizing operation it becomes a trial and error operation at the one pixel resolution level!!! Bummer!!!

I might add that grouping the overlays and the chart does not change the problem. The chart's border never resizes. Only the grey rectangle.

 

I'm still here looking for an answer to this problem.

Yes, you can use the point labels to annotate the charts. It is slow and labor intensive compared to using the graphic tools.

I have also seen one graphic (rectangle) out of four on the same chart change size.

There appears to be some file size sensitivity associated with this problem. I have a < 5Meg file that has not (so far) demonstrated this problem. The file that demonstrates the problem is > 40 Meg.

Folks elsewhere have seen the problem in Excel 97 but it seems that folks that have 2000 don't want to talk about it.

 

I’ve used Excel 2000 exclusively and have found few problems like you describe. Graphics overlaid on charts seem to stay put unless I resize cells or change data within the chart. However, Excel 2000 can be customized to leave the charts and graphics alone no matter what you do to the rest of the spreadsheet.

 

ztoelke

Thanks for the info. The major problem is that the grey chart area resizes. Sometimes drastically... leaving a one character height line across the top of the chart area. Click on it and grab the bottom sizing block and the chart can be pulled right back to its original size. Most of the time the dimensional change is just a few percent of the height or width or both.

Excel 7.0 also has the ability to seperate the graphics from the underlying cells. Since the problem shows itself under a Save, Close, Exit, Load, Open scenario, this ability has not been indicated as a solution.

I now have one vote in favor of Excel 2000.

 

Tell you what. How about a test.

If you want to email me a couple of sheets that have scatter charts that are giving problems with your version, I'd be happy to convert them and play around to see if they work properly with a later release.

Rather than use the email feature from the bbs, just send to nvail@ctc.net . DLS so no problems with file size. And as you can see from my signature, I tend to dump a bbs-generated email without looking at it if it looks thread-related.

If you decide to send one, two, whatever, please include a copy of this link so I can get back to the thread easily with results.

 

Well Folks,

I sent the data. He got the data. I've heard nothing more. I queried Newt on what might have happened to derail us. No answer.

Too bad! Darkness prevails.