I’m trying to make a line chart in Calc with two sets of data, one for each axis. Specifically,
For the y-axis, a bank balance, and (here’s the tricky part)
for the x-axis, a corresponding date for each value,
such that over the course of a year, the x-axis will be marked off in increments of, let’s say, one month, and the data point for a bank balance of such-and-such dollars recorded on January 15th will appear between the x-axis marks for January 1st and February 1st, whereas the next point, for the balance recorded on January 22nd, will appear between the first point and the mark for June 1st.
So I have two columns of data, one full of dates (not incremental) and one with the bank balance on each date. The problem I’m having is that I can’t figure out how to tell Calc that the two sets of data are for two axes. It tries to plot them both on the y-axis, resulting in the classical “one straight line way up here and one straight line way down there, boy howdy you’ve done something wrong” graph.
I remember being able to do this in Excel, but I no longer have a copy of Office handy. Does anyone know how to do this in Calc?
I created a chart like you described in Calc. Make sure the date column is first, then when using its chart wizard, select the check box for first column (dates) as label. This plotted the dates along the x-axis, and the amount will plot on the y-axis. As far as plotting non-incremental dates, it thinks it will just match the amount above the corresponding date. I dont think you can do a mid-point liked you described, but you may be able to hide the mid-month dates on the lower labels. I dont know how or if that’s possible. Hopefully someone else may know how.
I hope this helps (technical writing aint a strong point quite yet.)
Without seeing the data, I can’t be sure, but at the beginning of the insert chart wizard, there are check boxes to tell starcalc whether the first row and column of your data should be used for labels. If you have not done so, check that the first column is a label, and that will put your dates on the X axis.
There is also a check box at the second screen to tell it to apply your data in row rather than columns, but I think your problem is not checking the first box.
I use StarOffice , but I think OO should work the same way.
If that doesn’t work, maybe you can post a few rows of your data (made up is fine) and I can see what works.
Perfect! My mistake was ignoring that option. I assumed that it specified whether to include the first cell in the series or consider it a column label, as if I were sorting a list.
