+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 3 of 3

Using Excel 2013 Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers - but smooth lines aren't showing!

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-13-2013
    Location
    London, England
    MS-Off Ver
    Excel 2007
    Posts
    9

    Using Excel 2013 Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers - but smooth lines aren't showing!

    Hi all,

    Christ almighty this is driving me insane - it's probably really simple, but I can find no answer to this query anywhere online (at least not for Excel 2013) so I thought I'd post here...

    I'm currently trying to create two simple scatter plots plotting data for just four years using the Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers option. The data, and the charts, are in the spreadsheet below:

    Social Mobility in Universities.xlsx

    I have managed to create the chart for table 1 just fine by selecting Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers. The data shows (can't get the data for 2010 off of the Y axis, but oh well that's another problem...) and - crucially - the smooth line is there.

    Table 2, however, is another matter: I can get the data to appear just fine, but Excel just plain refuses to add a smooth line. I'm unable to find a way to force Excel to do this. I've even tried simply copying and pasting chart 1, selecting design --> select data and then adding my new data, but to no avail. Once it's added, Excel removes the bloody trend line! I think perhaps the problem may lie in some different quality of the data I'm drawing from in graph 3, which makes Excel think differently.

    Apologies if this is an obvious solution, but I've been trying to solve this for the past hour to no avail. Help will be much-appreciated!

  2. #2
    Forum Guru
    Join Date
    04-13-2005
    Location
    North America
    MS-Off Ver
    2002/XP and 2007
    Posts
    15,814

    Re: Using Excel 2013 Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers - but smooth lines aren't showi

    Another case where merging cells creates problems. Even though to you, merging the cells has removed the cells in between, to Excel, those cells (C38 and C62, for example) are still there and are empty. Since your "hidden and empty cell" setting for your chart is to leave a gap, it leaves a gap for each of those empty cells behind the merged cells.

    Easiest fix will probably be to change how Excel treats these "gaps" in the data. I don't know where these commands are in 2013. In 2007, it is part of the select data dialog http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ex...555.aspx?CTT=1 Change from "leave gap" to "interpolate" or whatever the settings are in 2013 to get Excel to connect these points with a line.

    Here's a discussion of how Excel treats "gaps" in different chart types: http://peltiertech.com/WordPress/min...g-empty-cells/
    Quote Originally Posted by shg
    Mathematics is the native language of the natural world. Just trying to become literate.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-13-2013
    Location
    London, England
    MS-Off Ver
    Excel 2007
    Posts
    9

    Re: Using Excel 2013 Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers - but smooth lines aren't showi

    Thanks, you're a life saver! The above method worked for Excel 2013 as well - such a simple mistake!

+ Reply to Thread

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 07-25-2012, 11:26 AM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 09-05-2011, 02:56 AM
  3. Smooth lines for 3-D pie charts?
    By RussG in forum Excel Charting & Pivots
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-08-2006, 10:50 AM
  4. smooth graph lines
    By Patience in forum Excel General
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 07-21-2005, 07:05 PM
  5. Excel Scatter Plot with connected by smooth lines
    By Rosa Campos in forum Excel Charting & Pivots
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 02-09-2005, 11:06 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 RC 1