modifying the area plot to a "top-hat" instead of a "saw-tooth"

I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead of
a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite right
as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series / Options
/ Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series to
get the right desired effect.
HTH,
Henk

"Curious27" wrote:

> I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead of
> a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite right
> as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

You could use a column chart - they are frequently used in histograms.
OR try a waterfall charts - details at:
http://peltiertech.com/Excel/Charts/index.html
http://www.tushar-mehta.com/excel/charts/waterfall/
http://www.ozgrid.com/Services/excel...ng-add-ins.htm
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
www.stfx.ca/people/bliengme
remove caps from email

"Curious27" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead
> of
> a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite
> right
> as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

Ok, sounds promising - but my "Options" page only has "Drop lines" as a
modifiable feature, nothing about "Gap width". I'm using Excel 2003.

"HEK" wrote:

> You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
> Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series / Options
> / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series to
> get the right desired effect.
> HTH,
> Henk
>
> "Curious27" wrote:
>
> > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead of
> > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite right
> > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

Ah, I see - I needed to change the the chart type to "stacked column" first
to get the "gap width" on the "options" tab. Ok - so now, is there a way to
eliminate the lines that outline each column so each (stacked) series appears
to be a contiguous area?
C.

"HEK" wrote:

> You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
> Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series / Options
> / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series to
> get the right desired effect.
> HTH,
> Henk
>
> "Curious27" wrote:
>
> > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead of
> > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite right
> > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

It shd also work with "normal" column chart. To make the lines disappear,
right click the series, Format Data Series, go to the Patterns tab and either
choose the same line colour as the fill, or select "none".
GL,
Henk

"Curious27" wrote:

> Ah, I see - I needed to change the the chart type to "stacked column" first
> to get the "gap width" on the "options" tab. Ok - so now, is there a way to
> eliminate the lines that outline each column so each (stacked) series appears
> to be a contiguous area?
> C.
>
> "HEK" wrote:
>
> > You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
> > Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series / Options
> > / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series to
> > get the right desired effect.
> > HTH,
> > Henk
> >
> > "Curious27" wrote:
> >
> > > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> > > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead of
> > > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite right
> > > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> > > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

Ah-ha - thanks! Ok, but I still don't have delineation between the "stacks".
There isn't a way to just color the horizontal border, and not the vertical
ones is there?
C.

"HEK" wrote:

> It shd also work with "normal" column chart. To make the lines disappear,
> right click the series, Format Data Series, go to the Patterns tab and either
> choose the same line colour as the fill, or select "none".
> GL,
> Henk
>
> "Curious27" wrote:
>
> > Ah, I see - I needed to change the the chart type to "stacked column" first
> > to get the "gap width" on the "options" tab. Ok - so now, is there a way to
> > eliminate the lines that outline each column so each (stacked) series appears
> > to be a contiguous area?
> > C.
> >
> > "HEK" wrote:
> >
> > > You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
> > > Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series / Options
> > > / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series to
> > > get the right desired effect.
> > > HTH,
> > > Henk
> > >
> > > "Curious27" wrote:
> > >
> > > > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> > > > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style instead of
> > > > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite right
> > > > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> > > > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

You could use an area chart:

http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=508

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com
_______


"Curious27" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ah, I see - I needed to change the the chart type to "stacked column"
> first
> to get the "gap width" on the "options" tab. Ok - so now, is there a way
> to
> eliminate the lines that outline each column so each (stacked) series
> appears
> to be a contiguous area?
> C.
>
> "HEK" wrote:
>
>> You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
>> Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series /
>> Options
>> / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series
>> to
>> get the right desired effect.
>> HTH,
>> Henk
>>
>> "Curious27" wrote:
>>
>> > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
>> > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style
>> > instead of
>> > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite
>> > right
>> > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
>> > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?

Yes, that's where I started out - but I wanted the "histogram" or "top-hat"
way of connecting the datapoints, not "point-to-point".

"Jon Peltier" wrote:

> You could use an area chart:
>
> http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=508
>
> - Jon
> -------
> Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
> Tutorials and Custom Solutions
> http://PeltierTech.com
> _______
>
>
> "Curious27" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Ah, I see - I needed to change the the chart type to "stacked column"
> > first
> > to get the "gap width" on the "options" tab. Ok - so now, is there a way
> > to
> > eliminate the lines that outline each column so each (stacked) series
> > appears
> > to be a contiguous area?
> > C.
> >
> > "HEK" wrote:
> >
> >> You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap zero.
> >> Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series /
> >> Options
> >> / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of series
> >> to
> >> get the right desired effect.
> >> HTH,
> >> Henk
> >>
> >> "Curious27" wrote:
> >>
> >> > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the lines
> >> > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style
> >> > instead of
> >> > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't quite
> >> > right
> >> > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead of
> >> > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?
>
>
>

If you want a certain effect, sometimes you need to do it a different way
than you'd intended.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com
_______


"Curious27" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Yes, that's where I started out - but I wanted the "histogram" or
> "top-hat"
> way of connecting the datapoints, not "point-to-point".
>
> "Jon Peltier" wrote:
>
>> You could use an area chart:
>>
>> http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/P...cle.asp?ID=508
>>
>> - Jon
>> -------
>> Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
>> Tutorials and Custom Solutions
>> http://PeltierTech.com
>> _______
>>
>>
>> "Curious27" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > Ah, I see - I needed to change the the chart type to "stacked column"
>> > first
>> > to get the "gap width" on the "options" tab. Ok - so now, is there a
>> > way
>> > to
>> > eliminate the lines that outline each column so each (stacked) series
>> > appears
>> > to be a contiguous area?
>> > C.
>> >
>> > "HEK" wrote:
>> >
>> >> You can remove the space between the bars simply by making the gap
>> >> zero.
>> >> Change to column chart, right click the series, Format Data Series /
>> >> Options
>> >> / Gap width> 0. You may have to fiddle a bit with the number of
>> >> series
>> >> to
>> >> get the right desired effect.
>> >> HTH,
>> >> Henk
>> >>
>> >> "Curious27" wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > I would like to modify the "stacked area" plot type so that the
>> >> > lines
>> >> > connecting the data points do so in a "top-hat" or histogram style
>> >> > instead of
>> >> > a "saw-tooth" or point-to-point connection. The bar plots aren't
>> >> > quite
>> >> > right
>> >> > as the "bars" stand alone and have the vertical separators - instead
>> >> > of
>> >> > forming a contiguous area under the data points. Is this possible?
>>
>>
>>