Chart Window: Customizing a Chart
Once you've created a Chart you can customize it using the Toolbar at the top of the Chart Window.
Tip
By right-clicking on a Chart you can access a Context Menu that provides many of the same options as the Toolbar.
Setting the Chart Type
To Change the Chart Type, click the Chart Type drop-down button from the Toolbar, choose Line or Column, and then click the Apply button. Note that a Chart's Panels will have different behavior based on the Chart type:
For Line Charts:
- Each data set will be represented as a series of points connected by a line.
- Each Disaggregated data set will have its own Chart Panel.
- Multiple Scenarios will be shown as separate lines.
For Column Charts:
- Each data set will be represented as a column.
- Each Disaggregated data set will have its own column.
- Multiple Scenarios will be shown as separate columns.
Setting the Timesteps
To change a Chart's Timesteps, enter new values into the Timesteps text box on the Toolbar and then click the Apply button. Be aware that the Timesteps text box has two input validation modes, depending on the Chart Type:
For Line Charts:
The Timesteps must be a range of integers. Some examples are:
- 1-10
- 2018-2029
For Column Charts:
The Timesteps can be specified as either single integers or as ranges of integers. Some examples are:
- 2018
- 2018,2022
- 1000-2000
- 1,2,3,4-10
Important
The Timestep values must be valid for the current set of Scenarios.
Tip
If you delete all values from the Timesteps text box it will be re-populated with default values (i.e. typically the full range of timesteps) the next time you click the Apply button.
Setting the Iteration Type
If you are visualizing output from a Monte Carlo simulation you will have the option to set the display of each Monte Carlo iteration (i.e. "realization"). To Change a Chart's Iteration Type, click the Iteration Type drop-down button, choose Mean or Single, and then click the Apply button.
Mean:
When the Iteration Type is Mean, the Average value across all iterations will be charted for each data point.
Single:
When the Iteration Type is Single, the exact value for the current iteration will be charted for each data point. When you select this mode, you will be able to choose the current iteration using the numeric up-down control.
Setting the Error Bar Type
If you are visualizing output from a Monte Carlo simulation you will also have the option to control the display of a Chart's Error Bars. Click the Error Bar Type drop-down button, choose None, Min / Max, or Percentile, and then click the Apply button.
None
When the Error Bar is None, no error bars will be generated.
Min / Max
When the Error Bar Type is Min / Max:
- If it is a Line Chart, each line will be bounded by a shaded range generated from the minimum and maximum values (across all iterations) for each timestep.
- If it is a Column Chart, an Error Bar symbol will be shown in the center of each column indicating the minimum and maximum values (across all iterations) for that column.
Percentile
When the Error Bar Type is Percentile [x] to [y]:
- If it is a Line Chart, each line will be bounded by a shaded range generated from the xth percentile to the yth percentile (across all iterations) for each timestep.
- If it is a Column Chart, an Error Bar symbol will be shown in the center of each column indicating the xth percentile to the yth percentile (across all iterations) for that column.
Other Options
A variety of other options are available from the Options dialog. To open the Options dialog, click the Options button in the Toolbar.
Option | Description |
---|---|
Y axis same scale | Sets the same minimum and maximum Y axis values for all Chart Panels. |
Y axis minimum to zero | Sets the Y axis minimum to zero for all Chart Panels. |
Fixed Y axis intervals | Maintains a fixed number of intervals on the Y axis as the chart is resized. |
Show legend | Shows the Chart Legend. |
Show scenario ID | Shows the Scenario ID in the Chart Legend text. |
No data as zero | Shows no-data points as zero instead of a gap. |
Show data points | Shows a dot for each data point in each series. (Line Charts only). |
Show tooltips | Shows tooltips for each data point in each series. |
Show titles | Shows the Chart Y axis and X axis titles. |
Y axis title | The text for the Y axis title. |
X axis title | The text for the X axist title. |
Fonts | The fonts for the Legend and each type of title. |
Numbers | Sets the number format for each Chart Panel's Y axis values. |
Tip
Many of these options are also available from the Context Menu by right-clicking on a Chart.
Context Menu Options
There are a few other options that are only available from the Context Menu:
Option | Description |
---|---|
View Data | Shows the data used to generate each series in a single Chart Panel. |
Zoom Chart | Opens a single Chart Panel in a new window. |
Export | Exports the data used to generate each time-series in a single Chart Panel. |
Export All | Exports the data used to generate each time-series in all Chart Panels. |
Copy to Clipboard | Copies the entire Chart to the clipboard. |