Excel plots the data you give it. Trying to do something fancy like plotting multiple series from one data range sometimes can be done, but saving a few cells is usually not worth spending hours setting it up and more hours later fixing it when something changes. Add three ranges for three dummy series, and pat yourself on the back for being more clever in the long run.

I have an area chart (standard normal distribution) that looks like a bell curve. I use dynamic ranges to break my data into 3 specific (variable) x-axis sections (e.g., 0-2,000, 2,000-7,000, 7,000-8,000), and would like to either distinctly shade these vertical sections of the curve, add 2 drop lines solely at 2,000 and 7,000, or somehow otherwise differentiate the 3 sections.

I know I can do this be creating 3 DUMMY data series from the original, based upon my dynamic ranges, but would prefer NOT to replicate 1 very large data column into 4. I considered replicating the x-asis as a secondary axis and plotting the 2 points against that axis, but I’ve not been successful creating the 2nd axis, and would prefer not to have to go this route in any event.

I’ve trolled the web, and spent considerable time looking through your site in particular, but haven’t found a solution. Any insight you can provide will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.
-Paul

With ActiveChart.Legend.LegendEntries(4).LegendKey.Select
Selection.Border

to this

With ActiveChart.Legend.LegendEntries(4).LegendKey.Border

and try again.

But why are you using the legend key to format the series instead of the series itself?

If ActiveChart.Legend.HasLegendEntries(4) Then
With ActiveChart.Legend.LegendEntries(4).LegendKey.Select
Selection.Border
.ColorIndex = 44
.Weight = xlThin
.LineStyle = xlContinuous
End With
End If

Which the first line was orgionally:

ActiveChart.Legend.LegendEntries(4).LegendKey.Select

Anyway, you have to check for the existence of the legend. If it exists, it certainly has one legend entry.

If ActiveChart.HasLegend Then
  With ActiveChart.Legend.LegendEntries(1).LegendKey
    .ColorIndex = 3
    .Weight = xlThin
    .LineStyle = xlContinuous
  End With
End If