Comments on: Variable Width Column Charts (Cascade Charts)

By: Federico Boccardo

Federico Boccardo — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:18:52 +0000

Dear Jon,

I’m working to build a waterfall chart with variable width coloumn that i can automatize througha macro in excel could you please show to me how I have to format my figures?
Could you give me an email address where I can send to you my work?
Thank you in advance

Federico

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:53:15 +0000

Gordo -

The date axis cannot handle fractional values, and I know there is an upper limit as well.

Sometimes I have to use whatever works with the data (your factor of ten, for example), then hide the real axis labels and add a series which has dummy labels where I want them. See Custom Axis Scales using Dummy Series for examples.

By: Gordo

Gordo — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:22:22 +0000

My data set is a carbon cost curve with 20 points adding to around 40 kilotonnes. This means that some of the points are less than one kilotonne and I think the date function cannot handle this small number? I multiplied by 1,000 because my original data was in kilotonnes but now the numbeers seem to large and the graph refuses to cooperate either way! Is there a limited data range that we need to use? (Hint, if I mutiply by 10 it works like magic but the scale shows the wrong numbers)

By: ggplot2: Variable Width Column Chart « Learning R

ggplot2: Variable Width Column Chart « Learning R — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:29:34 +0000

[...] 2009 March 29 tags: chart, ggplot2, plot, R by learnr Jon Peltier uses several dummy series to create a variable width column chart in [...]

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:25:51 +0000

Owen - That has been moved to the Format Axes dialog. Right click on the axis, choose Format Axis. The dialog opens to the pane shown below. Just above the first horizontal line, there are three radio buttons for Axis Type. Choose the Date Axis option.

By: Owen Bussey

Owen Bussey — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:24:25 +0000

How would you do this same procedure in excel 2007? I am stuck on how to convert the x axis to time units so I get vertical columns.
thanks,
Owen Bussey

By: gerdami

gerdami — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:30:19 +0000

Re: oil cost curve.

Jon, you’re great.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

By: derek

derek — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:39:54 +0000

I really like your integrated dummy series on the right. I used to use a separate, neater and more compact series added using Paste Special.., but in the corporate environment I’ve found it breaks my colleague’s brains, and I get endless calls for support when they accidentally misplace something or need to make an adjustment. I’m learning never to attempt a chart type that will leave my control, that does not use a single simple wizardable rectangle as the base of the data. Sigh.

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:19:01 +0000

Gerdami - This is exactly the technique one would use, with the following data and some appropriate formatting.

Again, use of this kind of chart is subject to the limitations of encoding data using areas. Of course, the areas here have no real physical meaning. The widths correspond to predicted reserves of oil, which the vertical dimensions indicate a range of costs.

By: gerdami

gerdami — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:24:23 +0000

Just wondering whether this technique could render the "oil cost curve" attached below.