Excel Chart Background (Office 2000)

[kevinduck]

I am producing a chart with data from temperature loggers against time.

There are several loggers placed in a container measuring the relevant temperatures.

I am particularly interested in the time the loggers are in the +2 to +8 range.

I have plotted the logger outputs and two straight lines, one at 2 & one at 8 degrees to highlight this temperature band.

My question is if it is possible to change the background colour of the chart within the 2 to 8 band to emphasise it?

I know how to change the entire background, but not a specific part of it.

Many thanks,

Kevin Duck

[sdckapr]

This technique involves adding a stacked area (with bottom region invisible) as a secondary X-axes to act as your filled region:

Make your standard XY chart of Temperature vs time

Make a table for the data for the "stacked Area" chart we will create for the "shaded region"

<table border=1><td align=right valign=bottom></td><td valign=bottom>lower</td><td valign=bottom>Upper-Lower</td><td align=right valign=bottom>0</td><td align=right valign=bottom>2</td><td align=right valign=bottom>6</td><td align=right valign=bottom>1</td><td align=right valign=bottom>2</td><td align=right valign=bottom>6</td></table>

Highlight this region,
copy to clipboard,
select chart
edit paste-special:
New series,
Columns,
names in first row,
categories in first column

dbl-click the "lower" series, (format) - axis - secondary
dbl-click the "upper-lower" series, (format) - axis - secondary

right click on chart - chart options - Axes tab
In sec axis, check "Value (X) Axis" <0k>

dbl-click "upper" x-axis (Format):
Patterns: "none" for major and minor,Tick mark type and labels,
Number: min = 0, max = 1

right-click "lower" chart type - area stacked
right-click "upper-lower" chart type - area stacked

Dbl-click right Y-Axis (format)
Scale: Uncheck "Value Y crosses at max value"

Right-click chart, chart options, axes tab
Uncheck: "value (y) Axis"

Dbl-click lower region (format)
patterns: Border: None, area: none <ok>

Dbl-click upper-lower region (format)
patterns: Set as desired

Steve

[kevinduck]

Dear Steve,

Thank you for your reply.

I tried to follow your instructions, but came unstuck after edit-paste special. I could not see the series to right-click, even though it appeared in the legend box.

I tried to remove a lot of the data to reduce the size of the file so I could upload it, but it is still too big.

If it is OK with you, I will create a simple chart from scratch to try & show what I am doing.

Thanks again,

Kevin

[sdckapr]

I will presume that you do not have the x-axis set to autoscale or they should have shown up. current dates have values of nearly 38,000 and these values are plotted at 0 and 1 so if you do not have a minimum that is low enough to display, they will not show up.

You can set the min to auto: you can change it back after it is setup, since they will be in a different x -category

Then follow the rest of the directions. Note the chart might not look like anything you want it to while going thru the directions, but be patient, it will come together.

Steve

[kevinduck]

Thanks Steve - I will try again.

Kevin