Category: Chart elements

Editing text parts of chart

It is possible to edit almost any text in Macrobond, to do this you need to double-click on an element you want to edit.

How to:

How to edit the title of chart?

There are two main ways to add title for chart/graph:

  1. The easiest way is to double click on the title and edit the text in the window that opens up.
  2. If you do not see a title to double-click on, you can edit the title under the chart's presentation properties.
  • Click anywhere on the white area around the chart.
  • Open the presentation properties tab.
  • In the Chart elements panel, next to 'Main title' click on 'Edit'.


Under 'Main title' there's edit button for a 'Subtitle' element if you wish to add it. When editing the title, as with any text element, you can add a dynamic text. ,Find more information on dynamic text here: Dynamic Text

How to edit the source text on a chart?

Click anywhere on the white area around the chart and open the presentation properties tab. In the chart elements group, you can control the source description with the option called 'Copyright.'  Click on the 'Edit' button.

Here, you can type your preferred text. You may also want to use the dynamic text option to automatically add the source of the series. Since version 1.26 logo has a separate controller and you can have it with text. For more information about it see Logo & Copyright.

If you don't see your new source description at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, you may need to change the text color to a darker color. Click around the area where the Macrobond logo was before until you select the box where the source description should go. Once selected, you can change the text color in the presentation properties tab.

Legend

The legend lists which series were used in a chart along with a legend key. You can edit the legend by clicking on it and adjusting the settings in the Presentation properties tab, above the chart.

Settings

The settings are grouped in four boxes, each for different aspects of the legend. We’ll go through the settings for each box below.

Appearance

Modify things like the background color, text color and font, as well as the following:

Layout mode

Decide how you want the text in the legend displayed: single or multiple columns, or a continuous line.

Location

Set the position of the legend in the chart. This includes an option to freely place the legend anywhere within the chart.

Margin

Define how much space you want between the border of the chart and the legend.

Distance

Controls the distance between the element and the next element in the direction of the chart.

Spacing

This setting controls the spacing between legend items.

Reversed order

Tick this to reverse the order the series are listed in the legend.

By default, the order of the series in the legend will reflect the order of the series in graph layout, and their placement in the chart, from front to back.

Size

You can set the alignment of the legend or, if you have selected a floating legend, you can choose a horizontal or vertical fit for the legend text.

Border

This group contains options for the layout of the border of the legend, such as: color, width and the setting rounded corners.

Content

Hide the legend by unticking the Legend option.

By default, the analysis text appears in brackets in the legend text. You can remove it, by unticking the Analysis texts box.

You can choose to edit the automatically generated legend text and add your own text, or use the dynamic properties feature to specify which series attributes you want to use in the legend.

By default, the lists description appears in legend for each series. Since version 1.26 you can remove them, by unticking the Show list description box.

Graphics

Removing second (forecast) line from the legend

The second line is the color/style for forecast values. To have only one line, go to mark Legend area and under Presentation properties > Appearance mark Hide forecast. This will remove second lines only from legend.

You can also remove double line by disabling forecast from series with formula:

flagforecast(imfweo_de_ngdpd, 0)

or by removing forecast values from series:

if(isforecast(imfweo_de_ngdpd), Null(), imfweo_de_ngdpd)

Changing length of line

To change line's length, click on Legend area and under Presentation properties > Appearance > Sample length change setting from Auto.

Changing sample size

For charts which use sample size instead of a line (i.e., columns, areas, bubbles) you can change size of sample in legend under Presentation properties > Appearance > Sample size.

Text

Editing the text in the legend

There are several ways to take on changing the text in the legend of a chart. You can modify the legend text for one series at a time, or you can edit the default legend to change all series' legend text at one time.

If text (or anything else) was set to Custom, changing setting in higher hierarchy won't work on that element.
Example: You've changed legend description for one line (click on a line > Presentation properties > Content > Graph text: Custom) so changing 'Default legend text' won't affect it.

Edit one line's legend description

Double-click on the graph for which you'd like to modify the legend text.
Alternatively, you can click on the graph once and find the "Edit" button next to graph text under the Presentation properties tab.

Edit the default legend text

To edit all the series' legends at once, click on the legend. Under the Presentation properties tab, click the Edit button next to 'Default legend text' in the Content group.

This is used together with dynamic properties, for instance if you want only to display the country of each series. If text (or anything else) was set to Custom, changing setting in higher hierarchy won't work on that element.

Editing / removing 'lhs' and 'rhs'

See How to edit / remove the axis text: lhs and rhs?

Hiding all legend's texts

Start by clicking on the legend area. Go to the Presentation properties tab in the 'Content' group, untick the checkbox Legend.
See here pre-1.27 version view

 

To bring the legend back into your chart, click below the x-axis, go to the Presentation properties tab, in the Charts elements panel, tick the Legend checkbox.

Hiding a particular legend's text

Click on the graph of the series for which you want to remove the legend text. Go to the Presentation properties tab, in the Content panel set Graph text to 'Hidden'.

Hiding analysis texts

See How to hide analysis texts like, c.o.p 12 months?

Hiding list descriptions

This feature is available in Macrobond 1.26 and later.

Click on a legend and under Presentation properties > Content uncheck Show list description.

Other

Changing position

To change position of legend click on it and go to Presentation properties > Appearance > Location

Note that with Layout mode you can manipulate how legend elements are sorted.

Reversing the order

Click on the Legend area on the chart, then go to the Actions’ group. Under the Presentation properties tab, in Appearance box, locate the Reversed order box. Tick the setting to switch the order of the series in the legend.

Labels

Editing labels & Dynamic text

If you want to change a label's text, double-click on it to edit. You can also set new dynamically changing default text by clicking on any label and selecting Presentation properties tab > Text/Content/... panel> Edit default. For more information see Dynamic Text.

Observation labels

Observation labels let you highlight specific points on a graph and label them with a value, a date, or some other text. To remove Observation label press 'Delete'.

Settings

Label's style

By default, an observation label contains the date and value of the observation you select. To modify either its text or its appearance, click on the observation label and use the settings that open in the Presentation properties tab.

Check the Custom style box to get a full set of options you can edit.

Anchor


The anchor is the part of the label that highlights the point on the graph. Here, you can adjust its appearance, for example its style or shape, color, and width. You can also edit the line that connects the anchor to the text and, for example, add an arrow to it.

Background & border
Here, you can edit the appearance of the label’s text box, including its color, size (margin), shape (style), and distance from the graph. You can also edit the font and its size, by clicking '…' next to the font. You can also customize the box’s border.

Range


By default, the range of the observation label starts and ends with the point you selected. Here, you can change that point by writing in a different date or using relative dates. If you input ' +0 ', for example, the label will always be on the last observation.

See more about range under: Highlighting multiple values and series.

How to add an observation label?

There are two ways to add an observation label to a chart:

From the chart

  1. Right-click on the data point you want to label.
  2. Select 'Add observation label'.

From Chart annotations tab

  1. Select observation label under chart annotations.
  2. Click on the point you want to label.

How to add observation labels to other points?

You can add them individually or use Ctrl+C/ Ctrl+V keys to copy. Note that it also copies style settings.

How to add observation labels to all points?

Unfortunately, there is no 'one button' for this. To make it easier use Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V to copy it to all points - it will also copy style settings.

Highlighting multiple values and series

If you input different start and end dates, you can expand the range of observations included in the label. This means that you can highlight several values at once.

You can also highlight several series at once by selecting other series to include in the observation.

In the following example, we highlighted an interesting area of the chart by including a range of values and both series in one observation label.

Axis value labels

Axis value labels let you highlight specific points on a graph axis and label them with a value, a date, or some other text. It can show value label either on x-axis as on y-axis, according to chosen option.

Horizontal axis value labels

To add value label on your x-axis, click on the background of the graph area and open the presentation properties tab at the top of the window. In the elements group, tick the box 'Horizontal axis value labels.' If you have vertical lines in your chart, their x-values will now be displayed.

The labels will by default show the date. To change this, double-click on the label and change the text to your liking.

Vertical axis value labels

To add value label on your y-axis, click on the background of the graph area and open the presentation properties tab at the top of the window. In the elements group, tick the box 'Vertical axis value labels.'

The labels will by default show the last valid value. To change this, double-click on the label and change the text to your liking.

Legend labels

Legend labels let you add description for each series on chart. It can be current legend description, but you can edit them. Each legend label will be displayed in color of a series unless specified otherwise.

For more information about legend see: Legend

How to add legend labels?

Click the background of the graph area. To highlight values on a graph, tick the box next to 'Legend labels' in the Elements box of Presentation properties tab.

Font

Changing the font and color of the text

Title & subtitle

To adjust the format of your chart’s title, click on it, and open the presentation properties tab at the top of the window. In the appearance group, you can change the text color and font.

Click on the '…' button next to font to select from more fonts and adjust the size.

If you want to re-use the selected font and color for the title of many charts, you can save it as part of a style sheet which you can easily apply to your charts.

Elements

You can adjust the format of your chart’s elements, i.e., axis text, one axis at a time. Click on an axis and open the presentation properties tab at the top of the window. In the appearance group, you can change the text color and font.

Click on the '…' button next to font to select from more fonts and adjust the size.

If you want to re-use the selected font and color for the axis text of many charts, you can save it as part of a style sheet which you can easily apply to your charts.

All text

If you want to change font for all text on chart the easiest way is to create a Style sheet and apply it.

  1. Go to Style sheet tab, open new with + sign.
  2. Under Presentation properties > Appearance > Default font family select font.
  3. If you need, change fonts for Title and subtitle.
  4. Save style sheet.
  5. Go back to your chart, from under Style sheet > Select chart style sheet select that style sheet.

Font picker

The font picker window lets you choose the font family, typeface, and size for any selected text in your chart.

You can select to use the default font family. The selection of the default font family is set in one place for the whole chart and can be set in a style sheet.

At the bottom of the dialog box, you will find a preview of the font.

For the font size, you can select the unit as either pixel or points. A pixel here is defined as 1/96 of an inch and point as 1/72 of an inch.

Annotations

Using annotations will help you direct attention to the most important aspects of a chart, helping the reader to clearly identify what is relevant.

Under the chart annotations tab, you’ll find:

  • Inks – a free-hand option for highlighting portions of your chart
  • Chart ornaments – defined shapes or text boxes you can place anywhere in the graph area
  • Annotations – labels and lines that can be added to a particular value on the x and/or y axes

Inks don’t need much explanation, so we’ll focus on going through a quick description of chart ornaments and annotations.

Chart Ornaments

Ornaments are added independently of any value in a chart and moved freely

  • as a text box - where you can add text by double-clicking on it
  • as a line
  • as an arrow

The size and position of an ornament can be adjusted manually, by clicking and dragging. Use the Custom style option if you want to change the appearance of the ornament.

How to add ornaments?

  1. Select the ornament type from the command bar
  2. Draw-out the ornament in the graph area, to a suitable size
  3. Move it to an appropriate position if necessary

Example: If you shorten the date range of the x axis, resulting in a closer view of the graph lines, the text box will not move to accommodate the change.

When to use ornaments?

  • When you want to add a general note
  • When you want to highlight something that is not related to a single value in the chart

Annotations

Annotations are added relative to particular values in a chart:

  • as a vertical line, associated with a value on the x axis
  • as a horizontal line, associated with a value on the y axis
  • as an observation, associated with a value coordinate, on both the x and y axes

How to add annotations?

  1. Select the annotation type from the command bar
  2. Click on a relevant position in the graph area, to add the annotation

Example: If you changed the scale of the y axis in the image below, the horizontal line would move with its reference value.

When to use annotations?

  • When you want to specify which values to add annotations to.
  • If you plan to update the data in a chart or adjust to the x or y axes, using annotations will ensure that the annotations you add remain in the correct position.