Plot Area

1. Make sure that the side panel is displayed.

2. Select the chart in the working area.

3. Select the Format radio button on the side panel and go to the Plot Area tab.

Select the following fill method in the Fill drop-down list:

• None. Plot area fill is not used.

• Solid Fill. Set the color, which will be used as plot area fill, in the drop-down palette. The desktop application enables the user to set up fill transparency, in the Transparency box set fill transparency percent.

• Gradient Fill. Specify the start and the end colors of gradient in the drop-down palettes. Specify tilt angle and transparency percent of gradient in the Transparency and Angle boxes respectively.

NOTE. This fill type is named Linear Gradient in the web application.

• Alternating Colors. Specify the first and second colors in the drop-down palettes. Colors alternate bottom to top starting from the first color. Set fill transparency percent in the Transparency box.

To display plot area border, select the Border checkbox.

After selecting the checkbox border can be set up. Specify border color, type and line width in the corresponding boxes.

NOTE. Border line type can be changed only in the desktop application.

• Select the Plot Area Format item in the context menu of the selected chart area.

NOTE. In the Dashboards tool select the Chart > Plot Area Format item in the chart area's context menu.

• Double-click the chart plot area.

To set up plot area format in regular report, select chart plot area. In the drop-down list Select a Chart Element for Formatting on the Chart tab, select the Plot Area item and click the Fragment Style button. The Plot Area Format dialog box opens.

To set up borders and fill of plot area, use the Borders and Fill tab of the Plot Area Format dialog box.

To set up plot area alignment, use the Alignment tab of the Plot Area Format dialog box.

To show or hide grid lines, select or deselect:

• The Display Chart Grid checkbox on the General tab of the Plot Area Format dialog box.

• The Show Grid checkbox on the View tab of the Axis Format dialog box.

NOTE. When the Display Chart Grid checkbox is selected or deselected, the system automatically selects or deselects the Show Grid checkboxes for all chart axes located on the View tab of the Axis Format dialog box. If the Show Grid checkboxes have a different status for different chart axes, the Display Chart Grid checkbox also takes on an indeterminate state.

To determine a custom position for plot area inside the chart area, deselect the Position Automatically checkbox on the General tab. The checkbox is selected by default, and the plot area is automatically positioned by center inside the chart area, and on changing its size the axes label area is automatically resized.

The following figure shows the same chart with the plot area positioned automatically and manually increased. On the left is a chart with automatic position of the plot area; on the right - a chart without automatic position of the plot area:

To display shadow, select the Display Shadow checkbox on the General tab of the Data Series Format dialog box.

Plot area size is changed by dragging its borders.