multiple colors on area chart

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  • Start date Start date
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Guest

I've designed a chart with dates (months) on the X axis and numbers (percent)
on the Y axis. Currently, I am using the "Area" chart type which colors the
entire area below the graph line as one solid color.

I wish to have the color change from one color to another at certain points
on the X axis. An example of something similar is found at the bottom of the
linked page:

http://gueriteadvisors.com/Strategy/indicators.cfm

any help would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Plot two series in a stacked area chart, one that has the value when the
chart shows red (and zero otherwise) and the other that has the value when
the chart shows green (and zero otherwise). If the data points are close
enough, you will not notice that the division between colored sections is
not quite vertical.

If you need to tweak the chart to make the transitions exactly vertical, you
can accomplish this with an inserted data point at each transition.

Here is the data before inserting the point:

Date All Red Green
1/30/07 125.86 125.86 0
1/31/07 125.30 125.30 0
2/1/07 126.85 0 126.85
2/2/07 129.17 0 129.17

The Red area slopes down from 125.30 on 1/31 to zero on 2/1. If I'm plotting
only a two month set of data, this slope will be noticeable.

Insert a point that duplicates one of the dates. In a line or area chart
with a time scale axis, two values for the same date are plotted vertically
aligned.

Date All Red Green
1/30/07 125.86 125.86 0
1/31/07 125.30 125.30 0
2/1/07 126.85 126.85 0
2/1/07 126.85 0 126.85
2/2/07 129.17 0 129.17

The Red area now drops from 126.85 to zero on 2/1. You can change the date
of the transition to 1/31 if desired, if it seems to represent the timing of
the drop more accurately, but you do have to pick an integral date, not the
half date in between 1/31 and 2/1, because the time axis only recognizes the
whole number days, not the hours (fractional days).

- Jon
 
Are the recession bars also an area chart? If so, put them on the primary
axis and the other data on the secondary. Or plot the recession area series
as stacked on the other data, such that it brings the total to whatever Ymax
you need.

- Jon
 
Hey John, thanks for your help!

The recession data is on the secondary axis with a chart type "columns." It
is the only data on the secondary axis and I would prefer to keep it
there.... I've changed the chart type of the recession data to column
stacked, but to no avail. How do I plot the recession area series as stacked
on the other data? and would that allow me to "hide" the recession bars
behind the colored "area" of the primary axis data? (the primary axis data is
charted as an "area" chart.

Thanks again!
 
Hi Roger,

I have examples showing how to do this with an Area/Stacked Column or with
just Stacked Columns.

I'll send you the file if you want and you can tell me which one works for
you and I'll give you all the steps if it's not obvious. Let me know.
 
If your recession data is plotted on the primary axis as another area series
stacked on the others, with a value of {Ymax - other value}, and using the
duplicate points to get a vertical transition, it will work. I was actually
doing this in a dummy file as I wrote the earlier response.

- Jon
 
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