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Numbers: proportional date-line for x-axis?
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Ian McCall
May 7, 2012, 6:06:38 AM5/7/12
to
Am not holding out much hope for this having done some searching, but
still. Is there any way of creating a time-series chart in Numbers,
where the x-axis is proportional to the time period as opposed to the
number of data points?
A use case ight help explain what I'm after. I'm trying to track my
electricity and gas readings over time, but I've only just started
doing so and my previous readings have been quite spotty. I have data
points for:
11 Jul 11, 30 Sep 11, 3 Jan 12, 9 Apr 12, 5 May 12.
What I want is a timeline graph with those space proportionally as
dates. What's actually happening is that the property of these being
dates is being ignored and instead Numbers is treating the chart as
five equidistant points.
Any ideas?
Cheers,
Ian
--
Check out Proto the album: <http://studioicm.com/proto/>
still. Is there any way of creating a time-series chart in Numbers,
where the x-axis is proportional to the time period as opposed to the
number of data points?
A use case ight help explain what I'm after. I'm trying to track my
electricity and gas readings over time, but I've only just started
doing so and my previous readings have been quite spotty. I have data
points for:
11 Jul 11, 30 Sep 11, 3 Jan 12, 9 Apr 12, 5 May 12.
What I want is a timeline graph with those space proportionally as
dates. What's actually happening is that the property of these being
dates is being ignored and instead Numbers is treating the chart as
five equidistant points.
Any ideas?
Cheers,
Ian
--
Check out Proto the album: <http://studioicm.com/proto/>
Woody
May 7, 2012, 6:17:58 AM5/7/12
to
Ian McCall <i...@eruvia.org> wrote:
> Am not holding out much hope for this having done some searching, but
> still. Is there any way of creating a time-series chart in Numbers, where
> the x-axis is proportional to the time period as opposed to the number of data points?
>
> A use case ight help explain what I'm after. I'm trying to track my
> electricity and gas readings over time, but I've only just started doing
> so and my previous readings have been quite spotty. I have data points for:
> 11 Jul 11, 30 Sep 11, 3 Jan 12, 9 Apr 12, 5 May 12.
>
> What I want is a timeline graph with those space proportionally as dates.
> What's actually happening is that the property of these being dates is
> being ignored and instead Numbers is treating the chart as five equidistant points.
If its any help I couldn't get excellent to do this last time I tried (rat
> Am not holding out much hope for this having done some searching, but
> still. Is there any way of creating a time-series chart in Numbers, where
> the x-axis is proportional to the time period as opposed to the number of data points?
>
> A use case ight help explain what I'm after. I'm trying to track my
> electricity and gas readings over time, but I've only just started doing
> so and my previous readings have been quite spotty. I have data points for:
> 11 Jul 11, 30 Sep 11, 3 Jan 12, 9 Apr 12, 5 May 12.
>
> What I want is a timeline graph with those space proportionally as dates.
> What's actually happening is that the property of these being dates is
> being ignored and instead Numbers is treating the chart as five equidistant points.
weights), but gnuplot (?) did what I needed, then I put it on a web page.
Yes, I know that wasn't any help!
--
Woody
Ian McCall
May 7, 2012, 6:19:06 AM5/7/12
to
On 2012-05-07 10:17:58 +0000, Woody <use...@alienrat.co.uk> said:
> IIf its any help I couldn't get excellent to do this last time I tried (rat
I'm using to plot quite a lot of stuff, was hoping for a lazy way out.
> IIf its any help I couldn't get excellent to do this last time I tried (rat
> weights), but gnuplot (?) did what I needed, then I put it on a web page.
>
> Yes, I know that wasn't any help!
It is, but it's way, -way- too much like the day job for me. Gnu Plot
>
> Yes, I know that wasn't any help!
I'm using to plot quite a lot of stuff, was hoping for a lazy way out.
John Hill
May 7, 2012, 11:57:08 AM5/7/12
to
and the readings are in colummn B.
Select the two columns, go to Insert/Chart and select Scatter.
You will then have a chart that plots the Y values against the X values.
So you will get the points spaced according to the time intervals.
You can choose to join the points with lines (straight or "curved", the
latter can give horrible results in some cases but yours should be OK),
name the axes, choose whether or not to show the axes, and, oh, lots of
other things.
You can even plot two or more sets of Y values against a common X value.
"Help" does - a little - as long as you remember you are using a scatter
chart, for which the rules are a bit different. But it's mostly trial
and error :-(
HTH.
John.
--
Please reply to john at yclept dot wanadoo dot co dot uk.
Ian McCall
May 7, 2012, 2:01:29 PM5/7/12
to
On 2012-05-07 15:57:08 +0000, ne...@erewhon.invalid (John Hill) said:
> Ian McCall <i...@eruvia.org> wrote:
>
>> What I want is a timeline graph with those space proportionally as
>> dates. What's actually happening is that the property of these being
>> dates is being ignored and instead Numbers is treating the chart as
>> five equidistant points.
which I'd overlooked - I accepted the default table it gave me when
starting to put in the data, it turns out that the equidistant problem
still occurs in the scatter graph unless you remember to not use a
header column for the dates. With head columns turned off, the scatter
graph is fine - thanks.
> Ian McCall <i...@eruvia.org> wrote:
>
>> What I want is a timeline graph with those space proportionally as
>> dates. What's actually happening is that the property of these being
>> dates is being ignored and instead Numbers is treating the chart as
>> five equidistant points.
> Arrange your table in Numbers so that the dates are in, say, column A
> and the readings are in colummn B.
>
> Select the two columns, go to Insert/Chart and select Scatter.
>
> You will then have a chart that plots the Y values against the X values.
> So you will get the points spaced according to the time intervals.
Much beter thanks - yes, that's what I want. There's also another step
> and the readings are in colummn B.
>
> Select the two columns, go to Insert/Chart and select Scatter.
>
> You will then have a chart that plots the Y values against the X values.
> So you will get the points spaced according to the time intervals.
which I'd overlooked - I accepted the default table it gave me when
starting to put in the data, it turns out that the equidistant problem
still occurs in the scatter graph unless you remember to not use a
header column for the dates. With head columns turned off, the scatter
graph is fine - thanks.
John Hill
May 8, 2012, 4:14:29 AM5/8/12
to
BTW, is there a way to make a header column go back to a normal one? It
seems to be a one-way process :-(
You are likely to want to add new data to your table and chart from time
to time. If you add a row below the bottom line of the table, the chart
series does not extend to include it (at least, I've never found a way
to make it). You have to extend it manually.
However, if you sort your date column (or any X axis column) in
*descending* order, it does not change the appearance of the chart - but
you can add a row above the top entry in which to enter your reading,
and the new entry will be included in the chart.
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