Properties - Reference Objects

When you're working with Vizlib Scatter Chart, you can add several types of reference object to indicate specific data points. You can choose reference lines (X-Axis and Y-Axis), reference bubbles, reference polygons, reference areas and also trend lines. You can find these settings in the property panel under Reference Objects.

This topic contains the following sections:

Reference Lines

Reference lines are vertical or horizontal lines in a graph, and you can display them in your scatter chart by defining the values for X-Axis Reference Lines and Y-Axis Reference Lines.

X-Axis

X-Axis Reference Lines settings (Figure 1) allow you to set the Value on X-Axis, add your own Label, and set the label Font Color, Font Size, Font Family and Font Style.

Figure 1: Value, Label, Font

You can add a shadow effect to the label with Drop Shadow (Figure 2), set the Label Position, and the Label Orientation. You can also set the Line Color, Line Width and Line Style, as well as choose to Show the line only when a calculation condition is met.

Figure 2: Label Position, Orientation, Line Style

Y-Axis Reference Line

Y-Axis Reference Lines settings (Figure 3) allow you to set the Value on Y-Axis, add your own Label, and set the label Font Color, Font Size, Font Family and Font Style.

Figure 3: Y-Axis Reference Line

You can add a shadow effect to the label with Drop Shadow (Figure 4), set the Label Position, and the Label Orientation. You can also set the Line Color, Line Width and Line Style, as well as choose to Show the line only when a calculation condition is met.

Figure 4: Position, Orientation, Line Style

Figure 5 shows an example of a reference line on the X axis of a Scatter Chart.

Figure 5: Reference Line Example

Reference Bubbles

Adding a Reference Bubble displays a circle on a graph to highlight some data (Figure 6) based on the axis values set by the user. You can add a Label, set an x axis Value, y axis Value, Bubble Size Value and Bubble Color. You can also display an Outer Bubble Line, set a level of Bubble Opacity, enable Bubble Tooltip and choose to Show the bubble only when a calculation condition is met.

Figure 6: Reference Bubble

Figure 7 shows an example of a reference bubble.

Figure 7: Reference Bubble

Reference Area

A Reference Area shades a specific area on the scatter chart based on the axis values set by the user (Figure 8). You can set a Label, enable an Auto Font Size, set the Label Font Size, the Label Position and choose the range of co-ordinates for the area display by entering x Value, x2 Value, y Value and y2 Value.

Figure 8: Reference Area Label

You can also set the Area Background, Area Color, show an Outer Area Line, set an Outer Color, choose the level of Area Opacity and choose to Show the area only when a calculation condition is met (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Reference Area Background

Figure 10 shows a scatter chart divided into four separate reference areas, each one a different color.

Figure 10: Reference Area Example

Reference Polygon

A Reference Polygon creates a reference area by adding reference lines in a graph (Figure 11). The polygon can be of any shape and will be displayed as a shadow behind the bubbles. You can add a Label, set the Area Color and display an Outer Area Line, set the Line Width, Line Style, Area Opacity and add a Co-ordinate. You can also choose to Show the polygon only when a calculation condition is met.

Figure 11: Reference Polygon

Figure 12 shows an example of a reference polygon.

Figure 12: Reference Polygon

Trend Line

A Trend Line is a line indicating the general course or tendency of points on your chart (Figure 13). If you enable trend lines, you can choose a Regression Type (see below), choose a Trend Line Style and Trend Line Color, set the Regression Line Opacity and Regression Line Thickness, show a Regression Equation and customise a level of Equation Precision. You can also choose to display the Trend Line By Dim. (Dimension) Color.

Figure 13: Trend Line

To help you choose the regression type for your trendline, we've included some definitions here.

  • A Linear trendline is a best-fit straight line that is used with simple linear data sets.

  • A Power trendline is a curved line that is best used with data sets that compare measurements that increase at a specific rate.

  • An Exponential trendline is a curved line that is most useful when data values rise or fall at increasingly higher rates. You cannot create an exponential trendline if your data contains zero or negative values.

  • A Logarithmic trendline is a best-fit curved line that is most useful when the rate of change in the data increases or decreases quickly and then levels out. A logarithmic trendline can use negative and/or positive values.

  • A Polynomial trendline is a curved line that is used when data fluctuates. It is useful, for example, for analyzing gains and losses over a large data set.

Figure 14 shows a linear trendline with the equation displayed to the right side of the chart.

Figure 14: Trend Line Example