Modifying Chart Symbols

Before embarking on this section, ensure that the graph Tut_Line_1 (which was saved in the previous section) is currently opened within Deltagraph, i.e. you should be in Chart View looking at a Deltagraph window containing the following:-

Now, if it isn't already selected, select the chart by clicking on it (the control handles should appear)..

Modifying Chart Symbols

In a line graph (and certain other graphs/charts) the data points can be represented by symbols. In Deltagraph, a special font called "DeltaSymbol" is the default for all such charts. To modify the symbols, Select Options from the Chart menu. The following dialog box should appear:-

The particular options we are interested in for the purposes of this tutorial are Connect Points and Show Symbols.

Notice that the Connect Points option is currently set. (This is what we would have expected as the line graphs that we’ve drawn so far have all had the data points connected). De-select the Connect Points option and click on OK. The redrawn graph is now "empty" because the data points are unconnected and there are no symbols drawn at the data points. Now re-select Options from the Chart menu, select Show Symbols, and then click on OK. Solid square symbols are now drawn at each data point, as follows:-

 

Now again choose Options from the Chart menu, select Connect Points, and click on OK. The graph is redrawn with the data points connected, and the square symbol displayed at each data point, as follows:-

 

In order to modify the particular symbol displayed at the data points, double-click on any one of the square symbols currently displayed. The following Symbols dialog box should appear:-

The font can be chosen by clicking on the down-arrow adjacent to the font box (currently showing DeltaSymbol). Similarly, the font size can be selected from the Size box, and the colour from the Color box. The actual symbol is selected by clicking on the down-arrow symbol in the Key box, holding the mouse button down, and dragging the cursor over the symbol of your choice in the pop-up menu which appears, then releasing the mouse button.

As a practical exercise, do the following:-

  1. Set the font size to 10.
  2. Set the colour to red.
  3. Choose the (unfilled) circle symbol.

The Symbols dialog box should look like this:-

Now click on OK. The graph should be redrawn as follows:-


 

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