Customizing Chart Properties

After you create a chart, you can customize it by changing its properties.

You select the chart object in IBM® Cognos® Report Studio to view its properties. Some properties are dependent on the existence of other properties.

If you are familiar with using conditional variables, you can customize the chart to change its appearance or provide information in response to expressions or conditions.

As you edit the chart properties, Report Studio provides you with a preview of your chart, using simulated data. This allows you to view your style changes without running the report. You can disable the chart preview in the options.

The following table shows some of the properties you can change in charts. These properties are available when you select the chart object unless specified otherwise in the Action to perform in the Properties pane column.

Goal

Action to perform in the Properties pane

Hide or show the title, subtitle, or footer

Select the chart. Under Chart Titles, set the Title, Subtitle, or Footer property.

Hide or show the legend

Select the chart. Under Chart Annotations, set the Legend property.

For more information, see Customize the Legend in a Current Default Chart.

Hide or show baselines

Select the chart. Under Chart Annotations, set the Baselines property.

For more information, see Add a Baseline to a Current Default Chart.

Hide or show trendlines or regression lines

Select the chart. Under Chart Annotations, set the Trendlines or Regression Line property.

For more information, see Display Trendlines in Current Default Charts or Display Regression Lines in Legacy Scatter or Bubble Charts.

Hide or show markers

Select the chart. Under Chart Annotations, set the Markers property.

For more information, see Add a Marker to a Current Default Chart.

Hide or show notes

Select the chart. Under Chart Annotations, set the Notes property.

For more information, see Add a Note to a Current Default Chart.

Hide or show the axes

Select the chart. Under Axes, set the Y1 Axis, Y2 Axis, or Category Axis property.

For more information, see Customize the Axes of a Current Default Chart.

Hide or show the axis title or axis line

Select the axis. Under General, set the Axis Line or Axis Title property.

For more information, see Customize the Axes of a Current Default Chart.

Change an axis title

Select the axis title. Under General, set the Default Title property to No, and then double-click the axis title and type a new title.

Tip: You can use the Properties pane to change the axis title properties, such as font, positioning, color, and so on.

For more information, see Customize the Axes of a Current Default Chart.

Change axis properties, such as range, scale interval, and so on

Select the numeric axis. Under General, set the Minimum Value, Maximum Value, Scale Interval, or Scale property.

For more information, see Change the Axis Scale of a Current Default Chart.

Hide or show the tooltips

Select the chart. Under Chart Labels, set the Tooltips property.

When you pause your pointer over a data marker in the report output, the corresponding absolute or cumulative value appears in a tooltip.

Tooltips are not supported in PDF output.

Change the data format

Select the numeric axis. Under Data, set the Data Format property.

Change the white space around the chart

Select the chart. Under Box, set the Padding or Margin property.

For more information, see Apply Padding to an Object and Set Margins for an Object.

Change the color or pattern in the palette for columns, lines, and areas

Select the chart object. Under Color & Background, set the Palette or Conditional Palette property.

For more information, see Customizing the Color Palette of a Chart and Create a Simple Conditional Palette for a Current Default Chart.

Change the chart orientation

Select the chart. In the Properties pane, under Chart Orientation, select Vertical or Horizontal.

Change the default color or font for all chart objects

Select the chart. Under Color & Background, set the Background Color, Foreground Color, or Fill Effects property.

For more information, see Change a Chart Background in a Legacy Chart.

Under Font & Text, set the Font or Relative Alignment property.

Tip: The 2011 Quarterly Sales Forecast sample report in the GO Sales (analysis) package includes text alignment. For more information about The Sample Outdoors Company samples, see Sample Reports and Packages.

Override the default font or color for axes and chart values

Click the unlock button unlock icon in the toolbar to unlock the chart object, select the chart body by clicking between the axes, and set the Font, Background Color, Foreground Color, or Fill Effects property.

Change the three-dimensional appearance of a chart

Select the chart. Under General, set the Depth or Visual Angle property.

For example, for a pie chart, a Depth value of 0 (zero) leaves the pie flat, or two-dimensional. A value of 100 raises the pie almost to a round ball shape.

Tip: You can select a value from the Depth list or type a value that is not listed.

Insert a background image or watermark in the chart body.

Click the lock button in the toolbar to unlock the chart object, select the chart body by clicking between the axes.

Under Color & Background, set the Background Image property.

For more information, see Change a Chart Background in a Legacy Chart.

Go to another report

Select the chart. Under Data, set the Drill-Through Definitions property.

For more information, see Using Drill-through Access.

Specify which labels and values to use when generating the text shown on the chart

Select the chart. Under Chart Labels, set the Values property.

Note: When you show all the labels and values on some chart types, such as scatter charts, bubble charts, and polar charts, the text shown might be too long.
Parent topic: Charts