Highlighting data in a chart by creating a conditional palette

You can create a conditional palette to highlight data items that meet conditions that you specify.

You can use conditions to highlight exceptional data and to control the layout of your chart.

For example, you want to highlight columns in a chart that show revenue greater than $1,000,000. You can create a conditional palette that causes columns that meet the criteria to be colored green. The conditional palette overrides the default palette that your chart uses.

Procedure

Right-click the chart object to which you want to apply a conditional palette and click Conditional palette.
Click the New Conditional Palette Entry icon , and then click New Condition.
If you want to create a conditional palette that is based on a string data item, do the following steps:
1. Select the string data item to determine the condition and click OK.
2. Click the New String Condition icon , and then define the condition:
  - To select more than one individual value, click Select Multiple Values and click the values.
  - To type specific values, click Enter Values and type the values.
  - To specify your own criteria, such as values that begin with the letter A, click Enter String Criteria, and then specify the condition.
3. In the Conditional Palette - String dialog box, in the Palette Entry column, click the Edit Palette Entry icon that corresponds to the new condition.
4. Define the palette entry fill type, colors, and angle, and click OK.
If you want to create a conditional palette that is based on a numeric data item, do the following steps:
1. Select the numeric data item to determine the condition and click OK.
2. In the Conditional Palette - Numeric dialog box, click the New Value icon and type a value to define a threshold. The value appears in the Range column, and two ranges are created.
3. For each range, in the Style column, click the Edit Palette Entry icon to define the palette entry fill type, colors, and angle, and then click OK.
4. Repeat the previous steps to add other conditions.
  Tip: Pause the pointer over each range bracket to see the condition that is produced for that range.
5. To move a value above or below a threshold, click the Move value above threshold icon corresponding to the value. For example, you insert a threshold value of 1,000,000. By default, the ranges are less than or equal to 1,000,000 and greater than 1,000,000. Moving the 1,000,000 value above the threshold changes the ranges to less than 1,000,000 and greater than or equal to 1,000,000.
To customize the label for a conditional palette, do the following steps:
1. Click the Label button corresponding to the palette entry.
2. In the Conditional Palette Entry Label dialog box, click Specified text, and click the ellipsis (...) icon.
3. Type the default label text in the Label text box.
4. To add customized labels for other languages, click the Add icon , select the other languages, and click the language to define the customized label for that language.
Specify the order in which to evaluate the conditions by clicking a condition and then clicking the Move up or Move down arrow icons. Conditions are evaluated from top to bottom, and the first condition that is met is applied.