1 Reply Latest reply: May 30, 2013 4:44 AM by alanomaly RSS

    Can't edit graph value axis when there are multiple graph types in one chart

    alanomaly Community Member
    alanomaly May 30, 2013 4:18 AM

      Illustrator can make graphs with lines and bars / columns, for example from the docs:

       

      http://help.adobe.com/en_US/illustrator/cs/using/images/gr_15.png

      http://help.adobe.com/en_US/illustrator/cs/using/WS3f28b00cc50711d9fc86fa8133b3ce158e-8000 .html

       

      However, when I create a graph like this, I seem to lose the ability to manually set the value axis using "override calculated values".

       

      To reproduce this problem:

      1. Create a graph like the example, with bars and an axis on the left, lines and an axis on the right. Unlike the example, don't fix the numbers so the lines match up neatly - have one side go up to just under 20, one up to just under 250, so there are mismatched markers and numbers of divisions on each side.
      2. Try to make the markers and numbers of divisions match up, so the side that goes up to 20 actually goes up to 25 and has the same number of divisions as the other side.

      Everything I've tried doesn't work:

      • If I select the whole graph and go to 'Graph Type', I can't set Value Axis options. In earlier versions it's greyed out, in CS6 I can access it but clicking 'Okay' does nothing.
      • If I select the whole graph and chose one graph type, I can set the Value Axis options, but that selected graph type then applies to the whole chart,
      • If I use the Group Selection tool to select one of the series, and open 'Graph Type' options, changing the Value Axis options has no effect
      • If I use the Group Selection tool to select all series that share an axis and open 'Graph Type' options, changing the Value Axis options still has no effect
      • If I use the Group Selection tool to select the axis ticks group itself, or the axis line and axis ticks groups themselves, or the axis labels, axis line and axis ticks, or the axis labels, axis line, axis ticks and associated data series, etc, changing the Value Axis options also has no effect

       

      It seems like this feature is broken and it seems like the example in the manual was carefully chosen to use a rare combination of numbers where it would actually look right.

        • 1. Re: Can't edit graph value axis when there are multiple graph types in one chart
          alanomaly Community Member
          alanomaly May 30, 2013 4:44 AM (in response to alanomaly)

          I've figured it out. Like everything to do with Illustrator's horrible ancient neglected graph tool, it's absurdly clumsy and involves tiptoeing around what is shamefully bad programming for an expensive professional product.

           

          It's all about timing - you have to do things in one rigid counter-intuitive order that appears to not be working then comes together at the end:

           

          1. Create the graph but, for now, keep it all the same graph type. If you've already set it to have different graph types, set them to be the same for now.
          2. Select the whole graph, and in Graph Types main window, set Value Axis to 'Both sides'
          3. In the drop-down there should be a Left and Right Axis (or top and bottom...). Set Value Axis settings for these now. It'll look like it only works for one axis, because the other axis won't change - bare with it...
          4. Select the data series you want to use the other axis using Group Selection. Go to Graph Type and set the Value Axis to the other one, and set the graph type to the one you want. It should suddenly all fall into place.
          5. If you need to edit one of the Value Axis settings, select the whole graph, set the whole graph to one graph type, edit the appropriate value axis by choosing it from the drop down, and the re-apply the graph types as above.

          (the bug is - you shouldn't need to set the graph object to have only one graph type in order to access the value axis options for the two seperate value axis)