Value scales are used to indicate the numeric values of the graph's data item. All graphs, except for pie graphs and heat maps, have at least one value scale. X-Y graphs have two value scales—one for both the x and y axes. Likewise, line bar combo graphs and graphs with dual y scales have two value scales.
There are a number of customization features for value scales, and each is described in the following sections:
The range of the scale is, by definition, the set of values that the scale encompasses. This is defined by a minimum (low) value, and a maximum (high) value. In the graph below, the range is from 405 to 480.
By default, Corda® Builder™ automatically computes the value scale range to include all data items, so defining the value scale manually is typically unnecessary.
For example, if the data items are 2, 6, 9, and 3, the graph automatically determines the range of its scale to be 0 to 10. On the other hand, if the values are 289, 390, and 457, it automatically determines the range to be 0 to 500.
Note: Corda Builder attempts to use round numbers when creating ranges. Thus the latter range is 0 to 500 instead of 0 to 457.
There are four ways to configure a graph's value scale:
Automatically: Leaves configuration of the graph's value scale to Corda Builder, which configures the value scale as described above.
Custom: Lets you specify the rules that define how a graph creates its value scale.
Multiples-of: Lets you configure major and minor scale values as multiples of a specified starting number.
Manually: Lets you configure a graph's value scale manually. The disadvantage of manually scaling is that it makes the graph less flexible to data changes.
Some of the formatting options you should consider for graph value scales include the following:
By default, Corda Builder includes zero in the value scale as the base (bottom line) of the scale, but this is not required. Having a value scale base other than zero might be useful when data items are grouped, but not very close to zero. Corda Builder lets you choose to include zero in the value scale with Automatic, Custom, and Multiples-of value scale settings. Manual graph scale settings explicitly define a value scale base.
Warning: Setting the value scale base to other than zero can deceive a viewer of the graph, as most viewers assume that the base of a graph is inherently zero.
Properties and attributes related to the value scale base are available from the Divisions property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.
By default, Corda Builder inserts white space between the highest data value and the top of the scale; both to improve graph appearance, and because Corda Builder attempts to use round numbers (50 as opposed to 47) for the scale limits.
Note: When setting the value scale base to something other than zero, the amount of white space below the lowest data item is configurable.
Corda Builder lets you configure graph white space when using custom value scale settings. White space is expressed in terms of the percentage of space between the base of the graph and the highest data item. So, for example, in a graph where the highest data item is 50 and the base is zero, setting this value to 10 percent means that the white space adds 5 to the scale. Changing the value scale size applies only to automatically scaled graphs. Manually scaled graphs explicitly define the value scale size.
Note: Even after adding white space, Corda Builder still rounds the graph's value scale to an even number, so this number may not exactly reflect the resulting graph white space.
Properties and attributes related to the value scale white space are available from the Divisions property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.
Corda Builder divides graph scales into a certain number of divisions, each of equal values (except in logarithmic scales). For each major division, there is a scale label, a tick mark, and a grid line. There are also minor divisions that divide the gap between each major division.
For example, a scale with a range of 0 to 500 is divided into five major divisions, meaning there are six labels: 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500. Between each label is a minor tick mark, indicating 50, 150, 250, 350, and 450.
Control the number of labels, grid lines, and tick marks in a value scale by adjusting the number of divisions in the scale.
While the graph scale cannot have more divisions than specified here, it can have fewer since Corda Builder attempts to use round numbers in its scale labels. For example, if using seven divisions creates labels like 16.67, 33.33, etc., Corda Builder might use six divisions with round labels like 20, 40, etc.
Corda Builder lets you control the major and minor divisions in any of the value scale settings (Automatic, Custom, Multiples-of, and Manual).
Properties and attributes related to the value scale divisions are available from the Divisions property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.
Next to each major tick mark or grid line in a value scale is a scale label. This label is simply a number that indicates the value of the scale at the indicated tick mark or grid line.
The number of labels in a value scale is dictated by the number of major divisions in that scale See Value Scale Divisions (above) for information about adjusting the number of divisions in the scale.
Corda Builder lets you customize the following aspects of the scale labels:
Label Visibility: By default, scale labels are visible, but in some situations it makes sense to hide those labels. Reselect this option to make scale labels visible again.
Label Font: Change the font style and color for the scale labels to fit the desired style of the graph. This dialog lets you configure the font, font style, font size, and font color.
Label Rotation: Rotate scale labels to make them more readable, or to decrease the space required to display the scale labels. Choose a rotation of 15, 30, 45 degrees, either clockwise (negative value) or counter-clockwise (positive value).
Label Numeric Formats and Abbreviations: There are times when scale labels need to be manipulated to make them more readable, or to convey additional information beyond the simple number. For example:
A scale label that displays large numbers might need to be modified to display numbers using an abbreviation. For example, 1,250,000, might be abbreviated as 1.25m.
If a scale label's values are percentages, meaning a value of 40 represents 40%, the scale labels should be configured to display appropriately.
Properties and attributes related to the value scale labels are available from the Labels property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.
In most scales, the increment between each tick mark is of equal value (e.g., 10, 20, 30, 40, and so on). In logarithmic scales, the increments between tick mark increase in a logarithmic fashion (e.g., 10, 100, 1000, 10000, and so on).
Logarithmic scales make it possible to better graph widely spaced data sets, or data sets with with extreme outliers. Any value scale can be a logarithmic scale.
Properties and attributes related to the value scale divisions are available from the Divisions property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.
The value scale on the graph's vertical axis can be on either the left side or right side of the graph (left is default).
Note: This does not apply to dual-y scale graphs.
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Properties and attributes related to the value scale position are available from the Value Scale property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.
Line-bar combo graphs have separate value scale on each side of the graph. By default, the left-side scale is for the line data series, and the right-side scale is for the bar data series.
Each scale operates independently of the other, but the formatting options are the same. This allows you to graph two disparate data sets on the same graph.
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However, it is possible to synchronize the scales, if desired. This creates a new scale that encompasses the range of all data values in the graph.
For example, consider a line-bar graph with line data series values that range from 0 to 100, and bar data series values that range from -20 to 90. With a maximum of 5 major increments, the resulting line scale labels display 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100, while the bar scale labels display -20, 7.5, 35, 62.5, and 90.
When synchronized, the resulting scale labels are -50, 0, 50, and 100, and are used on both sides of the graph. Hide the right-side scale when scales are synchronized, if desired. For additional information on setting scale values, see Value Scale Range (above).
Corda Builder also lets you swap the line scale with the bar scale so that the line scale is on the right and the bar scale is on the left.
Properties and attributes related to dual value scales are available from the Value Scales property in Object Properties. More information on these properties and attributes is available in the Corda 7 Object Reference.