Great site,but...help please!!Long question,sorry-for Taking data from sheet to chart


Posted by LissaFaith on July 12, 2001 10:44 AM

Hi - I know my question will sound elementary, but...I
don't have a lot of experience with Excel charts and I've been
trying to fix this problem for weeks. I have a chart
that I've copied over from a pivot table that has to
have the cells containing the "written out "monthly data"
converted into an accompanying chart (or charts - there's
like, 25 different categories and consequently 35
different charts for three different divisions that I
need to import this information
into. After that, I'm SUPPOSED to take those updated
Excel charts and convert them into a monthly Powerpoint
report, but...I'm having a hard enough time trying to
figure this data in cells to chart thing - LOL. I
THOUGHT all I had to do in order to convert this data
was to open up Source Data on the Chart Menu for whatever
particular chart I am working on, click on Data Range,
highlight the cells on the worksheets Data page that I
want imported into the chart and - voila! - my data for
the corresponding months would appear as the points of
info on the chart, as they are supposed to. But...instead
all that happens is the area I have the divisions and
which color line will be representing which division
broken down changes to "Series 1, Series 2"...ect,
up to Series 6, the data range doesn't convert into
monthly connecting points on the chart and I don't know
what I am doing wrong.
As I said, not only do I have to figure this out - which
to me, should be a simple task in Excel, but...one I
just cannot figure out - but...in addition once I get
this part figured out, then I have to learn how to
take those Excel charts and convert them into the
monthly Powerpoint report that comes out, and also
get those PP charts to update along with the Pivot
table each month. Argh!

I know my question likely didn't make much sense, as
I am only familiar with the basics of Excel charts
- I hardly know any Powerpoint at all - I am totally
lost on this one, though.
Plus,my boss is going to have my head soon, if I can't
get this figured out!! Sorry for how long the question
was, I just wasn't sure how else to explain it,and I
hope I've been sort of clear what it is I need to figure
out. Thanks in advance for any help anyone could give
me.

Posted by Eric on July 12, 2001 11:47 AM

could you post the raw data (before the pivot table is made)?

It's possible you could make a pivot chart instead of a pivot table, and that would update without having to repick data series (which is actually quite time consuming).
In any case, the real heavy hitters on this forum (of which I am NOT one) will have a better chance of helping you if they can get their hands on the data.
As far as getting the data into power point, I think that's not going to be as bad as you think; you can link the charts "hot" so that power point reflects the changes in the data just like excel does, but burn that bridge when you get to it.



Posted by lissafaith on July 13, 2001 11:42 AM

Re: could you post the raw data (before the pivot table is made)?

Just wanted to say thanks for your answer, and
help - I think I got the answer from another
source, but...I appreciate the attempt in trying
to help out!

Thanks, again!