Chart to look like a row with different sized columns

[kumpffrog]

I am looking for a way to create a chart/graph that will basically look like a 1 row table which has columns that vary in width and the color would alternated between 2 colors every other column. the width of each column would be determined by the data. I have explored using several different chart types, with no luck. I thought that the area chart might work but your only option for X is catagory or date.

Basically this is meant to show a pipeline length (with distance for X) and show the sections that meet a criteria (color1) and sections that dont (color2).

There has got to be a good way to do this.

Thx!

 

[tusharm]

Create a stacked bar chart - *not* a stacked column.

Alternative:
The pipeline chart
http://www.tushar-mehta.com/excel/charts/pipeline/index.htm

I am looking for a way to create a chart/graph that will basically look like a 1 row table which has columns that vary in width and the color would alternated between 2 colors every other column. the width of each column would be determined by the data. I have explored using several different chart types, with no luck. I thought that the area chart might work but your only option for X is catagory or date.

Basically this is meant to show a pipeline length (with distance for X) and show the sections that meet a criteria (color1) and sections that dont (color2).

There has got to be a good way to do this.

Thx!

 

[kumpffrog]

tusharm,
thank you so much for your reply. I have tried that, but the problems i have with the bar chart have mainly to do with the amount of data I am dealing with. The Pipelines I tend to deal with are generally very long, sometimes 20 to 100 miles. the graphs are set on a scale with 100' major and 50' minor scale (divided upon several chart sheets 1000' per chart). The bar chart only allows for 255 lines of data and automatically sets each line with a color of its own which takes a lot of time to change each section to alternate between two colors. Now, I dont know much about charting so maybe you know a way around these problems, but I really need to reduce the amount of time i spend on these things.

Thanks for your help.

 

[tusharm]

With 5,250' in a mile and 1000' per chart you will need 100*5250/1000 or 525 charts.

Coordinating the colors of each element of 525 charts is something that seems poorly suited for UI work. You should look into VBA code.

If my experience is any guide, this will turn out to be a 2-5 day project depending on the specifics of the requirements -- and that's if you are familiar with VBA.

tusharm,
thank you so much for your reply. I have tried that, but the problems i have with the bar chart have mainly to do with the amount of data I am dealing with. The Pipelines I tend to deal with are generally very long, sometimes 20 to 100 miles. the graphs are set on a scale with 100' major and 50' minor scale (divided upon several chart sheets 1000' per chart). The bar chart only allows for 255 lines of data and automatically sets each line with a color of its own which takes a lot of time to change each section to alternate between two colors. Now, I dont know much about charting so maybe you know a way around these problems, but I really need to reduce the amount of time i spend on these things.

Thanks for your help.

 

[kumpffrog]

I was thinking the same thing. Altho I have put together several VBA projects...I dont really know the language. I usually just piece it together by searching the internet and learning just enough to get me by. For this project, I was thinking of something simple to loop thru all the graphs and all the series of those graphs and if the series name it "on" then color1 and if it is named "off" then color2....would that work? or since each series is a row on my data sheet, then somehow reference a cell in that row for the series color....whatever works and is simplest. Maybe some other macro to change the axis scale. Maybe its not so simple?