Graph 2 Example

FILE: Graph2.cln

Introduction

This is an example of using (or rather misusing) the 2D Column Graph to obtain a 3D effect. To view this file, select Scale on the Settings menu and set the scaling to Scale to Fit. The graphs will be reduce until you can see them.

There are 4 graphs illustrating the 4 steps involved.

The Bottom Right Graph

The bottom right corner graph is the finished result we are aiming for. To do this we need to use the same series 3 times over. The graph isn't actually 1 set of data, it is 3 overlapping series. Notice that the same data is piped into Series A, B and C.

The Top Left Graph

This is a column series with the picture of the caps of the columns in it.

 This is the cap of the columns, it is a star with some of the edges included. This is pasted into Series A because the graph series are always drawn so that Series A is in front of B, which is in front of C and so on.

To obtain the correct alignment, the Picture Alignment for this series is Stretch Horizontally, and Align Top. The star is stretched to the same width as the column and aligned to the top of it. (Picture Alignment is set on the Series Options Dialogue).

The Bottom Left Graph

This is the base of the columns. It is the same column series as before, but with the picture of the base pasted into Series B.

Notice that the pipe is linked to Series B for this graph.

The alignment to achieve this effect is Stretch Horizontally, and Align Bottom. For this graph the base is always aligned to the bottom of the column.

The Top Left Graph

 This is the middle section of the column. This is drawn behind the other 2 sections and is filled for the complete column height. The input pipe is into Series C for this graph. To get it to fill the whole column, the alignment is set to Stretch Horizontally and Tile Vertically. Several copies will be tiled, one ontop of the other until the whole column height is filled.

Finishing Off

The final setting required to achieve the effect is to set the Column Overlap (See General Settings Dialogue) for the graph to 100% so that all 3 columns are laid over each other.