Axis: Custom Units

The options described here are used to customize the custom units used in the current graph. These options are available in the Axis: Custom Units options pane of the Graph Options dialog. Separate options are available for each graph axis, and the changes that you make for each axis are independent of one another (unless any of the Copy to options are selected to transfer the settings to other axes, see below). Therefore, the following descriptions of the scale options will apply to each axis in the graph.

Axis. Although all of the options are the same for each axis, you can make changes to each axis independently of the other. Select here the axis (X, Y-left, Y-right, or Top axis for 2D graphs, X, Y, or Z axes for 3D graphs, or X, Y, Z, or V axes for triangular axis surface graphs) to which you want to make changes.

Copy axis specs to. Instead of manually selecting the same specifications for each of the axes, click this button to display the Copy axis specs to dialog, where you can select options to automatically copy to the remaining axes.

Mini-formatting toolbar. Using these buttons, you can easily access the Font dialog, change the font attributes to bold, italics, or underline, or change the font color. You can also cut, copy, and paste selected text and undo the previous formatting change. A brief description of each of these mini-formatting toolbar buttons is available in the Mini-Formatting Toolbar topic.

Custom unit spreadsheet. In this spreadsheet, you can type in the numeric value and text for each custom unit on the axis. You can also display the respective numbers (scale values) or the text (scale labels), a gridline, and a tickmark for individual units selecting the appropriate check box (Number, Grid, and Tick respectively). The text of the custom unit can by formatted using the mini-formatting toolbar (see above).

Transfer custom labels. Use the options in this area to save the current axis specifications (custom scale values and general scale options) in a data file and/or to open such a file to apply the saved specifications to the Current axis or All axes. You can also use the Copy and Paste options to move axis specifications from one axis in the plot to a specific other axis (Current axis), or to All axes.

Note: These options work differently when invoked from the Custom Units options pane of the Graph Options dialog rather than the General options pane of the Graph Options dialog. When the Open or Paste options are invoked from the Custom Units options pane, these options will transfer custom labels only; when invoked from the General options pane, all axis settings will be affected. Save As and Copy will always save or copy all axis specifications (which can then be applied selectively via Paste or Open invoked from the respective options pane).

Open. Click this button to display a file selection dialog. Select the file with the axis specifications (file name extension .axd). The axis specifications  (i.e., Custom Units scale values or General scale options; see Note above) stored in that axis specifications file will be applied to the Current axis or All axes, depending on the setting of the Transfer options.

Save As. Click this button to display the Save File with Axis Description dialog, from which you can save the axis specifications (i.e., Custom Units scale values or General scale options; see Note above) for the Current axis or All axes (depending on the chosen Transfer option) in a file (default file name extension .axd). These files can be opened from other graphs, so using this option enables you to transfer axis specifications from one graph to another.

Copy. Click the Copy button to copy the custom scale values and general scale options specifications for the Current axis or All axes (depending on the chosen Transfer option) to the clipboard; then use the Paste option on the respective graph axis customization (or General) options pane to transfer the specifications to a different graph.

Paste. Click the Paste button to paste the axis specifications (i.e., Custom Units scale values or General scale options; see Note above) in the clipboard to the Current axis or All axes (depending on the chosen Transfer option).

Transfer: Current axis/All axes. Select the desired option button in order to apply the Open, Save As, Copy, or Paste operation either to the current axis or to all axes in the plot.

Display options for all custom units. Use the options in this group box to specify how the custom units will be displayed. Select the Show Tickmarks check box to display a tickmark for each custom unit. The style and size of the tickmark will be determined by the options in the Tickmark format group box. Select the Grid lines check box to specify a grid line for each custom unit. You can customize the appearance of the grid lines in the Line Properties dialog, which is available by clicking the Grid lines button. The current specifications for gridlines will be shown in the view box on the Gridlines button. Note that you can also show tickmarks or gridlines for only a few custom units by clearing these check boxes and selecting the appropriate check box in the custom unit spreadsheet (described above).

Tickmark format. Customize the style and size of major tickmarks for each of the axes with the options in this group box. The color and thickness of the tickmarks are determined by the current specifications of the respective Axis Line (see the Axis: General options pane).

When you select one of the Inside, Outside, or Crossed style settings, the tickmarks will be displayed on the inside, outside, or both sides of the axis (respectively). To remove tickmarks from the axis, clear the Show tickmarks check box in the Display options for all custom units group box (described above).

Size. You can choose between Small, Medium, Large, or Custom sized tickmarks.

Points. If you select Custom from the Size drop-down list, specify the relative length of the tickmarks in the Points field.