MSChart Pie Chart - Data Labels

Give up on MSChart control. Is difficult to use and *CANNOT* PRINT!

I have working source for piecharts.

email me direct at Mark_Lambert@ntsc.navy.mil

M

Adjusted points to 200

That's crap, MSCHART can print, you just need to know how to do it.

Check the properties of the MSChart.  Also, are you displaying the Chart in 3d or 2d?  What is your data array? You do know that the first element (no of sections generally) needs to be a string, even if you want just numbers to appear.

That's crap, MSCHART can print, you just need to know how to do it.

Check the properties of the MSChart.  Also, are you displaying the Chart in 3d or 2d?  What is your data array? You do know that the first element (no of sections generally) needs to be a string, even if you want just numbers to appear.

Ok, Tommoy_boy, just *HOW* do *YOU* print the MSChart control? The !@#$%^ doesn't have a .Print method! Or do you just print a *picture* of the graph with the blockyness that comes with it?

M

Mark2150:

Briefly, a print a MSCHART you need to copy it's image (yes it is a bitmap, or similar) to the clipboard.  From there it is a simple matter of printing the contents of the clipboard (as a bitmap).
Try this:

  MSCHART1.EditCopy
  Printer.Print " "
  Printer.PaintPicture Clipboard.GetData(), 0, 0
  Printer.EndDoc

Best Regards

TB

The problem with the bitmap is that your text is rendered at the resolution of the screen object. When you put it down on paper it either comes out *tiny* but sharp, or Large and *UGLY*. I want the control to print with full fidelity so that my text legends don't look like a screen dump. There is *NO WAY* for that control to do this so instead of having my output look like a 4th graders I don't use the control. I generate my own graphing routines that render with full fidelity. Both my customers and myself prefer the quality level improvement that this provides.

Printing a form as a bitmap is a *kludge* and a "workaround" and *NOT* suitable for commercial ($$$$) code.

M

enough about printing I still need to know how to display data labels, it is not part of the properties that I can see of.

Again, the answer is to give up on the control. Once you start writing your own graph routine you can use .CurrentX and .CurrentY to position the cursor whereever you want. Then a .Print "this is my label" will allow you to put text whereever you need it. Text is always drawn down and to the right of your cursor position so you might need to use the .TextWidth("this is my label") property to determine how wide your string is and then adjust the .CurrentX accordingly.

M

I tried your sample code and could not get it to work. Is there possibly another VB control that has graphing capability.

You can graph to a picture box.

You want operational source?

Write me direct:

Mark_Lambert@ntsc.navy.mil

M

I would like to see mark2150 write code to render a clickable 3d graph as effortlessly as the MSChart control. Sure its poorly documented and some of its properties are esoteric
but why reinvent the wheel?

Meanwhile, back to efowl

Have you actualy entered labels for your chart?

with MSChart1
  '-- enter text
  For i = 1 to .ColCount
     .column = i
     .collabel = "your label here"
  next i
  For i = 1 to .RowCount
     .row = i
     .rowlabel = "your label here"
  next i
  '-- control legend
  .legend.location.visible = true
  .legend.location.locationtype = 8
  .legend.location.RECT.min.set Xval, Yval
  .legend.location.RECT.max.set Xval, Yval
end with

Yes, I have added row and column labels, as you defined, but to no avail. I do agree with your comment about MSCHART, I just wish it had all the bells and whistles, and I wish there was more documentation on it.

A microsoft support engineer has found the solution to my problem with the following code:

For i = 1 To mschart1.Plot.SeriesCollection.Count
With mschart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(i) &_
     .DataPoints(-1).DataPointLabel
.LocationType = VtChLabelLocationTypeOutside
.Component= VtChLabelComponentPercent
.PercentFormat = "0%"
.VtFont.Size = 10
End With
Next

...this will obtain pie chart data labels.

Thanks for everyone's input,
Eric

A microsoft support engineer has found the solution to my problem with the following code:

For i = 1 To mschart1.Plot.SeriesCollection.Count
With mschart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(i) &_
     .DataPoints(-1).DataPointLabel
.LocationType = VtChLabelLocationTypeOutside
.Component= VtChLabelComponentPercent
.PercentFormat = "0%"
.VtFont.Size = 10
End With
Next

...this will obtain pie chart data labels.

Thanks for everyone's input,
Eric