Pie Chart overlapping details

[Guest]

I have a problem with the pie charts that have a lot of slices, and most of
them are small. The issue is that when I display the value or percentage, the
values on the smaller slices overlap themselves. I can't manually move each
one because when I look at the report in design view, I can only see the
east, west, north sample chart. How do I make the values not overlap?

 

[Al Campagna]

Annemarie,
Pie charts are for percentages (of 100%).
This could be caused by...
1. Graphics... the slices are too small to (given line widths and other
considerations) to display propery.
You might try exploding them... here's a great chart site...
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=390
2. Do your chart data slices add up to exactly 100%?

Re: the North South default data, here's a trick to "wake up" your design view.
1. Run/View the query behind the chart.
2. Use Ctrl-A to select all records returned, and Copy them to the clipboard.
3. Return to your Chart design, and paste those records in the associated
spreadsheet for your chart/
Now, you should see your pie chart (with your data) in Design Mode.

--
hth
Al Campagna . Candia Computer Consulting . Candia, NH USA
Microsoft Access MVP
http://home.comcast.net/~cccsolutions

"Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."

 

[Guest]

Yes, all my values equal 100%. There are multiple slices that are 1% or
higher. When I display the value/percent, the text is on top of eachother. It
doesn't branch out like it should for smaller slices. I tried copying and
pasting like you said, and it completly messed up the chart.

 

[Al Campagna]

AnneMarie,
Sorry about the new problem, but...
I've used the Cut and Paste method to update the Charty in Design mode many times, so I
can't say what might have happened in your case to cause the problem.
All I can think of is that perhaps you have some columns in the query behind the chart
that should not be copied... or the column order in your query does not match the way they
were set up in the chart spreadsheet.
The copy paste method does work.

It would appear to me at this time... that if you could get a good "design" view of
your actual pie chart data, it would be a simple matter to move the labels on the small
slices to a better position. (When you said your "values" overlapped, I thought you meant
the pie slices themselves.)

I have often heard it suggested (I have not ever tried it... but will) that you copy
and paste your chart onto a new blank form, and try to do your customization there. I'm
guessing forms do not suffer from the same failure to update the design view that reports
do. When you have the chart the way you want it... copy and paste it back into your
report.

Also, http://www.groupacg.com/ has coding solutions for common Access Graph problems.
(this one in particular) Select Access Code and Design Tips/Reports/Graphs.

Try the form design first, and if no go... try the ACG code.
--
hth
Al Campagna . Candia Computer Consulting . Candia, NH USA
Microsoft Access MVP
http://home.comcast.net/~cccsolutions

"Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."

 

[Guest]

Does anyone have any ideas as to how I can get the labels to stop overlapping
eachother? When I edit the chart in design view, it makes no impact as to how
the pie chart is laid out in print view. How do I fix this?

 

[Al Campagna]

I see what you mean, I moved a few labels around, and they appeared not to move on the
print. Odd... I would have thought that since you CAN move a label, it would do so on the
print.
Have you tried using the Data Label formatting to change the location, or angle of the
labels on those small pie slices? Select (Dbl-Click) the individual label, and see the
Alignment tab. you can move the position of the label in relation to the data point, and
also change the angle of the text.
That should give you some control over the appearance of the labels.

Or, I think I suggested before, that you try an exploded piechart, with those small slices
exploded out from the main pie chart. Highlight and grab the one of the small slices, and
drag it out from the pie, taking it's label with it. Now that the slices have been
exploded, you can further align the data labels with the above "alignment" customizing, to
display each label clearly.

--
hth
Al Campagna . Candia Computer Consulting . Candia, NH USA
Microsoft Access MVP
http://home.comcast.net/~cccsolutions

"Find a job that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."