Formatting a Gauge Chart

In this section:

A gauge chart is a circular chart that indicates the current position of a single data value within a given spectrum. A gauge chart is shown in the following image.

Gauge Chart

You can change the appearance of a gauge chart by using the gauge chart options found on the Format Gauge dialog box.


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Format Gauge Dialog Box

Whether you access gauge options from the ribbon, or the right-click menu, you are presented with the Format Gauge dialog box of options for formatting a gauge chart. Such options include setting and styling a title for the gauge chart, setting tick marks, enabling and styling color bands, as well as setting advanced options, such as the gauge start and stop angle.

The Format Gauge dialog box contains the following tabs:

Use the General Options tab to set general gauge options. The General Options tab is shown in the following image.

Format Gauge Dialog Box General Options Tab

The General Options tab contains the following options:

Gauge Needle

Gauge Title

Gauge value

Use the Axis Scale & Labels tab to set the axis scale and label properties for the gauge needle. The Axis Scale & Labels tab is shown in the following image.

Format Gauge Dialog Box Axis Scale and Labels Tab

The Axis Scale & Labels tab contains the following options:

Scale

Labels

The Tick Marks tab contains options to format tick marks on a gauge chart. The Tick Marks tab is shown in the following image.

Format Gauge Dialog Box Tick Marks Tab

The Tick Marks tab contains the following options:

The Bands tab contains options to format the color of the scale background on a gauge chart. The Bands tab is shown in the following image.

Format Gauge Dialog Box Bands Tab

The Bands tab contains the following options:

Fill

The Advanced tab contains options to set additional properties for the gauge needle. It is shown in the following image.

Gauge Dialog Box Advanced Tab

The Advanced tab contains the following options:


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Gauge Elements Right-Click Menu

When you right-click a gauge chart, a menu containing the More Gauge Options becomes available. Select this option to open the Format Gauge dialog box.


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Using Gauge Properties

How to:

The following sections contain procedures for gauge properties. The Gauges option can be found on the Format tab, in the Features group.

Note: This option is only available when you are working with a gauge chart.



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Procedure: How to Set the Number of Gauges Per Row

If you have multiple gauges on a chart, you might want to specify how many gauges appear on each row. In the following example, a maximum of two gauges per row has been set.

Three Gauge Charts on Two Rows

  1. Create a gauge chart that has multiple values.
  2. Open the Format Gauge dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click the gauge chart and select More Gauge Options.

    The Format Gauge dialog box opens.

  3. On the General options tab, in the Gauges per row field, enter or select the number of gauges that you want to appear on one row.
  4. Click OK.

    The gauges now appear on one row.

    After changing the setting from the default of 2 gauges per row to 3 gauges per row, all the charts now appear on one row.

    Three Gauge Charts On One Row



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Procedure: How to Set the Minimum and Maximum Axis Scale Values

The following image shows a gauge chart with the scale values automatically supplied by the chart engine.

Gauge Chart With Automatic Scale Values

  1. Create a gauge chart.

    The following image shows a gauge chart with default settings.

  2. Open the Format Gauge dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click the gauge chart, and select More Gauge Options.

    The Format Gauge dialog box opens.

  3. On the Axis Scale & Labels tab, in the Scale area, either accept the minimum and maximum values for the scale automatically supplied by the chart engine, or enter your own in the Value fields.
  4. Click Apply.

    The gauge scale reflects the selections that you have made.

    The following image shows the changes that were applied to the axis scale of the gauge chart in the preceding image. The automatic minimum value was cleared and a value of 20000 was set. The automatic maximum value was cleared and a value of 60000 was set.

    Gauge Chart With Axis Scale Manually Set



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Procedure: How to Style Axis Labels
  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Open the Style dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges to open the Format Gauge dialog box. In the Format Gauge dialog box, open the Axis Scale & Labels tab. In the Labels area, click the Style Labels icon.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click an axis label, and click Style.

    The Style dialog box opens.

  3. Select your styling options.
  4. Click OK.

    The scale labels reflect the style selections that you have made.

    The following image shows a gauge chart with the axis labels in bold red Courier font.

    Gauge Chart With Styled Axis Labels



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Procedure: How to Format Axis Labels
  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Access the menu of available format options for axis labels in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges to open the Format Gauge dialog box. In the Format Gauge dialog box, open the Axis Scale & Labels tab. In the Labels area, open the Format Labels drop-down menu.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click an axis label, and point to Format.

    The menu of available format options opens.

  3. Select your format option.

    Note: If you select a custom format (for example, User Pattern, or Use Pattern /100), from the Format Labels menu on the Format Gauge dialog box, the Custom Format menu becomes available. When you select a custom format, it must be defined using a custom format pattern. For a list and description of the characters that you can use in a custom format, see the table in Formatting Data Labels.

  4. Click OK.

    The scale labels reflect the format selection that you have made.



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Procedure: How to Rotate Axis Labels
  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Right-click an axis label.
  3. On the right-click menu, point to Rotate, then select the degree to which you want the labels rotated.

    The following image shows a gauge chart with the axis labels rotated 45 degrees.

    Gauge Chart With Axis Labels Rotated 45 Degrees



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Procedure: How to Set Gauge Tick Marks

This procedure describes how to set the grid step, tick color, and tick length for the major and minor tick marks.

The following image shows a gauge chart with default tick marks.

  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Open the Format Gauge dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click the gauge chart and select More Gauge Options.

    The Format Gauge dialog box opens.

  3. On the Tick Marks tab, for the Automatic Grid Step, either accept the value automatically supplied by the chart engine, or enter your own, in the Value fields.
  4. Click the Tick Color icon, to open the Color dialog box, where you can select a color for the tick mark.
  5. For the Tick Mark Length, either accept the value automatically supplied by the chart engine, or enter your own, in the Value fields.

    The following image shows the same gauge chart. The major tick marks have been changed to red from black. They are now .30 in length, double their original size of .15. The minor tick marks are now blue instead of black. Their size has also been increased. They are now .10 in length, instead of .05.

    Gauge Chart With Enhanced Tick Marks



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Procedure: How to Set Gauge Color Bands

The following image shows the gauge chart without color bands.

Gauge Chart Without Color Bands Set

  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Open the Format Gauge dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click the gauge chart, and select More Gauge Options.

    The Format Gauge dialog box opens.

  3. Set the minimum and maximum value for each band that you want to appear on the gauge chart.
  4. Set the color of the fill and border for each color band.

    Note: The gradient fill option is not available for color bands.

  5. Click OK to close the Format Gauge dialog box.

    The bands are formatted accordingly.

    The following images shows a gauge chart with color bands.

    Gauge Chart With Color Bands



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Procedure: How to Match Needle Center Color to Band Color (Gauge Center by Quality)

This option matches the needle center color to the color of the band that the needle is pointing to.

  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Open the Format Gauge dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click the gauge chart and select More Gauge Options.

    The Format Gauge dialog box opens.

  3. On the Bands tab, set the minimum and maximum value for each band that you want to appear on the gauge chart
  4. Set the color of the fill and border for each color band.

    Note: The gradient fill and transparency options are not available for gauge needles.

  5. On the Advanced tab, select Gauge Center by Quality.
  6. Click OK to close the Format Gauge dialog box.

    The color of the center of the gauge needle now matches the color of the band.

    The following image shows a gauge chart with the center of the gauge needle in the same color as the band it is pointing to.

    Gauge Chart With Gauge Center By Quality Option



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Procedure: How to Style a Gauge Needle

This procedure explains how to change the gauge needle from the Normal style to the Pencil style.

  1. Create a gauge chart.
  2. Open the Format Gauge dialog box in one of the following ways:
    • Ribbon: On the Format tab, in the Features group, click Gauges.
    • Right-Click Menu: Right-click the gauge chart, and select More Gauge Options.
  3. The Format Gauges dialog box opens.

  4. In the General Options tab, in the Gauge Needle section, from the Style drop-down menu, select Pencil.
  5. Click OK.

    The gauge needle changes to a pencil.

    The following image shows a gauge chart styled with a pencil.

    Gauge Chart With Pencil



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Procedure: How to Set Gauge Needle Colors in a Multi Series Gauge Chart

You cannot change the fill color and border color of the needles in a multi-series gauge chart through the General Options tab of the Format Gauge dialog box. You can do so through the Format Series dialog box. However, you can still use the General Options tab to change the style of the needle.

The following image shows gauge charts with two series of data.

Multi Series Gauge Chart with Default Needle Styling

  1. Create a gauge chart with more than one measure.
  2. On the Series tab, from the Series drop-down menu, select the series that you want to style.
  3. In the Properties group, click Style.

    The Format Series dialog box opens.

  4. On the Fill tab, select the fill and color options for the gauge needle for the selected series.
  5. On the Border tab, select the Show Border Color option, if you want the gauge needle to have a border. You can select the color for the border, as well.
  6. Click Apply.
  7. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for each series gauge needle that you want to style.
  8. When you are finished, click OK to close the Format Series dialog box.

    The color of the gauge needles and their borders changes accordingly.

    The following image shows the same gauge chart with the needles with new colors, The Show Border Color option has been enabled with the default color of black for the border color.

    Gauge Chart With Black Border Color


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