This is a guest post by Faseeh, one of the Excel Ninja’s at our forum.
Triangular plot…! What is it?
Recently, a Chandoo.org forum member asked this,
I want to be able to make a graph that, in some aspects, looks like below, but I have no idea how to do it at all.
After seeing it, I said to myself in Barney Stinson’s tone, ‘Challenge Accepted!‘
The final plot is like this:
Making triangular plot in Excel – Tutorial
The first step to create such a chart starts from a manual drawing of how your chart will be looking like; at least you need to mark some important connecting points that will make smaller triangles.
The trick in this chart is simply to locate points in all three sides of the triangle and connect them in a way that results in smaller triangle. Here is a step by step approach to make this chart:
- Make a rough sketch of the triangle. Divide each side of the triangle roughly into the number of segments that you want, each side with equal number of segments (in this case 05 segments). And give each of them a number including corners of the triangle
- Now we can split this chart into three types of lines, horizontal, tilted towards right, tilted toward left.
- For each of these lines we need to join certain points and when we combine these lines into a single series we will get our desired chart. So let’s list down the points in each line.
Horizontal Lines (L1): Point 01, 02, 03, 04, 06, 05, 07, 08, 10, 09, 11.
Right Lines (L2): Point 01, 11, 09, 12, 13, 07, 05, 14, 15, 03, 02
Left Lines (L3): Point 02, 11, 10, 15, 14, 08, 06, 13, 12, 04, 01 - Now we need to setup a table where the coordinates of these points are listed in tabular order, like this:
This can be done by using trigonometric ratio of sine and cosine, by representing each point in terms of Polar Coordinates [ These coordinates represent each point in terms of a distance “R” and an angle represented by Greek alphabet Theta (q), Line 01 makes an angle of 0° from X-Axis, Line 02 of 60° and Line 03 of 120° from +ive X- Axis, these details can be simply skipped if you don’t like math 😉 ]
Avoiding the details of trigonometry you can simply use following two formulas to get these values…For Value of X (Ordinate) you can use the following formula:
=IF(O6=”H”,N6*COS(RADIANS(Q6)),IF(O6=”L”,N6*COS(RADIANS(Q6)),$D$5+N6*COS(RADIANS(Q6))))For Y (Abscissa) you can use following:
=IF(O6=”H”,N6*SIN(RADIANS(Q6)),IF(O6=”L”,N6*SIN(RADIANS(Q6)),N6*SIN(RADIANS(Q6)))) - Once this Lookup Table is created we need to create another table where we list points in accordance to the Lines that we have already created. We will use VLOOKUP () to fetch the corresponding coordinate through this formula and we will do this for all the three Lines. The VLOOKUP() simply looks for the point in the left most column of the first table and bring the corresponding values from the 3rd and 4th column to form the point in second table.
- When we are done with bringing the coordinates of all of these points we just need to plot a Scatter Chart. Now use a XY scatter chart to plot the data. You need to add only one series, actually there are three types of lines but we can accommodate them in just one series. When they overlap, they will give smaller triangles in result.
Download Triangular Plot workbook
Click here to download the chart. Examine the formulas & chart series to understand how this is made.
Added by Chandoo
Do you make such complex charts for your work?
I will be honest. I never had to make a triangle plot. But then, I never had to make Ratatouille either. That doesn’t make me appreciate both of them any less. I think this chart shows fantastic technique. It also proves that Excel is highly flexible if you know which bolt to turn and which screw to tighten.
What about you? Do you make such complex charts or visual analysis for your work? What is the most challenging chart you have worked on? Please share using comments.
Shape up your Chart skills – Charts + Shapes
If your job involves making charts in all shapes and sizes, then you are in luck. Check out these tutorials to learn how to bend Excel charting rules to get any shape you want:
- Simulating a pendulum movement using Excel charts
- Wall hygrometric physics – modeling wall thickness in Excel chart
- Stars and lights using Excel Charts, VBA & animation
- Mustache shaped chart to measure your stash
- Spoke chart | 5 star chart
- Making various country flags using Excel charts
Thank you Faseeh
Many thanks to Faseeh for sharing this tutorial with all of us. I really enjoyed this and learned a few tricks from it.
If you like this chart, say thanks to Faseeh using comments.
28 Responses to “Team To Do Lists – Project Tracking Tools using Excel [Part 2 of 6]”
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools Part 3: Preparing a project time line [upcoming] Part 4: Time sheets and Resource management [...]
the templates are great (I bought the combo).
What I'm missing is a way to have the project gantt chart and reporting with the data per resource, in such a way that I can also show the occupation per resource on an extended gantt chart.
So with hours entered per person per project or sub-activity, to show a gantt chart of how many hours/days a person spent on which project (or plans to spend).
[...] from: Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools using Excel [Part 2 of 6] 25 Jun 09 | [...]
Hi Chandoo,
Funny I have a post on the value of MS project lined up which I will post when the current monster project I'm working on finishes and I get some free time!
I'm not sure this would help with any of the projects I've worked on, closing down a to do list seems like more effort than it's worth, but it might be useful for some things. I guessing it doesn't, but does the time stamp not update when you recalculate the work book?
keep up the good work!
Ross
@Ross.. Thanks for sharing your ideas... I think to do lists are a great way to keep up with project activities and ensure accountability from individual team members, when they are implemented right.
"I guessing it doesn’t, but does the time stamp not update when you recalculate the work book?"
Your guess is right. When you change the calculation mode to "iterative", excel takes care of the nittygritties and retains older values in circular references in formulas.
[...] Project Management in Excel [New Series] - Gantt Charts | To Do Lists [...]
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools Project Status Reporting - Create a Timeline to display milestones Part 4: Time sheets and Resource [...]
Hi Chandoo,
The template give me lot of convenience to monitor the thing to do. It simple. Thank You
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists - Project Tracking Tools Project Status Reporting - Create a Timeline to display milestones Part 4: Time sheets and Resource [...]
[...] make sure you have read the first 4 parts of the series - Making gantt charts [project planning], team todo lists [project tracking], project time lines chart [reporting] and Timesheets and Resource Management using Excel. Also [...]
Chandoo,
I really do not see any befit to this function in Excel unless it was somehow tied into some other chart. That is say a scheduled activities % complete is based on the to-do list.
The only way this chart would be useful is if no one was assigned none dependent task that could be done by anyone. The cases were both of these conditions are true are so few and far between it really makes this chart worthless.
@Brian... Once you have a todo list up and running, it is easy to get metrics out of it. I didnt propose it as it might look a bit too micro-management-ish.
I am able to understand what you meant by "The only way this chart would be useful is if no one was assigned none dependent task that could be done by anyone. The cases were both of these conditions are true are so few and far between it really makes this chart worthless."
Can you explain?
"Chandoo"
What I mean is this. Lets say you have 10 task which are part of one activity/WBS that is in your schedule. One there are very few cases were many people would be assigned to complete this one scheduled activity with no direction being given who should what of the 10 task. It is poor management, and the task 90% of the time would not get done in a timely manner if say 4 people were responsible. Secondly, you are assuming all 10 task are independent of each other. You might need to do task 1 thru 3 before you can do task 4, and to do task 7 you might need to do 4 and 6. Thirdly, the time it would take to compile and then fill out the to-do-list even in limited applications is really not worth it.
I just see almost no applications why a team would need to inform others separate from the schedule that they have completed a task on a to-do list unless anyone of the 4 people could of completed that task.
My point is, there might be a few very limited applications for this type of list but this list would be worthless as a Project Management tool in every other case.
However, change this from a to-do-list to a document change log and it is perfect. Instead of to-do it is the documents name or summary of what changed in the document. The person is who edited the document, and the time stamp is when they checked it in. But I do not know why you would use excel when there is free software you can use commercially that is 10 times better that does document management.
I think using excel to do Project Management over a real Project Management application is a bad idea. Unless you are running a very small, simple project, the time and effort is a lot more to use excel compared to the cost of the Project Management software.
This comes back to my point, I love your site, however, just because you can do something in excel does not mean you should do it. To often the time it takes to use excel is wasted 10 times over from the cost of doing it in an application designed to for the specific application.
@Brian: The todo list mentioned here is meant to keep track of all the tasks for which detailed planning is not necessary but some sort of tracking is needed. These are not be confused with project activities (a la gantt chart).
I like your suggestion about using this as a document tracker. Pretty cool use.
Coming to your point about excel as a real project management tool, well, I have my views, but in a serious project environment, it would surely payoff to have a dedicated project management application.
[...] & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Team To Do Lists – Project Tracking Tools Project Status Reporting – Create a Timeline to display milestones Time sheets and Resource [...]
Chandoo,
Wonder how the timestamp column will maintain its previous data. Both Today() and Now() functions will update as and when the next timestamp happens.
[...] Preparing & tracking a project plan using Gantt Charts Part2: Team To Do Lists – Project Tracking Tools Part3: Project Status Reporting – Create a Timeline to display milestones Part4: Time sheets and [...]
I've combined this with the issue tracker since I like the automatic date stamp, but one thing I'm noticing is that I can't replicate the chart that goes along with the issue tracker because the cells that are referenced have the formula that inserts the time stamp instead of a the actual date value. All the dates of the last 30 days display 0 when they should have a value.
Is there a way around this?
I have edited the chart so that my team members can update the percentage completion of the assigned tasks. When the cell is updated, i would like the time stamp to update. How would I manipulate the formula to update whenever the drop-down list is changed?
[...] … ??? To Do List [...]
Excel is great however sometimes you need to get a better idea of what tasks each person on your team is working on at any given time. We've developed a web app that can do just that! Each person has a list of tasks, listed in the order they have to complete them.
HII,
I want to expand the database through excel where i am working on 11 cities as of now and i want to expand it upto 50 cities and hence forth the data related to it will also expand so i want to make it precise where i can get updates also that this work is required to be done at that particular day or date
Thanks for making all of this information available for free. I am currently using excel to track everything for the first time. I later plan to output our information here with a more visual presentation. Wish me luck!
Can some one point me out to some additional direction on the "Who Finished it?" column? Something more 'basic' for a newbie excel guy? lol I got everything else working on this tutorial but that column. I can't seem to recreate it and I know a lot of it is due to lack of knowledge with VB code. I'd like to recreate this column very much 🙁
Dear Chandoo,
Thanks for the team to do list, kindly let me know how to set the column who " finished it " from another work sheet
Hi Chandoo,
Unable to download it - can you please check the link and confirm.
Great inhisgt! That's the answer we've been looking for.
Hi Team,
I know u all are the best programmers in the world!!! that's I am here to rectify my issues. here is my question please ans me as soon as possible before 8-3-2017 its really urgent.
I have a project named the production tracker.
1) I require the user form which shows the names of the Associates which are linked to the different tracks. when the user is selected the particular track related details and dropdowns should appear.
2) I need to track the associate needs how much of the time to complete the particular task. with start stop and pause and resume timer.
3) It should display the daily count of the production and save the data to the another Excel file.
this production tracker should save all the data no matter how many people logs in into it.
Please help me for this it will be very appreciated.
you can directly email me on my mail ID: tusharkch694@gmail.com