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This week I am going to introduce a method for allowing single points to be highlighted and interactively moved in Excel Scatter / X-Y Charts and Line Charts.
You will see a lot of these style charts in various places where you want to highlight various aspects of the chart to your audience. It is a great technique for complex scientific and engineering charts where you may have hundreds or thousands of points.
Introduction
Excel charting basically has 2 styles of charts with these being Y value vs X Value charts and Y value vs X Label charts.
Examples of the X Value charts are Scatter and Bubble charts. Examples of the X Label charts are Line, Column, Surface, Area, Radar and Bar charts.
The basic differences between these is that the former has a variable X Axis and the later has a fixed X-Axis spacing between subsequent data points.
Some members of the X Label charts can display a value-type X axis when the X entries are dates, ie: The X values are plotted proportionally to the dates they represent. These types include Line, Area, Column, and Bar (Thanx Jon)
Y value vs X value (Scatter Charts)
As these charts are plotting Y vs X directly onto the chart, it is simple to add a series which contains the points you want to highlight.
It is worth noting that chart series for Scatter Charts don’t have to have an equal number of entries in each series. We will use this add a new series with just one point.
Method:
Goto Pg1 of the sample file. Sample File
My Data is an X-Y set of data in B2:C41, each Y value in Column C is plotted on the chart against the corresponding X value.
To plot a single point it is a matter of adding a new data series to the chart
The new series will be the 2 cells at B43:C43
1. Setup 2 lookup cells
In B43 put the equation =OFFSET(B$1,$B$44,0)
In C43 put the equation =OFFSET(C$1,$B$44,0)
Note that both these formula retrieve a value that is the value in the Cell Reference cell, B44, below B1 and C1 respectively.
2. Setup a Cell Reference cell
Put a value in B44 for now say 1
3.Add a new Data Series to the Chart
Right click on the chart and goto Select Data
Add a New Series
Series Name Highlight
X Values =’Pg1′!$B$43
Y Values =’Pg1′!$C$43
4. Add a slider
The slider is already installed
5. Set the Sliders Cell Link, Min, Max and other details
You will now have a new data point which will be at point 1 on the chart
6. Format the New Data Series
Right Click the new point and Format Data Series
Select a larger Marker Size and make it a Bold Red to stand out
7. Add a data Label to the series
Right Click the New Series and select Add Data Labels
8. Format the Data Label
Right Click the New Series and select Format Data Labels
On the Labels Options Tab, Tick the X & Y values
Select the Label and change the Font to a Bold and Increase Size so that it stands out
Use:
As you move the slider the Highlighted point will move back and forwards across the screen and show both the location and X & Y Values of the data point.
How Does This Work?
The chart contains a second series consisting of a single point (x,y) which has been formatted to make it stand out on the chart
The coordinates for the new point are retrieved from the My Data list by using an offset from the top of the list.
The offset retrieves its offset value from a Cell Reference cell which in turn is controlled by a slider.
Why use Offset instead of Vlookup or Index/Match?
We aren’t concerned with looking up the actual value of the highlighted point, we are interested in retrieving for example the 9th data point from the list and the the 10th or 8th as we move the slider. The Offset only cares about how far it has to go to get the value, not the value.
By doing this we can mix up the X values, as Scatter charts allow you to do, and offset will happily retrieve data in order and doesn’t care about duplicates or having sorted data. Type any values into the X Column and watch as the offset happily maintains the highlighted point.
Line Charts
As these charts are plotting Y vs the position of the value on the X-Axis, a slightly different method is employed to highlight a point of interest.
For Line Charts we will add a new series to the chart and then use a method for hiding the non-highlighted points so that only the highlighted point is visible.
Method
Goto Pg2 of the sample file. Sample File
1. Setup a Cell Reference cell
Setup a Cell Reference cell by putting a 1 in D43
2. Add a New Data Series
Besides the sample data, add a new series Highlight
D1: Highlight
D2: =IF(ROW()-1=$D$43,C2,NA())
Copy D2 down to D27, Don’t worry about the errors #N/A, you put them there.
3. Add a new Data Series to the Chart
Right click on the chart and goto Select Data
Add a New Series
Series Name – Highlight
Y Series =’Pg2′!$D$2:$D$27
Note there is no X Value as the Y values are plotted in order against the existing X Values
You will now have a new data point which will be at point 1 on the chart
4. Format the new Data Series
Right Click the new point and Format Data Series
Select a Bigger marker size and make it a Bold Red to stand out
5. Add Data Labels
Right Click the New Series and select Add Data Labels
Right Click the New Series and select Format Data Labels
On the Labels Options Tab, Tick the X & Y values
Select the Label and change the Font to a Bold and Increase Size so that it stands out
6. Add a slider
The slider is already installed
7. Set the Sliders Cell Link, Min, Max and other details
Use:
As you move the slider the Highlighted point will move back and forwards across the screen and show both the location and X & Y Values of the data point.
How Does This Work?
The chart contains a second series consisting of a Column of #N/A error messages and a single cell containing teh Y value for the corresponding data point
Excel ignores and doesn’t plot the cells with the error message and so only the highlighted cell is plotted
The coordinates for the new point are retrieved from the My Data list by comparing the current Row to the Cell Reference cells value and if they are the same retrieving the Y value, all others rows have an error message inserted.
The slider is connected to the Cell Reference cell and so when the slider is moved the Cell reference cell updates and the new highlighted cell retries its value.
Quick Tip #1:
You can change the highlight from a standard marker to pretty much anything you like
Insert an Icon on your worksheet, Insert Menu, Insert Icon
Format the icon as you wish, Color, Size and Copy the icon
Select the Chart and select the Highlighted data point and Paste
To apply the picture/icon to all points in a series select the series and paste
Quick Tip #2:
You can add multiple highlights using the same techniques described in this post ie: for showing Min and Max values.
Instead of linking the Cell Reference cell to a slider link it to the Minimum or Maximum value of the data: =Min(Range), =Max(range)
Checkout the example on Pg3 of the Sample File: Sample File
FUNCTIONS USED:
Offset: http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/11/19/vlookup-match-and-offset-explained-in-plain-english-spreadcheats/
Row: =Row() returns the Row number of the Current cell
=Row(M10) returns the Row Number of Cell M10 = 10
NA: = Returns the Error Message #N/A
How do you like to highlight your data? Let us all know in the comments below:
What would you like to see discussed as a How To? Let me know in the comments below:
23 Responses to “Shift Calendar Template – FREE Download”
Hi Chandoo,
your recent postings include only Excel 2007 templates. Unfortunately the company I work at still runs Excel 2003. Is it possible to get your awesome files in other excel version as well?
Thanks so much for your great excel stuff!
Is it possible to do this for shifts with hours instead of days? To organise a three shift day?
Thanks in advance,
Stelios
In my organization there are 45 employees i need split then into three shifts ex:A shift:14,B shift:14,C shift:14 and week off:3 kindly help me on this.
@Masthan
You need to understand what rules your company has for the various shifts / roster combinations
Chandoo, I once did a shift control spreadsheet for my team. I put one person in each line, the columns were the days. I put a shift code in each cell indicating in which shift that person should work, or if the person were out that day. I have two codes for being out. One is for vacations and one is to compensate days worked in weekends. This way I was able to count how many persons I have in each shift, how many were on vacations and how many were out compensating (that's the term we use here) weekend worked hours.
Later I included the possibility of a person be in two lines one for normal hours other for overtime. This is mainly used for planning purposes. If you would like I can send you an example. The only problem of this spreadsheet is that we don't have a person view, only this consolidated view.
Hi George, I would like to have a copy of your spreadsheet if you can share it.
Thanks in advance, Chuck
Hi Chandoo,
Where is the code located ? is it VBA ? If so , how do you hide it ? Or it is .NET ?
Thx
@Idan
.
No VBA or code, it is all done with Mirrors.
Only Joking,
.
But there is no VBA or code,
It is all done with Named Formulas and Lookups.
Have alook at the cells in the calander area and Named Formulas in the Formulas, Name Manager Tab.
How can i calculate between two or more different workbooks? Please, reply me as early as possible.
@Anand
Open the workbooks you want to link to
Start a formula = and click and change between workbooks as required.
You can use the View, Switch window menu to change workbooks mid formula
The format for using workbooks is
=[Workbook.xlsm]Sheet1!$A$1
or
=SUM('[Book2.xls]Sheet1'!$A$1:$D$10)
etc
Hi Chandoo,
I am working with a call centre wherein i ned to update at the month end 20 to 30 employees login hours which are defict to track it at the month end is very difficult is there any template which can be made to track that why on a particular day a guy who needs to be on calls was why not on calls.
Thank you so much Chandoo. This is really helping me. As usual, you rock.
What's FortyTwoDays and Calendar in Name manager?
Both are unused and FortyTwoDays doesn't make any sense.
I have a SQL db that contains records of events scheduled/completed on a particular date. Can this method ous building a calendar be used to display those events on the respective day?
Positively awesome!
I'm attempting to help a friend create a schedule for adult classes - and of course its not"paid help". Here is the scenario:
20 classes, instructor, room#, student class size, start date, number of class days (need to subtract weekends)
class
instructor
room
students
start
#days
PATH
karen
201
21
01/01/13
11
BILLING
jane
401
15
01/12/13
13
MEDISOFT
mike
301
11
01/25/13
9
he'd like to see these classes show up in different colors within the same month's calendar chart. He can draw it, but I'd like to see it done automatically through data, and I just can't visualize it, but I KNOW this will work - can you help?
Jan 🙂
Dear chandoo,
Try many way to download still can't access. Any way we want to try out 3 shifts with 3 guys in a group .eg Group A Morn, Group B Night and Group C Rest. And every each group must work on sunday to take turns. In fact we are security teams so that's why sunday is required to work. Pls guide and show how to put in the working calendar. Thank you in advance.
I've been trying to copy and/or recreate this to use in a workbook I'm doing for the transportation department I'm working for. I need to have the calendar on the first sheet in my document (it has graph's from data on another sheet). I'm trying to use it to track (with the conditional formatting) accidents and injuries. I've redone the conditional formatting to do 4 different accident types (no injury, near miss, OSHA recordable injury and work loss injury), but when I enter the formula's you have in the calendar portion where it says "DateOfFirst-FirstWeekDay" I can't figure out how you did that. Are you able to help?
I would like to use Excel to solve the following problem for a community work. I want to create a Driver schedule for a given month from a pool of volunteers for a community service. Each of these volunteers can drive only on specific days in a week. I would like to populate the driving schedule for each weekday with primary, secondary and tertiary drivers in a random fashion so that I do not overburden one person. I would greatly any help you can provide.
Hi chandoo,
Thanks for your valuable effort for create this template and let me know how to add multiple employees in the the Roaster.
Hi Chandoo,
This article on shift roaster is very helpful. Could you please let me know how i can use the same for n number of resources who work 24/7, considering their leaves and holidays?
Thanks,
Savitha
Hi Chandoo,
This article on shift roaster is very helpful to all. Could you please let me know how i can use the same if I want to add for some more shifts, since the color is not getting change if I add more shifts like 4,5 etc.,
Thanks,
Murali
nice post
How can I change the date to 2017 under Shift Data worksheet.