Charting in Access

[frustrating]

Has anyone had success embedding dynamic charts within an Access form without using the MSChart feature?

I could port the database to Tableau or Excel, but it would be nice for users to nice visuals within a workflow tool.

Things I've thought of:

• Embedding an OLE object linked to Excel. The problem is that these charts don't look great either, and potential refresh issues.
• Embedding a png of the Excel chart. Looks nice, but again, potential refresh issues.

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[Mark_]

What type of chart?

Can you show what you are trying to do?

In the past I've used data and some creative changes to the height/width/colour of controls to emulate bar charts / gantt charts.

 

[frustrating]

What type of chart?

Can you show what you are trying to do?

In the past I've used data and some creative changes to the height/width/colour of controls to emulate bar charts / gantt charts.

Can be a bar graph, pie chart...pretty much anything. The problem with MSChart is that it looks pretty ugly, but interfaces better in Access than Excel. I'm not sure if anyone has tried using a different program to accomplish this.

I'd be curious to see what you've done with form controls. Any print screen or anything I could see? Sounds very interesting.

 

[Mark_]

I don't have access to those programs any more. No longer with that employer. I'll see what I can create to give you a good visual of some of the tricks you can do though.

 

[jdraw]

You might get some ideas from these youtube videos by Steve Bishop

- charts in reports
- charts in forms

 

[JHB]

..The problem with MSChart is that it looks pretty ugly, ...

I think it depends on the eye that looks at it, but what do you think looks pretty good, can you give an example - a print screen?
Then a graph in MS-Access has a lot of setting options.

 

[Mark_]

Frustrating, take a look at the attached and let me know if it gives you any ideas.

 

[Mark_]

Frustrating,
Were any of our posts helpful?

 

[isladogs]

Frustrating,
Were any of our posts helpful?

... cos' its frustrating for contributors not to hear back from the OP!

 

[Mark_]

LOL @ Ridders... I'm hoping YOU at least took a look at it.. What do you think? May as well see if SOMEONE could use it.

 

[isladogs]

I did & was impressed - particularly liked the toggle bold lines idea.

Was going to post a few examples of my own ... IF the OP comes back to us

 

[Mark_]

One that took me the longest to figure out was the GANTT type charting in a report. Had to do something very similar about 8 years ago for tracking who was in what position for a location that had almost 100% turn over each year. Had to identify quickly gaps, improper overlaps, and depricated/new positions (the positions changed based on fiscal year but those within were on contract with differing start dates, government so really odd).

For the bold, I was going to do a bit more. I was thinking of having several sets of lines up but using a legend at the bottom where on mouseover the related line became bold. Haven't worked that out yet....

 

[isladogs]

For the bold, I was going to do a bit more. I was thinking of having several sets of lines up but using a legend at the bottom where on mouseover the related line became bold. Haven't worked that out yet....

Sounds very clever.
The trouble with a lot of these tricks is that nobody apart from the developer notices them ... at least that's often been my experience

 

[Mark_]

Oddly, was just talking to the person who's going to want that feature the most... Legend is going to have one button per graph. On mouseover it goes bold with the button toggling the bold on/off. As there looks to be up to 16 sets of lines she will want to see which is which easily, especially when they are on top of each other.

Fun part will be trying to figure out what colours she wants...