Chart colors with multiple datasets on one graph

[scienceyankee]

OOo's chart facility within calc uses colors to distinguish different datasets plotted on a single chart.

There is an obvious way of changing the default colors for this, but not for line patterns.

Using colors to distinguish lines in graphs has two problems: 1) about 10% of males are colorblind and 2) color printing is not universally available, e.g., few US public schools have color printers available to teaching staff, and tends to be more expensive when it is available.

So, how does one set the defaults to use different line textures to distinguish datasets in a graph vs different colors?

[Zizi64]

Double click on a line - Data series - Line - Style

[scienceyankee]

Yes, I can do that.

I want to reset the defaults, not go into every single chart every single time.

[Zizi64]

Yes, I can do that.

I want to reset the defaults, not go into every single chart every single time.

There is a function for change the default colors of the chart:
Tools - Optons - Charts - Default colors
But there is not a menu item or other function to adjust the default linetypes for charts in the Calc application - if I know it exactly.


But you can

- create a template with a chart (charts) based on a predefined data range. You can adjust the colors and the linetypes of the created chart. Save the document as a template. Open this template when you want use the modified chart/s/. I suppose that you always use similar charts - if not, then you need create more than one templates.

- write a macro (or more macros) to automatize the adjusting procedure of the existing charts in an existing document. You must study the object oriented programming, and the API functions before you start to achieve this task. Yo need find the chart objects in a document, and get the properties of teh sub-sub-objects (e.g. the lines and the color/linetype property of a line...) Note: It is not a simple task...


...The last chance :
The AOO/LO are open source softwares. You can modity the source code, and you can build your own version with different default color/linetype of the charts.