Problem with dual axes

[ljl105]

I have a real problem when creating a chart with dual axes.

I can't find any solution on the crystal Reports webpage.

My problem is that I create my chart with data that must appear on 2 y-axes. I tell it which data I want on which axis and it does it. Then I save the report and it changes which fields appear on which axes!!

Any ideas at all very much appreciated

(I have tried both Crystal Reports v8 and v8.5)

 

[adalaw]

Hi,

I might be off but I do recall the same symptom using CR 8.5 when I have more than a total of 5 series Crystal cannot handle it.

Out tech people called support and (the tech people told me that) they confirmed it is a known limitation with Dual Axis charts.

If anyone knows otherwise, pls let me know!!

Ada

 

[gdalgarno]

Hi,

I've just experience exactly the same problem.

Did Crystal ever provide you with a patch/fix? Or, did you need to create a different solution?


Garry D.

 

[Dan3D]

Can you send me a sample .rpt??
I'll throw it in the debugger and see what the chart engine is doing. It might be that the CR application is telling our library to 'override' your decision on which series is tied to which axis - but maybe I can think of something clever.

-Dan @ 3D (The folks who make the chart library for CR).
danw@threedgraphics.com




Dan Weingart
OEM Technical Manager
Three D Graphics, Inc.

http://www.threedgraphics.com

 

[gdalgarno]

Dan,

I'd appreciate any assistance you can provide.

I have emailed you a sample report.


Garry D.

 

[ljl105]

No I never did find a solution, I couldn't produce the report that I needed in the end, but I would really like to know if you get anywhere with it.

 

[Dan3D]

I spotted the problem:

In Garry's example there are 6 series. The first 5 are assigned to Y1 and the last is assigned to Y2. Everything works fine in "preview mode". But any action that causes the "design tab" to draw results in CR telling our chart engine that there are only FOUR series of data (the 4 'fake' series that always show up in a chart in design mode: WA, CA, BC, etc.).

So now our chart engine thinks that it is being told to draw a dual-y chart with 4 series of data. But... it looks and sees that the four series it knows about (first 4 series) are all assigned to Y1, and there are NO series assigned to Y2. It considers this an 'error' since this is not a valid dual-y chart if there is no data to chart on Y2.

It tries to resolve this error by arbitrarily putting 1/2 of the series it knows about onto Y2. So it ends up setting series 1 and 3 on Y2.

The 'ultimate' solution would probably be for CR to allow users to set an arbitrary number of series in DESIGN mode instead of always using exactly 4.

But for now, I've tweaked the engine to fix this problem by telling it that having all series on Y1 is NOT an error (so it doesn't go and arbitrarily put series on Y2). This is not 'perfect' since it creates a weird DESIGN mode chart that has a Y2 axis with no valid range and also the "Assign series to Axis" dialog in DESIGN mode won't operate (it never expected to see a case with all series on Y1 and none on Y2). But it works flawlessy in generating a report and I think will give the results that everyone is really after.

I'll submit this code change to CR for inclusion in a future 'hot fix' for CR9 and it should be part of CR10 when it ships. I also added it to our CRChart replacement library for CR 8, 8.5 and 9 which will be available directly from us in August.

Regards,

-Dan @ 3D


Dan Weingart
OEM Technical Manager
Three D Graphics, Inc.

http://www.threedgraphics.com

 

[gdalgarno]

Dan,

Thank you!

I have just quickly tested the patched/fixed/upgraded DLL you emailed me for CR8/CR8.5 and it has resolved our problem. The Dual Axis feature now works as expected.

Great work.


Garry D.