JPH05250485A - Graph plotter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the burden of a user in implementing and editing graphs. CONSTITUTION:In the case correcting the position of graph elements comprising a graph to be prepared, a user inputs a relative value to be corrected from a keyboard 2 while observing a display section 3 by selecting the relative position of the graph element to be corrected on a selection section 12 by means of a mouse 1. The correction relative value is converted into the absolute value by a calculation section 13. A graph display arrangement section 15 arranges the graph elements at the position corresponding to the absolute value to be displayed on the display section 3. The graph style including the graph elements can be stored. As stored by the absolute value, the relative position relation can be maintained even though the entire graph is deformed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a graph creating apparatus which is one of information processing by a personal computer or the like and creates a graph from a plurality of data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a graph is created by a conventional graph creating apparatus, a plurality of data to be graphed are
By inputting to the graph application of the graph creating device or by referring to data of another application, selecting the type of graph and designating the necessary parameters for the selected graph, drawing display on the screen, It was saved, printed out, etc., and a fixed graph was created.

In particular, since the initial graph creating device only needed to be able to simply output numerical data as a graphic, the graph application of the graph creating device was designed so that the user can use the standard graph for the type of graph specified by the user. It was automatically created with a layout that seems to be.

However, since the graph representation format desired by the user varies depending on the purpose of use of the user, the output medium, etc., the graph creating apparatus requests many parameters from the user, and these many parameters are requested. By inputting, you can create graphs with various layouts. However, even in this case, it is not possible to perform an arbitrary layout without the intention of creating a graph by the graph creating apparatus. Hereinafter, the determined position of the layout performed by the graph creating device is referred to as a "default position".

Therefore, there has been considered a graph creating apparatus capable of moving a graph element to another position by designating the position of the graph element which is a constituent element of the automatically laid out graph.

However, the designation of the position of the graph element by the graph creating apparatus is performed by temporarily instructing the created figure with a pointing device such as a mouse or the like.
Since the coordinates of the moving destination were designated as numerical input, it was not possible to change the data to be graphed to new data and display the graph again.
That is, the movement information of the graph element has been lost. Therefore, when redrawing is performed after the complicated graph element position is specified, the position of the previous graph element must be redone, and the user has to perform a complicated operation.

Therefore, a graph creating apparatus has been conceived which can store the movement information related to the position designation as the graph creating information. As a result, it is possible to perform arbitrary layout and delicate position adjustment without the intention of creating a graph on the graph creating device.

However, the movement information related to this position designation is
Since it was the coordinates of the fixed point on the plane to draw (hereinafter, the position of the fixed point specified by the user is called "absolute position"),
When the basic conditions of the layout change due to the size of the entire graph or the number of data that is the basis of the graph due to the parameter changes, all the absolute position information must be rewritten, and the user is complicated. There has been a problem that the user has to perform an input operation, which imposes a heavy burden on the user.

[0009]

As described above, conventionally, when a graph of a predetermined format is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, each of the graphs is configured according to preset setting conditions. In a graph creating apparatus that determines the positional relationship of graph elements and creates a graph, the input information when creating and editing the graph was the absolute position information, so a complicated input operation for creating and editing the graph must be performed. However, there is a problem that the burden on the user is heavy.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a graph creating apparatus which can eliminate such problems and reduce the burden on the user when creating and editing a graph.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, when a graph in a predetermined format is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, each graph constituting the graph is set according to a preset setting condition. In a graph creating apparatus for creating a graph by determining the positional relationship of elements, a relative position information indicating means for indicating relative position information from the position of the graph element determined by the setting condition, and the relative position information indicating means. Absolute position information calculating means for calculating absolute position information corresponding to the graph element based on the relative position information designated by, and arranging the graph element based on the absolute position information calculated by the absolute position information calculating means. And a first graph element arranging means for performing the same.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the absolute position information indicating means for indicating the absolute position information of the graph element, and the graph based on the absolute position information indicated by the absolute position information indicating means. It is characterized by comprising a second graph element arranging means for arranging elements, and a position information instruction selecting means for selecting an instruction by the relative position information instructing means and an instruction by the absolute position information instructing means.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when a graph of a predetermined format is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, the positional relationship between the graph elements forming the graph is determined by preset setting conditions. In the graph creating apparatus for creating a graph, the relative position information indicating means indicates relative position information from the position of the graph element determined by the setting condition, and the absolute position information calculating means indicates the relative position information indicating means. Absolute position information corresponding to the graph element is calculated on the basis of the relative position information indicated by, and the first graph element arranging means calculates the absolute position information based on the absolute position information calculated by the absolute position information calculating means. To place.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the absolute position information designating means designates absolute position information of the graph element, and the second graph element arranging means is designated by the absolute position information designating means. The graph elements are arranged based on the absolute position information, and the position information instruction selecting means selects between the instruction by the relative position information instructing means and the instruction by the absolute position information instructing means.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a graph creating apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, referring to the graph edit display on the screen of the display unit 3, the driver 16 or 17 selects the absolute position information or the relative position information with the mouse 1 or the keyboard 2, respectively.
The selection unit 12 is instructed via the, and the selection unit 12 converts the relative position information into absolute position information by the calculation unit 13 only when the input position information is relative position information. Therefore,
The position information input to the graph element placement unit 15 is all absolute position information. Based on this absolute position information, the graph element placement means 15 updates the storage of the main storage unit 14 and displays it on the display unit 3. Further, it is saved in the external storage device 4 when the graph creation / editing is completed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display on the display unit 3 of FIG. 1 during editing. The graph creating / editing displayed on the display unit 3 is realized as a graph creating function incorporated in a document creating application on a multi-window environment. That is, in the display unit of FIG. 2, the user first designates one of the documents displayed by icons, for example, the icon 20 with the mouse 1 to display the document window 21.
open. Further, the graph frame 22 is inserted into the document of the document window 21. Next, a sub-window 22 called a property sheet for creating / editing a graph to be drawn in the graph frame 22 is designated by the mouse 1 and opened.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example in which the property sheet is opened. The top row of this property sheet is
A selection section C1 for selecting designated contents, which is a rectangle C1-
If you specify 1 with mouse 1, the edited graph will be displayed in graph frame 2.
Created within 2. Further, the rectangle C2 designates a page in this property sheet, and the screen as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed by the parameter designation, and a new page screen is displayed when the position correction is designated. Note that FIG.
Property sheet is for bar graphs.
In the parameter designation screen in FIG. 3, rectangular blanks 30 to 38 are character input areas. This blank 30-3
In FIG. 8, various characters of the graph, in this case, various characteristics of the bar graph are input by inputting numbers, characters, etc., and the instruction is given. In addition, selection displays C2 to C4 in which rectangles in which characters are written are in horizontal contact
Indicates that one of them should be selected, and the selection is designated by the mouse 1. In the selected state, characters are highlighted. If the rectangle in which the character is described is single, the character is displayed in reverse by pointing the rectangle with the mouse 1, and the ON / OFF of the corresponding item is designated.

FIG. 4 shows an operation flowchart of graph creation by the graph creating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, first, one of the graph elements necessary for creating the graph is counted (step 41). Next, it is judged whether or not all the graph elements necessary for creating the graph have been counted (step 42), and when all the graph elements have been counted, the creation of the graph is completed.
On the other hand, if all the graph elements are not counted, the default position, which is the absolute position of the counted graph element, is calculated in step 41 (step 43).
Next, it is judged whether or not the position correction of the graph elements counted in step 41 is designated (step 44). If the position correction is not designated, an object is created (step 49). On the other hand, if the position correction is designated, the process proceeds to step 45 and the position correction information of the graph element to be position-corrected is extracted. After that, it is judged whether or not the retrieved position correction information is a relative value (step 4
6) If the relative value is designated, the correction value is added to the position information (step 47). On the other hand, when the relative information is not designated, that is, when the absolute value is designated, the position information is replaced with the absolute value (step 48).
Then, the process proceeds to step 49, and an object is created. In this way, after the object is created, the process returns to step 41, the graph elements are counted, and the above processing is repeated until the graph processing is performed on all the graph elements.

The case of creating / editing a bar graph using the bar graph property sheet will be described in detail below.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state where parameter designation is selected on the property sheet of FIG. The data 51 used for creating the bar graph is the sales amount of each branch and the latter term, the title is “title” and the size of the graph is “vertical = 5” as the parameter designation.
0 mm "and" width = 65 mm ". In the bar graph, "maximum value on Y-axis = 800", "minimum value on Y-axis =
0 "," Scale value = 200 ", and" Left margin = 0 "
mm "and" right margin = 0 mm ". Furthermore, the position of the Y axis is "left" and the legend says "necessary".

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing drawing of a bar graph by specifying the parameters shown in FIG. This bar graph is displayed in the graph frame, and is the “complete” rectangle 5 in FIG.
It is drawn by specifying 0. In FIG. 6, the lower scale 61, the right scale 62, the origin 63 of the coordinates of the graph element, and the dotted line are inserted for convenience of description. Here, the graph creating apparatus according to the present embodiment has a system that "the position of the legend is 5 m from the right end of the graph.
m, align the top with the top of the graph ". Therefore, the legend 60 is displayed at the position shown in FIG. By the way, the legend is one of the components of the graph and can be moved independently. Therefore, a case will be described in which the user wants to "align the position of the legend with the right end of the graph so that the upper end is located 5 mm above the upper end of the graph."

Here, the user can switch to the screen display of the position correction page by instructing switching from the parameter designation to the position correction. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a screen display example of the position correction page. It should be noted that in the rectangle 70, since the parameter designation is switched to the position correction,
The position correction text is highlighted. By switching to this position correction, first, a graph element and a rectangle for specifying the position correction selection of each graph element are displayed. For example, the selection of position correction of the title, which is one of the graph elements, is made by designating the rectangle 71.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a screen display example of the position correction page when an arbitrary graph element is selected. First,
For example, a rectangle 8 for position correction of a title that is a graph element
When 1 is designated with the mouse 1, rectangles 82 to 84 appear, and coordinate values based on the designation of the rectangle 84 are displayed in the rectangles 82 and 83. That is, on this position correction page, it is possible to specify, for each graph element, the coordinates of movement and whether the coordinates indicate an absolute position or a relative position from the default position. In FIG. 8, all the designated values are relative positions, and the default position is designated as it is.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a screen display example of the position correction page when the absolute position is designated in FIG. When the absolute position is designated as shown in FIG. 9, the rectangle 93, which is a fixed / relative designation, is fixed, and the position of the legend is input from the keyboard 2 to the rectangles 91 and 92 as absolute coordinates from the origin. .. That is, "X = 45", "Y =
5 ”.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a graph display example in which the legend is position-corrected by the absolute position designation of FIG. In FIG. 10, it can be seen that the legend 100 is aligned with the right end of the graph and the upper end is aligned 5 mm above the upper end of the graph.

Next, consider the case where the position of the Y axis is changed from left to right. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a parameter designation page of the property sheet when the Y axis position is designated to be changed, and the designation in the rectangle 111 of the “Y axis position” is changed to “right”.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display when the position of the Y axis is changed after the position is corrected by the absolute position designation. In FIG. 12, since the legend 120 is designated by the absolute position from the origin, the Y-axis and the Y-axis label and the legend 120 are drawn so as to overlap each other.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of the position correction page when the legend position change is designated by the relative position.
When the position of the legend is aligned with the right edge of the graph and the upper edge is aligned with 5 mm above the upper edge of the graph as a relative value from the default position, "X = -5", "Y = -5"
Becomes

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display when the position correction is performed by the relative position designation shown in FIG.
FIG. 14A is a graph display example when the Y axis is changed when position correction is not performed, and FIG. 14B is a graph display example when legend position correction is performed by relative position designation. is there. In FIG. 14A, since the Y-axis label is attached to the right end of the graph, the legend 140 is pushed to the right side of the Y-axis label by 5 mm as it is. Therefore, no particular problem occurs. In addition, in FIG. 14B, the legend 1
Since the relative position of 41 is designated, the legend does not overlap the Y-axis and Y-axis labels as in FIG.

Further, the case of changing the size of the graph will be described. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a parameter designation display example when the parameter designation relating to the size in FIG. 5 is changed. In FIG. 15, the graph size is changed from “width = 65 mm” to “width 10” in response to the parameter designation in FIG.
0 ", so the left margin is changed from" 0 "mm to" 4 "mm and the right margin is changed from" 0 "mm to" 2 "mm
Has been changed to.

On the other hand, consider the case where relative position designation and absolute position designation are performed for the respective legends.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a graph display example when the relative position is designated according to FIG. It is displayed as intended by the user without any problems.

On the other hand, FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a graph display example when the absolute position is designated according to FIG. In this case, the graph is displayed as specified, but the position of the legend is not automatically changed. For this reason, conventionally, the user had to further perform the position correction of the legend at the absolute position, but if it is specified by the relative value from the default position as in the present embodiment, the graph element is always relative. Since there is a positional relationship, the relative position is automatically corrected without any particular position correction.

As described above, in this embodiment, the user can arbitrarily select the relative position designation and the absolute position designation on the position correction page for the position correction of the graph element.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a graph of a predetermined format is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, the positional relationship of each graph element forming the graph is set as an initial setting condition. Since it can be specified by relative position from, even when changing graph parameters, the user does not need to perform complicated position correction, the relative position relationship of the graph is maintained, and it is set automatically. It has an advantage that a graph can be created and edited.

Further, the position correction of the above-mentioned graph element is performed by
You can specify relative position and absolute position,
Since the user can arbitrarily select and specify, there is an advantage that it has flexibility for position correction at the time of creating and editing the graph.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a graph creating apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display state when editing a display unit 3 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example in which a property sheet is opened.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart for creating a graph by the graph creating apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which parameter designation is selected on the property sheet of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing drawing of a bar graph by specifying parameters in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a screen display example of a position correction page.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a screen display example of a position correction page when an arbitrary graph element is selected.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a screen display example of a position correction page when an absolute position is designated in FIG.

10 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display in which the position of the legend is corrected by specifying the absolute position in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a parameter designation page of a property sheet when the position change of the Y axis is designated.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display when the position of the Y axis is changed after the position is corrected by the absolute position designation.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a position correction page when the legend position change is designated by a relative position.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a graph display when position correction is performed by designating a relative position in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a parameter designation display example when the parameter designation relating to the size in FIG. 5 is changed.

16 is a diagram showing a graph display example when the relative position is designated according to FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a graph display example when absolute position designation is performed according to FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 mouse 2 keyboard 3 display unit 4 external storage device 10 control unit 11 main control unit 12 selection unit 13
Calculation unit 14 Main storage unit 15 Graph arrangement unit 16 to 19 Interface 20 Icon 21 Document window 22 Graph frame

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. When a graph of a predetermined format is generated from a plurality of data to be graphed, a positional relationship between graph elements constituting the graph is determined by a preset setting condition and the graph is displayed. In the graph creating device to create, based on the relative position information instructing means for instructing relative position information from the position of the graph element determined by the setting condition, relative position information instructed by the relative position information instructing means Absolute position information calculating means for calculating absolute position information corresponding to the graph element; and first graph element arranging means for arranging the graph element based on the absolute position information calculated by the absolute position information calculating means. A graph creating device comprising: 2. An absolute position information indicating means for indicating absolute position information of the graph element, and a second graph element arrangement for arranging the graph element based on the absolute position information indicated by the absolute position information indicating means. 2. The graph creating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means and position information instruction selecting means for selecting an instruction by the relative position information instructing means and an instruction by the absolute position information instructing means.