Powerpoint 2007 Chart Type appearance

[Leiloh]

Hi,

I am trying to create a floating bar chart in Powerpoint 2007 but on 'Change
chart type' I keep getting a narrow selection of chart types - no additional
'Custom type' tab which should include 'floating bar' type.
However, if I open existing PP 2003 presentation with such charts and
right-click 'chart type' there the old-fashion (2003) window appears and
everything seems fine (backwards compatibility = checked!)
How can I see the proper chart type selection in a new presentation in PP
2007?

Many thanks!
Jelena

 

[Echo S]

You are working in compatibility mode, right? So you're working with an
old-style (like in 2003) MS Graph chart, not an Excel chart?

(When you use Insert | Chart in PPT 2007, it embeds an Excel chart with
dummy data.)

When I use Insert | Object | MS Graph Chart here in 2007 and then save my
file as a PPT file (97-2003 format), I am prompted to convert the chart
before I can edit it. So I double-click the chart and choose Edit Existing.
When I right-click and choose Chart Type, I get the old dialog with the
Custom Types tab. This is because I'm working with an old-style MS Graph
chart because I chose to "edit existing," and the existing was an old-style
chart. This is basically what's happening if you open a 2003 file in 2007
and double-click the chart and choose "edit existing."

If I don't edit existing and instead choose to convert when I double-click
the chart, my chart is converted to an Excel chart, which is the 2007-style
chart format. Then when I right-click and Change Chart Type, I get the new
chart type dialog. There is no "custom type" tab on this one. To make a
floating bar chart, I'd choose a stacked bar and then change the first data
point to have no line and no fill. Then I'd save that as a chart template
for future use. If there's an easier way to do it than creating a stacked
bar and changing the formatting of the first point, then I'm hope one of the
Excel MVPs will be along soon to let us know!

If you need info on chart templates (new feature in PPT 2007), holler back.

 

[Andy Pope]

Hi,

Custom chart types where dropped in xl2007.
You can create floating bar types by creating a bar chart with 2 series and
formatting the first series to have no fill or border.

The floating bar is known as a gantt chart. See here for more detail
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=343

Cheers
Andy