Transforming the Coordinate System

Many visualizations are displayed in a flat, rectangular coordinate system. You can transform the coordinate system as needed. For example, you can apply a polar transformation to the coordinate system, add oblique drop shadow effects, and transpose the axes. You can also undo any of these transformations if they are already applied to the current visualization. For example, a pie chart is drawn in a polar coordinate system. You can undo the polar transformation and display the pie chart as a single stacked bar in a rectangular coordinate system.

How to Transform the Coordinate System

1. Select the coordinate system that you want to transform. You select the coordinate system by selecting the frame around the individual graph.
2. Click the Coordinates tab on the properties palette.
3. Select the transformations that you want to apply to the coordinate system. You can also deselect a transformation to undo it.

   Transposed. Changing the orientation of the axes is called transposing. It is similar to swapping the vertical and horizontal axes in a 2-D visualization.

   Polar. A polar transformation draws the graphic elements at a specific angle and distance from the center of the graph. A pie chart is a 1-D visualization with a polar transformation that draws the individual bars at specific angles. A radar chart is a 2-D visualization with a polar transformation that draws graphic elements at specific angles and distances from the center of the graph. A 3-D visualization would also include an additional depth dimension.

   Oblique. An oblique transformation adds a 3-D effect to the graphic elements. This transformation adds depth to the graphic elements, but the depth is purely decorative. It is not influenced by particular data values.

   Same Ratio. Applying the same ratio specifies that the same distance on each scale represents the same difference in data values. For example, 2cm on both scales represent a difference of 1000.

   Pre-transform inset %. If axes are clipped after the transformation, you may want to add insets to the graph before applying the transformation. The insets shrink the dimensions by a certain percentage before any transformations are applied to the coordinate system. You have control over the lower x, upper x, lower y, and upper y dimensions, in that order.

   Post-transform inset %. If you want to change the aspect ratio of the graph, you can add insets to the graph after applying the transformation. The insets shrink the dimensions by a certain percentage after any transformations are applied to the coordinate system. These insets can also be applied even if no transformation is applied to the graph. You have control over the lower x, upper x, lower y, and upper y dimensions, in that order.