Chart Add-ons

Add commonly used chart features and decorations to existing charts with ease

Adding totals to the tops of stacked column charts, or to the right of stacked bar charts, using native Excel functionality is cumbersome. Macabacus expedites this process and adds totals with a click of a button in the Macabacus > Charts > Stacked Column / Bar Totals menu. This tool contemplates and addresses three possible scenarios:

• Totals are already included in the chart data source range. In this scenario, Macabacus ensures that the totals in the chart are formatted properly and replaces missing labels as needed.
• Totals are computed in cells adjacent to the chart data source range, but are not yet included in the chart data. In this case, Macabacus adds cells containing totals to the chart data source range.
• Totals are not found in cells adjacent to the chart data source range. In this scenario, Macabacus can compute totals for you and add them to the chart.

Add a statistic (average or median) or arbitrary value line to a single-series clustered or stacked column or bar chart or certain types of line charts. Access this tool from the Macabacus > Charts > Stat Line menu.

Add a target/threshold band with upper and lower bounds to column, bar, line, and scatter charts. Access this tool using the Macabacus > Charts > Target Band button.

Many column-based charts include growth arrows above the columns showing a CAGR or other growth rate. Often, these arrows are hastily and imprecisely drawn on top of charts as Office shapes, require tedious formatting, and do not update when the underlying data changes.

Macabacus adds growth arrows to your column charts as a new data series. To add a growth arrow, select your stacked or clustered column chart and click the Macabacus > Charts > Growth Arrow button. The resulting dialog presents you with several options for customizing the growth arrow, and your preferences are saved for the next time you use this tool.

The Growth Arrow dialog computes a CAGR automatically based on the chart data. You can override this computed CAGR by manually entering a growth rate, or by selecting a cell containing the growth rate you want to appear in the arrow's data label. You can adjust the formatting of the arrow and its data label in this dialog, as well as adjust the position of the arrow to avoid overlap with other chart elements, for example.

Macabacus lets you add the growth arrow as either a dynamic series linked to worksheet data, or a fixed (i.e., static) series that does not update when chart data changes. A dynamic series uses formulas to position the arrow on the chart, just like any normal data-driven chart series. To create a dynamic arrow, Macabacus adds a few rows to your worksheet (preferably adjacent to the existing chart data) containing formulas that compute the growth arrow position. A static arrow, on the other hand, is "hardcoded" into the chart, but can be updated by simply reopening and closing the Growth Arrow dialog. A static arrow may be appropriate for a "quick-and-dirty" CAGR arrow on a chart whose data you do not expect to change, or if you want to avoid worksheet changes required by a dynamic arrow.

_{This documentation refers to the latest Macabacus version. Some features and descriptions of these features may not apply to older versions of Macabacus. Update your Macabacus software to take advantage of the latest features.}