HOWTO: Change Colors to Patterns with the MSChart Control

• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, versions 5.0, 6.0
  on the following platforms: NT, Win95, Win98

SUMMARY

By default, the MSChart control uses colors to differentiate between data sets. This works well on a color monitor or printer, but if a printout to a monochrome printer is created, the colors may be hard to distinguish. Using the code provided, you can programmatically change the MSChart control to use patterns instead of colors.

MORE INFORMATION

Modifying some properties is all that needs to be done to get the MSChart control to use patterns.

Step-by-Step Example

1. Create a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.



2. Choose Components from the Project menu to show the Components Dialog.



3. In Visual Basic 5.0, select "Microsoft Chart Control." In Visual Basic 6.0, select "Microsoft Chart Control 6.0 (OLEDB)."



4. Place an instance of the Chart control and a CommandButton on Form1.



5. Place the following code in the General Declaration Section of Form1:

   
        Private Sub Command1_Click()
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(1).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Style _
           = VtBrushStylePattern
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(1).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Index _
           = VtBrushPatternBoldDownDiagonal
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(1).DataPoints(-1).Brush.FillColor.Set _
           255, 255, 255
   
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(2).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Style _
           = VtBrushStylePattern
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(2).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Index _
           = VtBrushPatternBoldHorizontal
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(2).DataPoints(-1).Brush.FillColor.Set _
           255, 255, 255
   
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(3).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Style _
           = VtBrushStylePattern
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(3).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Index _
           = VtBrushPatternBoldUpDiagonal
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(3).DataPoints(-1).Brush.FillColor.Set _
           255, 255, 255
   
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(4).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Style _
           = VtBrushStylePattern
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(4).DataPoints(-1).Brush.Index _
           = VtBrushPatternBoldVertical
        MSChart1.Plot.SeriesCollection(4).DataPoints(-1).Brush.FillColor.Set _
           255, 255, 255
        End Sub 




6. Run the project and click Command1 and note that the chart now uses monochrome patterns instead of colors.

REFERENCES

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q168749 HOWTO: Print the Contents of the MS Chart Control

Additional query words: kbDSupport kbDSD kbVBp kbVBp500 kbVBp600 kbCtrl

Keywords : kbGrpVB
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,6.0
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto