Create multiple charts from dynamic columns in a table - excel

Question

I would like to create a macro that runs through a series of data in a table and is able to automatically create multiple formatted graphs from it.
Here is what I'm working with (below):
Sub MakeXYGraph()
'https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62285791/dynamically-select-cells-and-input-in-chart
Dim ws As Worksheet
Set ws = Sheet1 'This is the codename of the sheet where the data is
'For the test, deleting all the previous charts
Dim vChartObject As ChartObject
For Each vChartObject In ws.ChartObjects
vChartObject.Delete
Next vChartObject
'rngData is the range where the data are. It is assumed that nothing else is on the sheet than what you displ
Dim rngData As Range
Set rngData = ws.UsedRange.Offset(1).Resize(ws.UsedRange.Rows.Count - 1)
' Get the number of series
Dim iMaxSeries As Integer
iMaxSeries = Application.WorksheetFunction.Max(rngData.Columns(1))
' Is the actual Series, but in the sheet it called Point
Dim iPoint As Integer
'Used for setting the ranges for the series data
Dim lFirstRow As Long, lLastRow As Long, lFirstColumn As Long, lLastColumn As Long
lFirstColumn = rngData(1).Column
lLastColumn = rngData.Columns(rngData.Columns.Count).Column
'Creating the Chart
Dim cht As ChartObject
Set cht = ws.ChartObjects.Add(Left:=250, Width:=500, Top:=50, Height:=300)
With cht.Chart
.ChartType = xlXYScatterLines
'X axis name
.Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).HasTitle = True
.Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).AxisTitle.Characters.Text = "Vertical Displacement"
'Y-axis name
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).HasTitle = True
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).AxisTitle.Characters.Text = "Vertical Coordinate"
' deleting the unwanted series (Excel tries to find out the data, but no need for it.)
Do Until .SeriesCollection.Count = 0
.SeriesCollection(1).Delete
Loop
End With
For iPoint = 1 To iMaxSeries
'Search for the first occurence of the point
lFirstRow = rngData.Columns(1).Offset(-1).Find(what:=iPoint).Row
'Search for the first occurence of the second point -1 is the last of this point
If iPoint = iMaxSeries Then
lLastRow = rngData.Rows(rngData.Rows.Count).Row - 1
Else
lLastRow = rngData.Columns(1).Find(what:=iPoint + 1).Row - 1
End If
'Add the series
With cht.Chart.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
.XValues = ws.Range(Cells(lFirstRow, lFirstColumn + 1), Cells(lLastRow, lLastColumn - 1))
.Values = ws.Range(Cells(lFirstRow, lFirstColumn + 2), Cells(lLastRow, lLastColumn))
.Name = "Point " & CStr(iPoint)
End With
Next iPoint
End Sub
Which plots the vertical coordinate vs. vertical displacement columns from this table:
To create this graph:
However, as you can see from the image with the table, I have multiple columns, and I would like to like to make graphs for several columns, all with the same format as the vertical coordinate vs. vertical displacement chart above, without interfering with the previous charts created. For example, the second graph that I would like to create is vertical coordinate vs. vertical stress. There is additional data on this worksheet, so one cannot just assume that the rest of the worksheet is blank.
One issue is that as you can see there are four different point numbers (1,2,3,4) and each point number is iterated 9 times. However, these numbers can change (for example there could be 8 Point numbers with three iterations each, and thus the data is dynamic and shouldn't just consider 4 Point No.'s with 9 iterations). And the table data will always be located starting from cell "C8". The current code deals with this.
The reason why the current code doesn't satisfy this is because it assumes that there is no other data on the worksheet where the table is (but there is). I want to be able to add more columns and create more charts (all of them plotted against vertical coordinate column) without affecting the other charts. Please if there is any way to modify the code so then I could create charts for several sets of data on the same worksheet then that would be much appreciated! I'm not sure what the best way to approach this is. Thank you.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cuW2eWYwrkNeJ-TmatiC4-PFodflNbSN/view?usp=sharing

Answer 1

Here's one approach:
Sub MakeXYGraph()
Const PLOT_HEIGHT As Long = 200
Const PLOT_WIDTH As Long = 300
Dim ws As Worksheet
Dim cht As ChartObject
Dim rngData As Range, rngHeaders As Range
Dim col As Long, posTop As Long, posLeft As Long
Dim ptRanges As Object, pt, dataRows As Range, i As Long
Set ws = Sheet1 'This is the codename of the sheet where the data is
For i = ws.ChartObjects.Count To 1 Step -1
ws.ChartObjects(i).Delete
Next i
Set rngData = ws.Range("C7").CurrentRegion
Set rngHeaders = rngData.Rows(1) 'the header row
Set rngData = rngData.Offset(1, 0).Resize(rngData.Rows.Count - 1) 'just the data
Set ptRanges = PointRanges(rngData.Columns(1))
posTop = ws.Range("M2").Top
posLeft = ws.Range("M2").Left
For col = 3 To rngData.Columns.Count
'add the chart
Set cht = NewChart(ws, posLeft, PLOT_WIDTH, posTop, PLOT_HEIGHT, rngHeaders.Cells(col).Value)
'loop over the keys of the dictionary containing the point numbers and corresponding ranges
For Each pt In ptRanges
Set dataRows = ptRanges(pt).EntireRow
With cht.Chart.SeriesCollection.NewSeries
.XValues = dataRows.Columns(rngData.Columns(col).Column)
.Values = dataRows.Columns(rngData.Columns(2).Column)
.Name = "Point " & pt
End With
Next pt
posTop = posTop + PLOT_HEIGHT
Next col
End Sub
'Scan the "point No" column and collect unique values and
' corresponding ranges in a Scripting Dictionary object
' assumes data is sorted by point no
Function PointRanges(pointsRange As Range) As Object
Dim dict As Object, c As Range, p, rng As Range
Set dict = CreateObject("scripting.dictionary")
For Each c In pointsRange.Cells
p = c.Value
If Not dict.exists(p) Then
dict.Add p, c 'add the start cell
Else
Set dict(p) = dict(p).Resize(dict(p).Count + 1) 'resize to add this cell
End If
Next c
Set PointRanges = dict
End Function
'add a chart and do some initial configuration
Function NewChart(ws As Worksheet, L, W, T, H, yAxisName As String)
Dim cht As ChartObject
Set cht = ws.ChartObjects.Add(Left:=L, Width:=W, Top:=T, Height:=H)
With cht.Chart
.ChartType = xlXYScatterLines
.Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).HasTitle = True 'X axis name
.Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).AxisTitle.Characters.Text = yAxisName
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).HasTitle = True 'Y-axis name
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).AxisTitle.Characters.Text = "Vertical Coordinate"
.Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).ReversePlotOrder = True
Do While .SeriesCollection.Count > 0
.SeriesCollection(1).Delete
Loop
End With
Set NewChart = cht
End Function