Format Platform dialog

This dialog appears when you double-click the platform of a chart, or right-click a chart and then select Format Platform from the shortcut menu. The platform of a chart is the container of the other chart elements, such as the paper, legend, and labels. This dialog allows you to format the platform of the chart at any time, and consists of the following tabs:

• Fill tab
• Border tab

OK

Applies the changes and closes the dialog.

Cancel

Does not retain any changes and closes the dialog.

Apply

Applies all changes and leaves the dialog open.

Help

Displays the help document about this feature.

Fill tab

Specifies the color schema to fill the platform. See the tab.

Color

Specifies the color with which to fill the platform.

To change the color, click the color image button to display the color palette in which you can select a color, or click More Colors to customize the color within a wider range in the Pick a Color dialog, or click More Fill Effects to customize in the Fill Effects dialog. You can also input the hexadecimal value of a color directly in the text box after # if you have changed the default color.

Transparency

Specifies the transparency of the color.

Sample

Displays the selected color and its transparency effects.

Border tab

Specifies the properties for borders of the chart platform. See the tab.

Border Type

Specifies the type for border of the platform.

• none
  The object has no visible border lines (default value).
• raised
  The object has 3D borders that appear as if they are raised off the page.
• recess
  The object has 3D borders that appear as if they are pressed into the page.
• shadow
  The object has two shadowed borders, beneath and to the right of the object.

Color

Specifies the color for border of the platform.

To change the color, click the color image button to display the color palette in which you can select a color, or click More Colors to customize the color within a wider range in the Pick a Color dialog. You can also input the hexadecimal value of a color directly in the text box after #.

Transparency

Specifies the transparency for color of the border.

Line Style

Specifies the line style to apply to the border of the platform.

Thickness

Specifies the thickness of the border, in pixels.

End Caps

Specifies the ending style of the border line.

• butt
  Ends unclosed sub paths and dash segments with no added decoration.
• round
  Ends unclosed sub paths and dash segments with a round decoration that has a radius equal to half of the width of the pen.
• square
  Ends unclosed sub paths and dash segments with a square projection that extends beyond the end of the segment to a distance equal to half of the line width.

Line Joint

Specifies the line joint style for the border line.

• miter
  Joins path segments by extending their outside edges until they meet.
• round
  Joins path segments by rounding off the corner at a radius of half the line width.
• bevel
  Joins path segments by connecting the outer corners of their wide outlines with a straight segment.
• joint round
  Joins path segments by rounding off the corner at the specified radius.

Path

Specifies the fill pattern of the border line.

• Outline Path
  Specifies the fill pattern of the border line to be outline path.
• Fill Path
  Specifies the fill pattern of the border line to be whole path.

Dash

Specifies the dash size of the border line.

• Auto Adjusted Dash
  If selected, the dash size will be adjusted automatically.
• Fixed Dash Size
  If selected, the dash size will be fixed size.

Radius

Specifies the radius for the border joint of the platform border line. This option is available only when the border line joint is set to joint round.

Related topics:

• Formatting the platform