Format Surface dialog

This dialog appears when you double-click a surface of a chart, or right-click it and then select Format Surface from the shortcut menu. It helps you to format surfaces in a chart, and consists of the following tabs:

• Fill tab
• Border tab
• Data Label 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 or fill effect and the transparency for the surfaces. See the tab.

Color

Specifies the color schema for the selected surfaces in the same data series.

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 schema.

Color List

Opens the Color List dialog to modify color pattern for surfaces in the same data series.

Sample

Displays a preview sample of your selection.

Border tab

Specifies properties for border of the surfaces, which take effect only when the Border property on chart paper is set to true in the Report Inspector. See the tab

Border Style

Displays the type for border of the surfaces. The default value is solid, and cannot be changed.

Color

Specifies the color for border of the surfaces.

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 border of the surfaces.

Thickness

Specifies the thickness of the border, in pixels.

End Caps

Specify 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.

Sample

Displays a preview sample of your selection.

Path

Specifies the fill pattern of the border line.

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

Data Label tab

Specifies properties for data labels displayed on the surfaces. See the tab.

Static Data Label

Specifies properties of the static data labels. Not supported on surface chart.

Font

Specifies the font format of text in the data labels.

• Font list
  Lists all the available font faces that can be selected to apply to the text.
• Font Size
  Specifies the font size of the text.
• Font Color
  Specifies the font color of the text.

  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 #.

• Transparency
  Specifies the transparency of the text.
• Rotation
  Specifies the rotation angle of the text around its center, in degrees. The default value is 0.
• Shearing
  Specifies the gradient of the text.

Effects

Specifies the special effects of text in the data labels.

• Style
  Specifies the font style of the text. It can be one of the following: plain, bold, italic, and bold italic.
• Strikethrough
  Specifies the style of the horizontal line with which the text is struck through. It can be one of the following: none, thin line, bold line, and double lines.
• Underline
  Specifies the style of the horizontal line under the text. It can be one of the following: none, single, single lower, bold line, bold lower, double lines, bold double, patterned line, and bold patterned.
• Superscript
  Raises the text above the baseline and changes the text to a smaller font size, if a smaller size is available.
• Embossed
  Makes the text appear to be raised off the page in relief.
• Outlined
  Displays the inner and outer borders of each character.
• Subscript
  Lowers the text below the baseline and changes the text to a smaller font size, if a smaller size is available.
• Engraved
  Makes the text appear to be imprinted or pressed into the page.
• Shadowed
  Adds a shadow beneath and to the right of the text.

Related topics:

• Formatting the surface