BPS Resolver Ballot features several automatically generated chart background options, including an ability for the voting option values (1, 2, 3 etc.) to run through the middle of a colored square instead of along the boundary.
The Chart Settings screen is used to change colors, fonts, and backgrounds for the Chart screens. There are many other options relating to the chart screens regarding what data should be presented and how.
If a chart is already open, from the chart Sub menu select View drop-down > Format Settings
Or
From anywhere else in Ballot, navigate to Vote & Report > Tools > Options and then click Charts in the Appearance section.
Overview of Options
Chart Background:
There are three key choices here:
Color and Style: The placement of a colored background for the chart
Picture: The use of an image as the background, such as a photograph, product image or company logo.
XY Chart Heat Map: The use of a color-coded background that indicates greater importance in some areas of the screen rather than others.
The picture option can be used in conjunction with either the background or XY Heat Map. For example, a logo could be placed on one corner of the chart area with the background color or XY heat map occupying the rest of the area.
Further detail on the three options:
Color:
The chart background will default to a “flat color” as set in the Background Colors section on this screen or on the Tools > Options screen. Alternatively, the Background Style option will enable various shaded backgrounds based on a mix of two colors. To select the second color, click the blend color and choose a shade from the colors provided.
Picture:
A custom graphic such as a photograph, product image or company logo can be displayed as the background to the chart, instead of a colored background.
Click on the Picture option and the screen will change to enable you to browse for a graphic stored on your computer and position the image. The positioning choices are as follows:
- Tiled: The image is repeated in rows and columns, assuming that the image size is smaller than the space available in the background of the chart, covering the entire chart area.
- Center or Justify: The image will be shown in its actual size in the position indicated. The Center and Justify options will enable the background color or the XY heat map to be visible.
- Fit chart: The image will be stretched or compressed to fill the chart background. Area. This may cause some distortion of the image.
XY Chart Heat Map
Many users of heat maps wish to communicate to participants that the top right corner of the chart contains items of greater importance than the other areas. Heat Maps are used only in scatter charts. A typical heat map is displayed below.
Ballot enables various versions of the heat map. The available choices are:
- Light/Medium/Dark colors: This is available as a personal preference and to enable maximum contrast with other chart elements such as data points and labels.
- Custom colors: Enables the user to create their own color system as an alternative to the standard “traffic light” color scheme. For example:
- To change the three colors click on the Low, Med and High color boxes adjacent.
- Color Grid: Some Ballot users prefer a grid design to a shaded design, such as the example below.
- By default, the number of squares related to the number of choices. This can be edited as can the actual color choices. You can create a custom grid using a number of blocks (between 2 and 9) on both the X-axis and Y-axis and selecting colors from a list. Click on the Settings button to customize a heat map grid.
- Additional specific grids include Grid on Scales and Grid between Scales. For Grid on Scales, the number values of the choices line up with the lines of the grid. For example, the value "2" would appear on the edge of two squares. Grid between Scales offset the grid by half a square, enabling values to appear in the middle of a colored square instead of on its edge. For these options, a High, Medium and Low color may be selected. Any intermediate colors required to construct the grid (for example orange between red and yellow) are generated automatically.
Background Colors
- Change screen, chart and legend colors, by clicking on the colored box to access the color choices. Alternatively, use the Color Gallery to select from a preset pallet of color choices.
Fonts
- Use font settings to change the fonts for the all elements of the screen (All) or additionally set different fonts for all the text elements of the chart separately. Click on the Font… button to set the font choice and the adjacent box to select the color.
- Use the columns headings option to change the text style for each title and the height of the title bar, relative to the other rows.
- Use the ‘Item’ Heading option to change the heading of the titles columns to the word of your choosing (e.g. project, idea, question, risk, control etc.)
- Use the Row Contents option to set titles for text style and default fixed or variable heights for each row.