Exploded pie charts

[Dan]

I want to "explode" two slices together on a pie chart.
That is 4 of the 6 pie slices would not be exploded and
the two others would be exploded as a single wedge but
with two different colors. Any hints or solutions?

 

[Jon Peltier]

Dan -

In Excel, you can only explode a pie chart uniformly. You can't just
blow up independent wedges.

One workaround is to hold Shift while selecting Copy Picture from the
Edit menu, selecting the On Screen and As Picture options, pasting the
picture of the chart, and ungrouping it. Now you can move the wedges
independently. I didn't like the way this worked.

Another option is to make two copies of the chart. One one chart,
format the two wedges you want to explode to be invisible (no border, no
fill); on the other chart, hide all the other wedges the same way.
Explode the one chart, format the chart area of the top chart to be
invisible, and line them on top of each other. I didn't like this too
much, either, but with some resizing and repositioning of the plot areas
of the two charts, you might get something you can live with. If you do
a lot of this, you could probably write some VBA code that algebraically
sets the plot area sizes and the degree of explosion of the charts.

- Jon

 

[Andy Pope]

Hi,

It is possible to explode all slices in a pie to different distances
from the center. But you can not automatically keep 2 slices side by
side. As the slices explode they do so along their own radius/angle.
Which causes the slices to move away from each other.

So, this is how you explode the pie.
Start by selecting the pie and then drag a slice, this will as Jon said
cause the pie to explode, scattering all slices at once.

Now select a single slice, one you do NOT want to be exploded, drag this
back towards the center of the pie. Repeat for all slices that are not
required.

If you really want the slices to be together then this will require
using the pie to create custom markers for an xy-scatter chart.
The positioning of the custom markers requires some trig formula.
(If you really need the slices together email me and I will try and
locate an example I have previously done)

Dan -

In Excel, you can only explode a pie chart uniformly. You can't just
blow up independent wedges.

One workaround is to hold Shift while selecting Copy Picture from the
Edit menu, selecting the On Screen and As Picture options, pasting the
picture of the chart, and ungrouping it. Now you can move the wedges
independently. I didn't like the way this worked.

Another option is to make two copies of the chart. One one chart,
format the two wedges you want to explode to be invisible (no border, no
fill); on the other chart, hide all the other wedges the same way.
Explode the one chart, format the chart area of the top chart to be
invisible, and line them on top of each other. I didn't like this too
much, either, but with some resizing and repositioning of the plot areas
of the two charts, you might get something you can live with. If you do
a lot of this, you could probably write some VBA code that algebraically
sets the plot area sizes and the degree of explosion of the charts.

- Jon

--

Cheers
Andy

http://www.andypope.info

 

[Andy Pope]

In fact the separate slice split is even simplier.
Just select the pie and then select the slice. Drag the single slice.
No need to explode and rebuild.

Hi,

It is possible to explode all slices in a pie to different distances
from the center. But you can not automatically keep 2 slices side by
side. As the slices explode they do so along their own radius/angle.
Which causes the slices to move away from each other.

So, this is how you explode the pie.
Start by selecting the pie and then drag a slice, this will as Jon said
cause the pie to explode, scattering all slices at once.

Now select a single slice, one you do NOT want to be exploded, drag this
back towards the center of the pie. Repeat for all slices that are not
required.

If you really want the slices to be together then this will require
using the pie to create custom markers for an xy-scatter chart.
The positioning of the custom markers requires some trig formula.
(If you really need the slices together email me and I will try and
locate an example I have previously done)

--

Cheers
Andy

http://www.andypope.info

 

[Jon Peltier]

Andy -

I played with that stupid pie chart for a half hour, and couldn't make
the pie slices move separately. I read your post and said sure, doesn't
work. But I tried it again, and it did work.

Learn something every day. Thanks for teaching.

- Jon