How to get correct Legend for ColorGrid AND Line Series

[X-ray]

Hello,

We produce graphics like in the attached plot with TChart, where we use a ColorGrid plus 3 Line Series.
Usually we display the Colors of the Color Grid in the Legend. Now we want in addition to show a legend for the 3 Line Series. But when we include the Line Series in the Legend the Color Grid colors are vanishing, see attachment.
How can we have the Color Grid colors Legend AND a Legend for the Line Series?





Thanks and best regards

[Yeray]

Hello,

When the legend shows the palette, I don't see a lot of space to show any other item. Then, the ExtraLegendTool may be the most appropriate solution for this.
See the example here.

[X-ray]

Hello Yeray,

Thanks for the quick response, that indeed seems to be a way to proceed.
But how can I make sure to just just show the 3 Line Series in THAT extra legend?

Best regards,

Thomas

[X-ray]

To phrase this question differently, how can I explicitly decide in which of both (or more) Legends any Series is shown?
Because Series.ShowInLegend is global for all Legends.

[Yeray]

Hello,

You could do something similar to the discussed here.

Code: Select all

uses TeEngine, Chart, Series, TeeSurfa, TeeExtraLegendTool;

type TMyExtraLegendTool=class(TExtraLegendTool)
  protected
    procedure ChartEvent(AEvent: TChartToolEvent); override;
end;

TLegendAccess=class(TChartLegend);

var Chart1: TChart;

procedure TMyExtraLegendTool.ChartEvent(AEvent: TChartToolEvent);
var i: Integer;
begin
  if AEvent=cteAfterDraw then
  begin
    for i:=0 to ParentChart.SeriesCount-1 do
        ParentChart[i].ShowInLegend:=ParentChart[i] is TLineSeries;

    if Assigned(ParentChart) and Assigned(Series) then
    begin
      if Legend.Visible then
      begin
        TLegendAccess(Legend).CalcRect;
        Legend.DrawLegend;
      end;
    end;
  end;
end;

procedure TForm1.Chart1BeforeDrawChart(Sender: TObject);
var i: Integer;
begin
  for i:=0 to Chart1.SeriesCount-1 do
      Chart1[i].ShowInLegend:=Chart1[i] is TColorGridSeries;
end;

procedure TForm1.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var i: Integer;
begin
  Chart1:=TChart.Create(Self);

  with Chart1 do
  begin
    Parent:=Self;
    Align:=alClient;
    Color:=clWhite;
    Gradient.Visible:=False;
    Walls.Back.Color:=clWhite;
    Walls.Back.Gradient.Visible:=False;
    View3D:=False;

    OnBeforeDrawChart:=Chart1BeforeDrawChart;
  end;

  with TColorGridSeries(Chart1.AddSeries(TColorGridSeries)) do
  begin
    Pen.Hide;
    FillSampleValues;
  end;

  for i:=0 to 1 do
  with TLineSeries(Chart1.AddSeries(TLineSeries)) do
  begin
    Pen.Width:=2;
    FillSampleValues;
  end;

  Chart1.Draw;

  with TMyExtraLegendTool(Chart1.Tools.Add(TMyExtraLegendTool)) do
  begin
    Series:=Chart1[1];
    Legend.LegendStyle:=lsSeries;
    Legend.Left:=Chart1.Legend.Left;
    Legend.Top:=Chart1.ChartRect.Top;
  end;
end;

ColorGrid_Line_ExtraLegend.png (41.2 KiB) Viewed 28860 times

[X-ray]

Thanks a lot, we are practically there:

NewCapture.PNG (383.05 KiB) Viewed 28847 times

I am setting the Position in the Create of the form but it looks like I need to update the position of the
extra legend before the painting.
One other quick question, how can I change/influence the texts that are shown in the Extra legend, I'd like to have other text than names of the Series?

[Yeray]

Hello,

I am setting the Position in the Create of the form but it looks like I need to update the position of the
extra legend before the painting.

Yes, that's why I called Draw before creating the TExtraLegendTool at OnCreate in the example above.

One other quick question, how can I change/influence the texts that are shown in the Extra legend, I'd like to have other text than names of the Series?

We use to recommend adding extra dummy series to be shown in the legend.
You'd have one extra series for each entry you want to show in the legend. You can set their Color property to match the colors of the main series, setting your custom Title to them, but without adding any data to them.
Knowing their indexes, you could modify the code in the TMyExtraLegendTool.ChartEvent to only activate ShowInLegend property for those dummy series.

[X-ray]

Ok, I just had to populate the Title properties of the Line Series, all perfect now, thanks!

Latest2Capture.PNG (498.9 KiB) Viewed 28843 times