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I've been asked to reproduce a bar chart generated in Excel in Mathematica. The original Excel chart looks like this;

Excel chart

My Mathematica version looks like this;

Mathematica chart

There are a couple of things wrong that I'd like to fix;

  1. The BarChart and ListPlot overlay doesn't seem to match up.
  2. The ChartLabels seem to have disappeared on the BarChart.
  3. Is there a nice way to make the ticks on the left and right sides match up (like when the Excel chart matches 9 % on the left to 90 % on the right)?
  4. I can't get the box and line to center align to the text in the legend.

Questions 1 and 2 are what I really need to fix, but 3 and 4 would be nice to have. Any help would be appreciated.

Here's the code I used to generate my chart;

purple = RGBColor[97/255, 16/255, 106/255]; orange = RGBColor[245/255, 132/255, 31/255]; labels = { "FY15 Q1/2", "FY15 Q3/4", "FY16 Q1/2", "FY16 Q3/4", "FY17 Q1/Q2", "FY17 Q3/Q4", "FY18 Q1/2", "FY18 Q3/4" }; starvedTime = {7.55, 11.23, 8.58333, 6.88833, 4.65167, 1.89, 6.49833, 1.95}; satTime = {70.1483, 81.1467, 81.115, 86.5483, 84.6833, 90.685, 79.6017, 91.0133}; plot1 = BarChart[starvedTime, PlotRange -> {0, 12}, ChartStyle -> purple, BaseStyle -> "Text", Frame -> {True, True, True, False}, FrameTicks -> {False, True}, FrameLabel -> {None, Style["Smelter Starved Time (%)", "Text"], None, None}, PlotLabel -> "Smelter Starved Time by 6 Month Period: Base Case", ImageSize -> Large, ChartLabels -> {Placed[Style[#, "Text"] & /@ labels, Below], None}, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, PlotRangePadding -> {0, 0}, BarSpacing -> 1]; plot2 = ListPlot[satTime, Joined -> True, PlotRange -> {60, 100}, PlotStyle -> orange, Frame -> {False, False, False, True}, FrameTicks -> {None, None, None, All}, FrameLabel -> {None, None, None, Style["Smelter Operating at Constraint Rate (%)", "Text"]}, BaseStyle -> "Text", GridLines -> {None, Automatic}, GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Gray, Dashed], ImageSize -> Large]; box = Graphics[{purple, Rectangle[]}, ImageSize -> 12]; text = Style[" Smelter Starved (%) ", "Text"]; line = Graphics[{orange, Line[{{0, 0.5}, {1, 0.5}}]}, ImageSize -> {30, Automatic}]; text2 = Text[Style[" % Time Smelter at Constraint Rate (%) ", "Text"]]; legend = Row[{box, text, line, text2}]; Column[{Overlay[{plot1, plot2}], legend}, Alignment -> {Center, Center}]
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2 Answers 2

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Answers to your 4 questions step by step to see how each of these changes the composite plot:

1. The image padding around the two images differs so you need to set a fixed value for each. With ImagePadding -> {{50, 50}, {50, 10}} as an option for both plots I get this:

enter image description here

2. ChartLabels -> Placed[Style[#, "Text"] & /@ labels, Below],ImagePadding -> {{50, 50}, {20, 10}},

enter image description here

3. in plot #2 add PlotLabel -> ""

enter image description here

4. I almost always prefer Grid to Row:

box = Graphics[{purple, Rectangle[]}, ImageSize -> 12]; text = "Smelter Starved (%)"; line = Graphics[{orange, Line[{{0, 0.5}, {1, 0.5}}]}, ImageSize -> {30, Automatic}]; text2 = "% Time Smelter at Constraint Rate (%)"; legend = Grid[{{box, text, line, text2}}, Alignment -> {{Right, Left}, Center}, BaseStyle -> Directive[FontFamily -> "Arial"], Spacings -> {{0, 0.5, 2}, 0}];

enter image description here

Finishing touches

Bar chart plot ranges go from 0.5 to length of data + 0.5. So set the plot range of your bar chart to PlotRange -> {{0.5, 8.5}, {0, 12}} and for the list plot to PlotRange -> {{0.5, 8.5}, {60, 100}}. Now set your data range for ListPlot to be DataRange -> {1, 8}. This will ensure that the point coincide with the middle of your bars.

plot1 = BarChart[starvedTime, AspectRatio -> 1/GoldenRatio, AxesOrigin -> {0, 0}, BarSpacing -> 1, BaseStyle -> Directive[FontFamily -> "Arial"], ChartLabels -> Placed[labels, Below], ChartStyle -> purple, Frame -> {True, True, True, False}, FrameLabel -> {None, "Smelter Starved Time (%)", None, None}, FrameTicks -> {{#, "", {0, 0.01}} & /@ Range[0.5, 8.5, 1], {0, 3, 6, 9, 12}, None, None}, FrameTicksStyle -> Directive[Plain, 12], GridLines -> {None, {3, 6, 9}}, GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Gray, Dashed], ImagePadding -> {{50, 50}, {20, 10}}, ImageSize -> 600, LabelStyle -> Directive[Bold, 12], PlotLabel -> Style["Smelter Starved Time by 6 Month Period: Base Case", 13], PlotRange -> {{0.5, 8.5}, {0, 12}}, PlotRangePadding -> 0, Ticks -> None]; plot2 = ListPlot[satTime, AspectRatio -> 1/GoldenRatio, Axes -> False, BaseStyle -> Directive[FontFamily -> "Arial"], DataRange -> {1, 8}, Frame -> {False, False, False, True}, FrameTicks -> {None, None, None, {60, 70, 80, 90, 100}}, FrameTicksStyle -> Directive[Plain, 12], FrameLabel -> {None, None, None, "Smelter Operating at Constraint Rate (%)"}, ImageSize -> 600, ImagePadding -> {{50, 50}, {20, 10}}, Joined -> True, LabelStyle -> Directive[Bold, 12], PlotRangePadding -> 0, PlotRange -> {{0.5, 8.5}, {60, 100}}, PlotStyle -> orange, PlotLabel -> Style["", 13]];

enter image description here

Note #1. there is scope for you to match the fonts of the Excel chart.

Note #2. Labeled could be used instead of Column.

Note #3. To completely match the Excel chart you actually need the grid lines to be used in the bar chart rather than the list plot.

Note #4. Added some ticks between the bars.

Note #5. Corrected labels: "FY17 Q1/Q2", "FY17 Q3/Q4",

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  • $\begingroup$ Great tips. I particularly like the use of Grid, I haven't really done that before. I'm using a Stylesheet to match the fonts. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 13, 2013 at 2:15
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Often I find it easier to construct such graphics directly from Graphics primitives.

First your data:

purple = RGBColor[97/255, 16/255, 106/255]; orange = RGBColor[245/255, 132/255, 31/255]; labels = {"FY15 Q1/2", "FY15 Q3/4", "FY16 Q1/2", "FY16 Q3/4", "FY17 Q1/Q2", "FY17 Q3/Q4", "FY18 Q1/2", "FY18 Q3/4"}; starvedTime = {7.55, 11.23, 8.58333, 6.88833, 4.65167, 1.89, 6.49833, 1.95}; satTime = {70.1483, 81.1467, 81.115, 86.5483, 84.6833, 90.685, 79.6017, 91.0133};

Then some prepared parts:

lblspec = Join[ MapIndexed[{#2[[1]], #, 0} &, labels], {#, "", {0, 0.01}} & /@ Range[1.5, 8, 1] ]; box = Graphics[{purple, Rectangle[{0, 0}, {2.7, 1}]}, ImageSize -> 27]; text = "Smelter Starved (%)"; text2 = "% Time Smelter at Constraint Rate (%)"; line = Graphics[{orange, Line[{{0, 0.5}, {1, 0.5}}]}, ImageSize -> 30]; legend = Row@{box, Spacer[5], text, Spacer[50], line, Spacer[5], text2};

Then auxiliary functions and a style definition:

style1 = {FontFamily -> "Tahoma", 11}; bar[w_][h_, {p_}] := Rectangle[{p - w/2, 0}, {p + w/2, h}] (* width, height, position *) scale = Rescale[#, {60, 100}, {0, 12}] &; (* range of each y axis *)

Finally, the Graphics:

Graphics[{ {purple, bar[0.4] ~MapIndexed~ starvedTime}, {orange, Thickness[0.0025], Line[{#2[[1]], scale @ #} & ~MapIndexed~ satTime]} }, PlotRange -> {{0.5, 8.5}, {0, 12}}, GridLines -> {None, {3, 6, 9}}, GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Gray, Dashed], Frame -> True, FrameTicks -> {{Range[0, 12, 3], {scale @ #, #} & /@ Range[60, 100, 10]}, {lblspec, None}}, LabelStyle -> style1, FrameLabel -> {None, Style["Smelter Starved Time (%)", Bold], Spacer[{0, 10}], Style["Smelter Operating at Constraint Rate (%)", Bold]}, PlotLabel -> Style[ "Smelter Starved Time by 6 Month Period: Base Case", FontFamily -> "Helvetica", Bold, 14], ImageSize -> 580, AspectRatio -> 0.55 ] // Grid[List /@ {#, legend ~Style~ style1}] &

Mathematica graphics

I didn't get the fonts exact, and I didn't bother to increase the space around the left and right Tick labels but otherwise I think you'll agree it's pretty close.

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  • $\begingroup$ I agree it is very close. It's an interesting approach doing it using Graphics primitives. Thanks for your help. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 13, 2013 at 2:17
  • $\begingroup$ @Cam You are welcome. May I know, out of curiosity, why you Accepted the other answer? (To my eye this method is cleaner but perhaps my perspective is lacking.) $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 13, 2013 at 2:39
  • $\begingroup$ It's certainly less code. The answer from Mike was similar to the way that I originally coded it (which may not be a good thing). However, it does mean that I would have more hope of modifying it myself in the future. Your answer did get me thinking about how I do these kinds of charts but at the moment it's probably a bit too complex for my skill level. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 13, 2013 at 3:40

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