6.2.2 User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions


Video Image.png Video Text Image.png Website blog icon circle.png Blog Image 33x33px.png


Summary

This graph will show you how to specify tick locations using a dataset and show customized tick labels at those locations.

User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 01.png

Minimum Origin Version Required: Origin 2015 SR0

What you will learn

  • How to specify the tick location using dataset
  • How to show the customized tick labels

Steps

  1. Copy the sample data, and paste it into row 1 of column A in Origin worksheet. Set the first row as Long Name and the second row as Units.
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions Data.png
  2. Highlight columns A and B. Select Plot > Basic 2D :Line + Symbol from the main menu. Alternatively, you can simply click the Line + Symbol button on the 2D Graphs toolbar.
  3. Double-click the graph to open the Plot Details dialog. On the Symbol tab, change the symbol to a solid circle, and the color to Olive. On the Line tab, change the line color to Olive and click OK to close the dialog and apply the changes.
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 02.png
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 03.png
  4. Double-click the X axis to open the Axis dialog. For both Horizontal and Vertical icon in Scale tab, enter these settings for the X and Y axes:
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 04.png
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 05.png
  5. On Line and Ticks tab, go to Top and Right page, and check on Show to show the axis on top (right), Set the ticks style follows the graph below:
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 06.png
  6. Then, click the Apply To... button and go to the Apply to Others dialog, set the following:
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 07.png
  7. Click OK to close the Apply to Others dialog and return to the Axis dialog.
  8. Go to Display tab in Tick Labels tab, and set the ticks Labels for bottom follows the graph below. In addation, you need to rotate the tick labels by 90 degree in Format tab for both top and bottom (which can be done in Bottom page) axis.
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 08.png
  9. On the Bottom page under Tick Labels of X Axis, set the Rotate(deg.) to 90 similarly.
  10. Select the Grids tab in Axis dialog axis. Check on Show in Major Grid Lines group for both Vertical and Horizontal:
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 09.png
  11. Click OK to close the Axis dialog. Adjust the Layer Area in Format: Layer: Size/ Speed tab. Your final graph should look like this:
    User-Defined Arbitrary Tick Positions 01.png

Sample Data

Temperature Transducer Output Custom Temperature Custom Label
°K volts
2.5 1.5 4.2 He Boiling Point
2.5 1.5 4.2 He Boiling Point
7.3 1.42048 77.36 N Boiling Point
13 1.28681 233.15 -40°C/-40°F
24 1.06011 273.15 0°C
41 0.90549 373.15 H2O Boiling Point
70 0.85831
125 0.7679
181 0.63948
246 0.53202
288 0.40753
348 0.24898
399 0.13759
436 0.09435