PlanMaker 2026 · Charts and visualization · Beginner
Build and Update an Ordinary Chart in PlanMaker 2026
Create a direct-range column chart, verify series roles, extend its source, and distinguish automatic from manual updates.
A small column chart is useful for comparing monthly order counts. Establish the categories and numeric series before choosing colors. This chart reads ordinary worksheet cells; it does not require a pivot table or a pivot refresh.
Enter the source cells
Create a blank workbook and type this complete block in A1:B5:
| Month | Orders |
|---|---|
| January | 12 |
| February | 16 |
| March | 14 |
| April | 20 |
The four numeric values total 62. Keep all rows visible. Save monthly-orders.pmdx and retain an unchanged copy before experimenting.
Insert and inspect the chart
- Select A1:B5, including the two headings.
- Choose Insert → Objects → Chart frame, clicking the icon itself to open the dialog. Its arrow offers direct chart choices; More returns to the dialog.
- Choose a column Chart type and a simple, non-stacked two-dimensional subtype. Confirm.
- Move the chart to the right of the source by dragging its frame; resize using its round handles. Keep the five source rows visible for checking.
- Select the chart. The contextual Chart ribbon appears. Choose Series in columns if the initial arrangement is wrong.
Expected result: one Orders series, four month categories in January-to-April order, and column values 12, 16, 14, 20. April is tallest and January shortest. Do not accept four separately named series or a numeric column for the Month heading.
Right-click the chart and choose Chart: Properties. A group arrow on the Chart ribbon is another documented route to this dialog. On Data source, inspect Data source area and Data series are in. The range must include A1:B5 with series in columns; enable Names for the heading row. On Series, inspect the Orders series: its Name should refer to B1 or contain Orders, and Y values should refer to B2:B5. For an ordinary column chart, X values normally use Auto for category labeling; do not turn month names into numeric scatter coordinates.
Change a value, then extend the source
Change B3, February’s value, from 16 to 18. With automatic chart updating enabled, February’s column should change; the four values now total 64. This checks a change inside the original source range.
Next enter A6 = May and B6 = 22. Merely typing below a fixed chart source does not establish that the source grew. Open Chart: Properties → Data source and deliberately extend Data source area to A1:B6, retaining the worksheet qualification PlanMaker shows. Recheck Names and column orientation. Verify five categories and values 12, 18, 14, 20, 22, total 86. If category labels or series ranges remained stale, inspect the Series tab and correct the Orders Y range to B2:B6.
Diagnose delayed updates
The documented setting is File → File management → Properties → Calculate → Charts → Update automatically. If it is disabled, the manual update command is Formula → Update → Update data → Update charts. On a copy, disable automatic updating, change May from 22 to 24 and run that command. The expected refreshed last column is 24; the total is 88. Restore May to 22 and re-enable automatic updating for the final exercise.
An unchanged picture is not a chart: make sure you selected the original chart object, not an exported image. Also inspect Include hidden cells on Data source if a category is missing; hidden source cells normally are excluded.
Advanced: add a comparison series
Enter C1 = Target and C2:C6 = 15, 15, 15, 15, 15. Expand Data source area to A1:C6 and retain Series in columns and Names. Expected result: Orders and Target are two distinct series across the same five months. Orders exceeds Target in February, April and May only. Target’s total is 75.
The Series tab can display a selected series as Lines, allowing a target line over columns. Keep both counts on the same scale for this example; a secondary axis would make equal-sized counts harder to compare. Add an informative title through Chart → Add chart element and keep source headings meaningful even if a legend is hidden.
Save and reopen the expanded result
Keep A1:C6 as the source, the five month labels, Orders values 12, 18, 14, 20, 22, and five Target values of 15. Save this two-series chart as monthly-orders-final.pmdx, close and reopen it. Inspect five labels, both series and the retained source area. Change B6 briefly to 23, confirm its plotted change with automatic updating enabled, then restore 22 and save. All these are checks to perform in PlanMaker, not a claimed completed native run.
Optional reset on a separate copy
After the final file passes those checks, use File → Save as to create monthly-orders-reset.pmdx. Only in that copy, remove the Target series, restore the chart source to A1:B5 and set February back to 16. Verify one series, four categories and values 12, 16, 14, 20. Leaving May and Target in worksheet cells is harmless if the chart intentionally excludes them. Keep monthly-orders-final.pmdx unchanged; the reset copy is not expected to pass the five-month/two-series checks.
For a pivot-based workflow instead, see refreshing a pivot chart.
Version and verification notes
PlanMaker 2026 paid desktop; documentation-qualified workflow for Windows, macOS and Linux. NX builds require matching controls; FreeOffice and mobile editions are not verified. These steps use the English ribbon labels; classic-menu placement is not assumed to match. Documented context-menu or alternate ribbon routes are included where verified.
The instructions in this guide were checked against SoftMaker’s PlanMaker 2026 manual. Expected results are reference checks, not observations from a native application run. No current application screenshot is claimed.