PlanMaker 2026 · Charts and visualization · Intermediate
Plot Paired Measurements in a PlanMaker XY Chart
Build a numeric-X PlanMaker scatter chart, verify paired ranges and unequal spacing, then update and extend measured data.
Official 2026 documentation reviewed; native application verification pending · Editorial standards
Use an XY scatter chart when horizontal distances represent numeric measurement intervals. In this exercise the observation times are deliberately uneven, so a category chart with equal spacing would conceal part of the experiment.
Enter paired observations
Create a worksheet with these cells at A1:B6. Time is a plain numeric quantity in minutes, not a date or a text label ending in “min”.
| Time (minutes) | Temperature (C) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 20 |
| 1 | 23 |
| 4 | 29 |
| 10 | 35 |
| 12 | 38 |
Save a training copy as paired-measurements-working.pmdx. There are five pairs: (0,20), (1,23), (4,29), (10,35), (12,38). Their X gaps are 1, 3, 6 and 2 minutes. The gap from 4 to 10 must occupy six times as much horizontal distance as the gap from 0 to 1 on a linear X axis. The temperatures total 145 and average 29, useful checks that five readings were entered correctly. These arithmetic checks are independent of chart rendering.
Insert and inspect the series
- Select A1:B6 and choose Insert → Objects → Chart frame, clicking the icon itself.
- In the dialog choose XY scatter chart and a point-only subtype if offered. Points avoid implying measurements between recorded times. Inspect the preview, then confirm with OK.
- Select the chart, right-click and choose Chart: Properties. This documented route opens properties for the chart, rather than an individual plotted element.
- On Series, select the temperature series. Under Data sources, assign X values to A2:A6 and Y values to B2:B6, using the correct worksheet references for your actual sheet. Name may reference B1. Exclude the headers from numeric ranges.
- If insertion inferred extra series, inspect each entry and use Delete to remove an unwanted one. The initial exercise must have exactly one five-point temperature series, not separate “time” and “temperature” series plotted against row numbers.
- On Data source, confirm the source area and column orientation; Names indicates a heading row. Recheck the explicit X/Y ranges after any source-area change.
Do not leave X values as Auto for this exercise. The manual distinguishes ordinary category charts from XY charts: in an XY chart both coordinate arrays determine where each point appears. Use the displayed worksheet references rather than guessing a formula syntax copied from another application.
Read the geometry, then change one pair
Identify the five marker positions in ascending time order. The (0,20) and (1,23) points should be much closer horizontally than (4,29) and (10,35). If all five are equally spaced, revisit the chart type and X range before presenting the result.
Change B4, the temperature at minute 4, from 29 to 32. Only the third point should move vertically; its X position remains 4. The new temperature total is 148 and the mean 29.6. Then change A4 from 4 to 5: that same point should move horizontally while remaining at Y = 32. The X gaps are now 1, 4, 5 and 2. Restore A4 = 4 and B4 = 29 before the next exercise.
The manual documents automatic chart refresh from changed source cells. If the chart stays stale, inspect File → File management → Properties → Calculate → Charts → Update automatically. When disabled, refresh through Formula → Update → Update data → Update charts. An existing-cell update does not establish that an appended row is already part of the series.
Grow the source explicitly
Enter (15,41) in A7:B7. Open Chart: Properties and extend X values to A2:A7 and Y values to B2:B7. Recheck that each array contains six numbers and both end at the same row. There should now be six points, temperature total 186 and mean 31. Keep row identity intact: never sort just the time column separately from temperature.
An advanced comparison adds a second sensor. Put Sensor B in C1 and 19, 22, 28, 34, 37, 40 in C2:C7. In Series choose Add, name the new series from C1, assign X values A2:A7 and Y values C2:C7. Keep both on the primary Y axis because they use the same unit and comparable magnitudes. Sensor B is exactly 1 degree below the first sensor at every time. Its total is 180 and mean 30. An inconsistent gap flags a pairing or range error, even when the chart looks plausible.
Save paired-measurements-working.pmdx after completing the chart, then close and reopen it. Verify the chart is still XY scatter and the first series has X = A2:A7 and Y = B2:B7. If you completed the sensor comparison, also verify the second series has X = A2:A7 and Y = C2:C7: two equal-length coordinate arrays per series, six points per series, temperature totals 186 and 180, and the one-degree separation. If you skipped the optional comparison, the saved result should instead have one six-point series totaling 186. These are acceptance checks to perform in PlanMaker, not reported native observations.
Troubleshooting and recovery
- Unexpected point count: compare the X and Y endpoints and exclude headings, totals and blank rows.
- Dates or labels on the horizontal axis: confirm numeric inputs and an XY chart, rather than a line chart; a visual label is not proof of numeric coordinate storage.
- Missing hidden observations: Data source has an Include hidden cells setting. Decide whether hidden measurements belong in this analysis and document that choice.
- Curves suggest unsupported interpolation: use discrete markers for separate observations; a connecting line is a display decision, not a model fit.
- Broken pair mapping after editing: restore the original five-pair fixture, rebuild the two explicit ranges, then repeat one change at a time.
For a pivot-derived chart, see refresh a pivot chart after source changes. Its source-refresh problem is different from this direct numeric-pair exercise.
Scope, verification and sources
PlanMaker 2026 paid desktop, English ribbon interface; documentation-backed instructions, native application execution pending. NX builds require matching controls; compatibility with every NX build is not established here. FreeOffice 2024 and Android/iOS are outside this tutorial scope.
The fixture values and expected arithmetic were checked independently. The new application steps have not been executed in a native PlanMaker GUI. No native screenshot is supplied; neither calculated fixtures nor website rendering prove application behavior. Check the stated acceptance results in your installed build before relying on the workflow.