xmCHART for FileMaker Pro

In order to answer your questions quickly and efficiently, please take the following points into account:

Many inquiries are more easy to understand when pictures are attached. They can either be sketches or screen shots, e.g. of charts which are created in Excel or other charting programs. A picture is known to say more than a thousand words.
For inquiries that concretely refer to xmCHART functions, it would be useful to attach a listing of the functions used - simply by copying and pasting them into the mail. This generally simplifies and accelerates the search for a suitable solution.
Technical support is offered in English and German.
Please send all email messages to: support@x2max.com

Frequently Asked Questions:

#1: Why are charts distorted and drawn in the wrong size or disappear or appear mirrored?

The following two points are to be noted in order to display a drawing, free from distortion and in the proper size in a FileMaker Pro Container field:

The size of the Container field and the drawing must be identical. The width and height of the drawing are defined (in pixels) by the function OpenDrawing(width;height). The width and height of the Container field can be controlled in the Layout Mode under menu item View>Object Info. (By clicking the mouse onto one of the dimension labels [cm, px, in] on the right margin of the Object Info window it is possible to switch back and forth between centimeters, pixels and inches.)
In the Layout Mode, set the Graphic Format of the chart Container field under menu item Format>Graphic... to "Reduce or Enlarge" and switch off the check box "Maintain original proportions".

This error was corrected starting with xmCHART 3.2

#2: Why is antialiasing switched on/off inadvertently in Mac OS X?

Due to a nasty bug in FileMaker Pro 7 antialiasing for drawings in vector format is switched on/off inadvertently by clicking inside or outside of a FileMaker field. Very strange and ugly, especially when displaying round shapes, like in pie charts. Workaround:
For the screen display create an antialiased bitmap, e.g.:
OpenDrawing(400;300;1;3)
For printing draw the chart a 2nd time in vector format, e.g.:
OpenDrawing(400;300;0)

This error was corrected starting with FileMaker Pro 8.

#3: Can xmCHART be used in conjunction with FileMaker Pro Runtime solutions?

Yes, xmCHART can also be easily linked with FileMaker Pro Runtime solutions. For this purpose, make a folder named Extensions within the folder which contains the FileMaker Pro files for your runtime solution. Then copy xmCHART into this folder.

#4: Why are drawings created with xmCHART not updated if the database or runtime solution is located on a CD-ROM for Windows?

FileMaker Pro for Windows doesn't work properly when using write-protected files. Usually runtime solutions are copied from the CD-ROM to the hard drive. When doing so, you should be aware that all files copied onto the hard drive are automatically write-protected - a questionable "feature" of MS Windows. This problem can be avoided by using compressed files, e.g. by using "WinZip" from http://www.winzip.com or, something more professional, by means of an installer, e.g. "InstallMaker" from http://www.clickteam.com

#5: Why does xmCHART produce the error message "… Value error." when entering a text string?

Texts are to be placed in double quotes ("). Double Quotes are not to be confused with typographical quotes (”“). Typographical quotes can be activated or deactivated in the "File>File Options...>Text" menu.

#6: Why do text strings containing double quotes not function as expected?

If a double quote is to be issued, it should be entered twice. For example: TitleText(""A""BC"") produces "A"BC". The same goes for entering double quotes in the FileMaker Pro formula editor.

#7: How can the color and line width be changed in a line chart?

The line width and color can be changed by using the LineStyle() function, whereby each data series may be assigned a different line width, dash pattern and color.

#8: How can dots and lines be represented in a chart at the same time?

The starting point is either the chart function LineChart() or LineChart2D() with the activated appearance option "symbol". On the one hand, symbols are suppressed by using SymbolStyle(…;none;…) so that lines can be drawn without symbols and, on the other hand, lines are suppressed by using LineStyle(…;none;…) so that only symbols (dots) are drawn. The combination of both functions produces the desired dot-line chart.

#9: Why do parts of a chart, e.g. grid lines, appear incomplete or distorted?

A chart is scaled down when it is larger than the container field into which it is copied. As a result, it is possible for parts of the chart to appear incomplete or distorted. See also FAQ #1.

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