Automatic space optimization

TRUECHART supports the automatic linking of visualizations (time, structure & multiple charts and tables) with the aim to optimally display the visualization with regard to its axes, legends (categories), values and thus to make maximum use of the available space. In the standard automatic mode TRUECHART automatically detects connected charts & tables to be optimized if they are within the same layout hierarchy (same layout grids or subgrids).

Linking types

The following types of links are used and can optionally be defined or excluded manually for certain visualizations

Axis linking

Target
The chart axes are to be displayed in a line by the axis linking. The length/height of category values and legend texts is taken into account. 

Rules
In principle, axis linking is possible across all charts of the same type. In the case of desired deviations from the behavior, this can be manually excluded for certain or all charts.

• Structure charts: Vertically in a column, axes can be linked or remain linked
• Time charts: Horizontally in a column, axes can be linked or remain linked
• Multiple charts: Same behavior based on inner chart types

Legend linking

Target
The categories (rows [Structure] / columns [Time]) should be in a line for linked charts. The height/width of legend texts is taken into account. Thus also the distances top/bottom or left/right, depending on the selected alignment, equal to.

Rules
In principle, legend linking is possible across all charts of the same type. In the case of desired deviations from the behavior, this can be manually excluded for certain or all charts.

• Structure charts: Legend links can be or remain linked horizontally in one line
• Time charts: Legend links can be or remain linked vertically in a column
• Multiple charts: Same behavior based on inner chart types
• Tables: Tables within the same grid-level/hierarchy and below each other, will take the same column width configuration from the table layout of the first table to  

Value linking

Target
The empty area for charts of the same type (and scaling group) should become minimal.

Rules
Value linking is only possible for

• the same chart types (time or structure). 
• Charts that are directly next to each other (Structure) or below each other (Time) in the same grid
• Charts with the same scaling group, whereby all charts without a scaling group (empty) should also be linked to each other

The largest value in a linked chart affects the height/width of the other linked charts

• Structure charts: Value can be linked horizontally next to each other or remain linked horizontally
• Time chart: Value can be or remain vertically linked to one another
  
• Multiple charts: Same behavior based on inner chart types

Manual cell linking

The change the default automatic linking to manual settings follow these steps:

1. As a designer user: Right-click on a TRUECHART object to open the TRUECHART right-click menu
2. Click on the TRUECHART menu item
   
3. Click on Cell > Link
   
4. The linking dialog is now shown. Change to tab Settings to see/adjust the automatic settings for axis and legend orientation
   
5. To deactivate to automatic just uncheck the flag Automatic Linking
   
   
6. As an example, we want to change now the value linking for time charts to optimize their space usage.
   1. Change to tab Value
   2. Click on the + on the right side of the header 
      
   3. Now can select visualizations just by clicking on the existing charts. Selectable charts marked with a gray background.
      
   4. Select two charts to see the optimized result
      
   5. Close the linking dialog with Okay to save the changes