Managing Data Plots in Layers

When you select worksheet data and click a button on Origin's Graph toolbar (or plot from the menu), you are simultaneously (1) creating a graph with at least one graph layer, and (2) adding one or more data plots to that layer. Frequently, though, you would like to add a plot (or plots) to a layer in an existing graph window.

Some operations automatically add data plots to an existing graph (e.g. curve fitting operations), but you will likely encounter situations in which you would like to manually add or remove one or more data plots from a graph. This section discusses the basics of adding plots to, or removing plots from, an existing graph.

The Add Plot to Layer menu commands

This method supports only Line, Scatter, Line + Symbol, Column (or Bar) or Area plots. This is a straightforward method for adding selected worksheet data to the active graph layer. If you select multiple Y datasets (columns), the data are grouped in the layer and plot characteristics automatically increment by dataset.

To learn more, see the topic Adding Data with the Add Plot to Layer Menu Command in the Origin Help file.

Dragging data into the graph

You can create simple 2D plots by dragging and dropping selected worksheet data onto an Origin graph window. Note that this doesn't work for graphs which require Origin to do some behind-the-scenes calculating, as is the case with statistical chart types.

To learn more, see the topic Dragging Data from the Worksheet Into the Graph in the Origin Help file.

The Layer Contents dialog box

The Layer Content dialog box is useful for:

1. Easy adding and removing of datasets (data plots) from the active graph layer
2. Filtering the list of available data, and sort by book, sheet, or long name etc to easily locate desired datasets
3. Changing the order of datasets in the layer (affects plot drawing order)
4. Grouping (or ungrouping) of datasets
5. Editing the plot range

To learn more, see Managing Plots with the Layer Contents Dialog Box in the Origin Help file.

The Plot Setup dialog box

The Plot Setup dialog box provides a flexible interface for:

1. adding or removing of datasets (data plots) from any layer in the graph window
2. specifying or modifying the plot type
3. grouping (or ungrouping) of datasets
4. editing the plot range

To learn more, see Adding, Removing or Replacing Data Plots in the Origin Help file.

Direct Import of ASCII data

It is also possible to import an ASCII file directly into a graph window.

To learn more, see the topic Importing an ASCII File into a Graph Windowin the Origin Help file.