Q1. How can I get the latest version of Grapher?

Q2. I have several objects in one area of my graph. I want to edit a particular object, but when I try to select it with my mouse Grapher selects a different object. How can I get Grapher to select the object I want?

Q3. I have many line plots in my graph and I would like to name the plots with names that are more descriptive. How do I do this?

Q4. I would like date labels on one of my axes, but when I specify the worksheet column in the line plot dialog box that contains my date labels Grapher does not plot the data.

Q5. I want to have two corresponding Y axes on the same plot in Grapher. For example, I want a Y axis displaying temperature in Celsius on the left and Fahrenheit on the right. How would I do this?

Q6. I want to create several plots on the same page using the same X axis but different Y axes. How can I do this in Grapher?

Q7. How can I print several graphs at once in Grapher 3?

Q8. I need to print my graph on a printer attached to a computer that does not have Grapher installed. Can I do this?

Q9. I am using Windows 95 (or Windows 98 or ME) and I want to plot my graph onto large paper, but Grapher only accepts paper sizes less than 32.76 inches. How can I bypass this limitation?

Q10. My data are contained in several different sheets of the same Excel file and I want to display the data on the same graph using the same axes. Is there a way to do this?

Q11. I need to create several graphs that have many of the same settings (i.e. axis titles, etc.). Is there a way I can create a template graph that works with several data files?

Q12. How do I select the same worksheet for each of the curves in my template without clicking on the worksheet name for each curve?

Q13. I have created a graph but a plot does not appear within the axes. What happened?

Q14. How can I use exponential tick labels (i.e. 106) on a logarithmic axis? I would like to display these labels with superscripts rather than 10E+006.

Q15. I am having trouble installing Grapher version 3.01 on a workstation after installing the server network version. I get an error message, "Failed to copy setup files."

Q16. I would like to digitize data points from a bitmap graph. How can I do this with Grapher?

Q17. Does Grapher work with Windows 2000 or Windows XP?

Q18. I would like to use international characters in my text strings in Grapher.

Q19. I receive the error message "Ordinal 6880 could not be located in the dynamic link library MFC42.DLL" when installing or executing Grapher. How can this be corrected?

Q20. Can I control Grapher from another programming environment?

Q21. When creating multiple graphs in a script how do you reference each curve individually?

Q22. My Grapher 2 script fails when run in Grapher 3. The script stops at the PageSetup line.

Q23. I have a single X axis and two stacked Y axes. Is there a way to create grid lines parallel to both of the Y axes?

Q24. I have created a line/symbol graph with point labels, but the points are close together and some of the labels overlap. Is there a way to manually move them around?

Q25. How can I make the Grapher window visible when running a script?

Q26. Error messages are displaying in German, but I would prefer to see them in English.

Q27. What value can I use to specify a "null value" (a value that is ignored when creating the graph) into the Grapher worksheet?

Q28. Can I run a Grapher 2 script in Grapher 3?

Q29. How do I change a plot’s data file?

Q30. How do I create an Encapsulated PostScript file with Grapher?

Q31. How do I create a [.PDF] file with Grapher?

Q33. After installing Grapher 3, I get an error message that there is an incompatible GSOGDI DLL file. What do I need to do to run Grapher?

Q34. Can Grapher 3 create a Piper plot? If so, how?

Q35: When loading a template from Scripter, how do I use different worksheets for different curves?

Q36. Where do I find my serial number?

Q37. Is technical support free?

Major upgrades (e.g. version 3 to version 7) cost US$119 plus shipping.  Refer to the order form for more information.

If you would prefer to have the Object Manager always open, choose View | Style | Window w/ Object Manager. This will allow you to have access to the plot and the Object Manager at the same time.

First, all non-numeric data must be converted into numbers before graphing the data in Grapher. To easily create a numeric equivalent of the dates, use a spreadsheet software package such as Excel. Insert a column adjacent to the date column, copy the date column, and then paste it into the new column. Change the data type from "date" to "number." Look in the spreadsheet software's help system for more information on converting data types.

Alternatively, you could create numbers manually in Grapher's worksheet. Open the data you wish to plot into the worksheet. Use the Insert command in the Edit menu to add a new column adjacent to the date column. Enter numbers into the new column that corresponds to the date labels. In the case of data logging, this could be a number indicating the total elapsed time. Otherwise, you should enter some dummy variable that increases proportionately as your date increases. For instance, if data are observed each month starting in January 1999, enter 1 by the first data point (Jan 1999), 2 by the second data point (Feb 1999), 3 by the third data point (Mar 1999) and so on. If the data skip a month, the dummy variable would increment by 2 for the following month. Save the file when you are done entering the numeric equivalent of the dates. If the data are evenly spaced you could use the row number as the data value for the plot. In Grapher 2, select Row Number in the Worksheet Columns group box in the plot dialog box.

Once the dates are converted to numbers using one of the above methods, open a plot window and create the graph using the modified data set. Select the numeric "date value" column for one of the axes. To change the axis labels from numbers to text dates, double click on the axis containing the numeric dates to edit the axis. In Grapher 3, click the Tick Labels tab and then select the Date/time option button in the Major Label Text group box. There are two options for generating date/time labels. One is to use the date labels from the worksheet and the other to let Grapher generate the date labels for you. If your data are evenly spaced, use the Date/time button to have Grapher generate the labels. If the data are not evenly spaced use the Worksheet button to add text labels to the axis.

For detailed examples of creating date labels, please refer to Grapher's on-line help system or manual.

In Windows (95, 98, Me, NT4, and 2000) press the Start button and choose the Printers command from the Settings menu. Right click on the relevant printer and choose Properties. Look for the tab that contains the printer port options. Choose the FILE option for the port setting. Click OK to exit the printer properties box.

In Grapher, print the graph and select the appropriate printer (i.e. HP LaserJet 4 on FILE). Grapher will then prompt you to enter a path and file name for the printer file. Once the file has been created, locate this file on your hard drive and then move this file to the computer with the printer. Open the DOS prompt at the computer with the attached printer. Copy the file from the disk to the printer port using the syntax: copy filename port (i.e. LPT1). The graph will print to the appropriate printer.

Graphs can also be exported in a variety of transferable formats including JPG, GIF, WMF, or EMF formats. This file could then be opened and printed on the second computer in another software program.

In Grapher 3 there are option buttons in File | Preferences | General for page resolution. This option allows you to scale the graph at the appropriate size on the screen and exceed the 32.76 inch page size limitation. Set the page resolution to 1000 dpi (default), 500 dpi, or 300 dpi. Changing the resolution affects the maximum page size in the program.

Maximum page sizes:

Since the page resolution alters the internal program coordinates, changing the resolution frequently is not recommended. If a graph is created at 1000 dpi, and the resolution is changed to 500 dpi, the graph will appear twice the size it should be.

Q10. My data are contained in several different sheets of the same Excel file and I want to display the data on the same graph using the same axes. Is there a way to do this?
A. Create the graph using the first data set. In Grapher 3, select the graph and use the Graph | Add to Graph | Plot command or right click on the selected graph and choose Add Plot from the menu. After you have selected a plot you are asked to choose axes. Choose the axes of the previous graph. Next, you are prompted for a data file. The data file can be any data file - the same as the previous plot's or a new data file. If the Excel file is a multiple sheet Excel workbook, you will be prompted for the Sheet after selecting the file.

Q11. I need to create several graphs that have many of the same settings (i.e. axis titles, etc.). Is there a way I can create a template graph that works with several data files?
A. Grapher 3 contains a template graph file. Template graphs have a GRT extension. To create a template, make a graph with all of the settings you wish to retain on future graphs such as the number of decimal places on tick mark labels, axis labels, graph titles, line colors, etc. Once the graph is complete select File | Save As. Choose Plot Template (*.grt) in the Save as type field. Give the file a name and then press the OK button.

Q12. How do I select the same worksheet for each of the curves in my template without clicking on the worksheet name for each curve?
A. In Grapher 3, when you open a template file, you are prompted for a worksheet. At the bottom of this dialog box, there is a check box labeled "Use this worksheet for remaining items". Place a check mark in this box and all of the curves will use the same worksheet.

Q13. I have created a graph but a plot does not appear within the axes. What happened?
A. Grapher needs two numeric columns of data to generate a plot. If you selected a column that contained letters or symbols, such as backslashes and hyphens, Grapher cannot create a plot. If you are trying to create a plot with dates on one axis the dates need to be changed into numbers before plotting the graph. Click here for more information on date labels. If you are not using dates and still have zero data points, look at the data in the worksheet. If the column is right justified the column contains numbers. If the column is left justified the column is formatted as text. Change the formatting in the original program the file was created in if this is the case, save the data file, and then create your graph.

Q14. How can I use exponential tick labels (i.e. 106) on a logarithmic axis? I would like to display these labels with superscripts rather than 10E+006.
A. In Grapher 3, double click on the axis and select the Tick Labels tab. Click on the Format button in the Major Tick Labels box. Then, in the Major Label Format dialog box, select Exponential and place a check mark in front of Superscripted. Click OK on all open dialog boxes and the labels will be superscripted.

Q15. I am having trouble installing Grapher version 3.01 on a workstation after installing the server network version. I get an error message, "Failed to copy setup files."
A. The reason that the workstation installation fails is due to the font files not being copied. To work around this, you first need to create the directory on the workstation where the program will be located. Then, copy all of the font files from the Grapher server's directory to the workstation directory. Finally, complete the installation as normal. Alternatively, you could send your name and registered serial number to graphersupport@goldensoftware.com to receive update information to Grapher 3.02. This version corrected the need to copy the font files before installing.

Q16. I would like to digitize data points from a bitmap graph. How can I do this with Grapher?
A. First, import the bitmap graph into the plot window with File | Import. Then, select the bitmap and Choose Graph | Assign Coordinates. Follow the steps to register the bitmap with three known coordinates. After the coordinates are assigned, use Graph | Digitize to digitize data points from the bitmap graph.

Q17: Does Grapher work with Windows 2000 or Windows XP?
A. Yes, Grapher does work with Windows 2000 and Windows XP. The user does need to have Power User rights to use Grapher. If you do not want to give the user "Power User" rights, please contact graphersupport@goldensoftware.com for a list of registry keys to change. Changing these registry keys will allow a Windows "User" to run Grapher successfully.

Q18. I would like to use international characters in my text strings in Grapher.
A. Grapher was designed to use English characters. Double-byte and 16-bit Unicode international characters are not supported in Golden Software products.

Q19. I receive the error message "Ordinal 6880 could not be located in the dynamic link library MFC42.DLL" when installing or executing Grapher. How can this be corrected?
A. First, you need to be logged onto the workstation as Administrator in order to install Grapher. The three files that may cause an error message are MFC42.DLL, MSVCP60.DLL, and MSVCRT.DLL. These files will not install unless you are logged onto the workstation as Administrator.

Q20. Can I control Grapher from another programming environment?
A. Yes. Grapher can be completely controlled by any Automation-capable programming language, including Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications (that ships with the Microsoft Office suite), or the Scripter programming language included with Grapher.  Scripter is very similar to VBA.   Most modern compilers include some facility for calling Automation-capable applications, including Visual C++.  Check your language documentation for Automation or Active-X Automation support. 

Download a complete VC++ project showing how to automate Grapher 3 from Visual C++.

Q21. When creating multiple graphs in a script how do you reference each curve individually?
A. There are two steps to referencing the curves. First, name the graph. Then, name the curve. The curve’s properties can the be edited using the variable name for the curve.

Q22. My Grapher 2 script fails when run in Grapher 3. The script stops at the PageSetup line.
A. The syntax for PageSetup has changed in the Automation language. Due to this, you will need to change the script PageSetup command line slightly. Refer to the Scripter online help for more information about the new syntax.

Q23. I have a single X axis and two stacked Y axes. Is there a way to create grid lines parallel to both of the Y axes?
A. First, create the grid lines for the X axis as normal and specify that the grid lines are to be parallel to the first Y axis. Then, select the X axis and choose Graph | Add to Graph | Duplicate Axis. Place a check mark in the boxes to disable the tick marks and labels. After the axis is created, double click on it and click on the Grid Lines button. Make the grid lines parallel to the second Y axis and click OK. Then, on the Line Properties tab, change the Line Style to Invisible.

Q24. I have created a line/symbol graph with point labels, but the points are close together and some of the labels overlap. Is there a way to manually move them around?
A. In Grapher 3, you can select the graph and choose the Graph | Move Plot Labels command. This will allow you to move individual labels so that they no longer overlap.

Q25. How can I make the Grapher window visible when running a script?
A. To make the Grapher window visible, set the Application object's "Visible" property to True:

Q26. Error messages are displaying in German, but I would prefer to see them in English.
A. Some programs install the system file mfc42loc.dll in the Windows system directory to control the language of the output messages. Rename this file to a new name, such as mfc42loc.old, to prevent Windows from using this file. This action may have an effect on the program that installed this file.

Q27. What value can I use to specify a "null value" (a value that is ignored when creating the graph) into the Grapher worksheet?
A. Grapher automatically ignores any text strings (non-numeric values) when creating the graph, so any text string could be used to indicate null values (i.e. N/A, no data, x99). In addition, Grapher 3 has added the ability to specify certain numbers as null data. After creating the graph, double click on the curve and click on the Clipping tab. Place a check mark in the Use Criteria checkbox and then press the Criteria button. Place a check mark in the Use NULL criteria box and then press the Add button. Type in the value that represents the null data (i.e. 0 or –99) and press OK in the open dialog boxes. The graph will redraw with the null data being ignored.

Q28. Can I run a Grapher 2 script in Grapher 3?
A. Yes, Grapher 3 can run Grapher 2 scripts. Most commands will not need to be changed. There is a change in the PageSetup command that does require the script to corrected for Grapher 3. Please refer to the online help system for additional information about the new syntax for this command.

Q29. How do I change a plot’s data file?
A. To change the worksheet used by a graph, double click on the curve and press the Worksheet button. Select all of the plots that you want to use the new worksheet and press OK. Then, select the new worksheet and press Open. Press OK in the plot’s dialog box and the plot will update with the new worksheet.

Q30. How do I create an Encapsulated PostScript file with Grapher?
A. An [.EPS] file is generated by printing the graph to a file. You need to print with a PostScript driver in order to create an [.EPS] file.

1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Select Settings then Printers.
3. If you do not have a PostScript driver installed, click the Add Printer icon. Follow the directions and add any PostScript printer (usually PS appears in the printer driver's title).
4. Select FILE for the printer port.
5. Open the printer properties by right clicking on the printer and choosing Properties from the menu. Under PostScript output format on the PostScript tab choose Encapsulated PostScript [.EPS]. There is not a PostScript tab in most Windows NT 4 printer drivers, so you do not need this step under NT 4.
6. To create an [.EPS] file from Grapher choose File | Print and select the PostScript printer.
7. Next, the Print to File dialog box will be displayed. Enter the path and file name to use for the [.EPS] file. Make sure to use the [.EPS] extension on the file particularly if you are using Windows NT4. Click OK to write the map to an [.EPS] file.

An [.EPS] file produced in this manner does not contain a bitmap preview. Some software applications, including Grapher, need this bitmap to display the image. If this is the case, use another export format in Grapher, such as the Windows Metafile [.WMF], to generate the graphic to use in other software applications.

Q31. How do I create a [.PDF] file with Grapher?
A. You must have Adobe Acrobat installed to create [.PDF] files. [.PDF] files are created through File | Print. In the Print dialog box, click the Name list down arrow and then choose Acrobat Distiller or Acrobat PDFWriter from the list of printer drivers. Click OK in the print dialog box to create the file.

Q32. I want to show my graph to someone who does not own Grapher, do you have a viewer available for this person to download?
A. The demo version of Grapher can be used to view the graph. The demo is available at http://www.goldensoftware.com/demo.shtml. All output capabilities have been disabled in the demo so the graphs cannot be saved, exported, or printed. Alternatively, you can export your graph as a picture (EMF or WMF) or bitmap (TIFF, JPEG, etc.) and send them this exported file. The file could then be imported into another software application.

Q33. After installing Grapher 3, I get an error message that there is an incompatible GSOGDI DLL file. What do I need to do to run Grapher?
A. This error message is likely due to installing Grapher 3 into the Grapher 2 directory. Although the two programs can reside on the same computer, they cannot be installed into the same directory. To correct the problem, uninstall Grapher 2 using the Add/Remove Programs option in the Control Panel. After uninstalling Grapher 2, reboot the computer. Then, insert the CD and reinstall Grapher 3 into the same directory. You will now be able to run Grapher 3.

Q34. Can Grapher 3 create a Piper plot? If so, how?
A. Grapher cannot directly create a Piper plot. However, through a small workaround, Grapher 3 is capable of producing these plots. A sample plot is available by clicking here.

Q35. When loading a template from Scripter, how do I use different worksheets for different curves?
A. When loading a template from a script, only one worksheet can be named in the Open command. After the template is opened, each curve can be selected and the worksheet used can be changed. This example shows how to load the template with one worksheet and change the worksheet for one curve. The first curve ("Line/Symbol Plot 1") will still use the worksheet named in the Open command line.

Q36. Where do I find my serial number?
A. The serial number is on the registration card glued inside the cover of your reference manual. Please complete the registration card and return to Golden Software or register online at our web site. With this information, we will be able to mail you announcements of upgrades and newsletters.  Newer versions of our products will also allow you to find your serial number by going to the Help menu and selecting "About Grpaher."  The box will show the serial number, as shown below.

Q37. Is Technical Support free? 
A. Yes, Technical Support is free to all users for as long as you own the product. You must register your product in order to receive technical support.  You can reach technical support by phone, fax, or email.