Picture Markers - Graphics File Images

Click the Picture markers button in the Graph Options dialog box - Plot: General tab to display the Picture Markers - Graphics Files Images dialog box. Note that you can also access this dialog box in other ways than the method described here.

These options are used to turn your scatterplot into a scatter image plot, i.e., to create a scatterplot in which all or certain points will be represented by images (in lieu of or together with the point markers). You can use the options in this dialog box to select images, specify the image sizes, and control the manner in which the images should appear on the 2D scatter image plot.

Display: Images and/or Point markers

Select the respective check box(es) to display for the points in the scatterplot images, point markers, or both.

Add/change image file

Click the Add/change image file to select (add) image files or change already specified image files for the selected data points. In order to change an existing image file first select the respective data point in the scrollable list of Names of graphics files to be used as point markers (see below), and then click this button; note that the assignment of image files to data points is also further determined by the selection in the Use image box. When you click the Add/change image files button, a standard selection dialog Open File with the Picture is displayed. This dialog is used to select the type of image file (identified by its extension) and the name of the file. By default, you can attach files of type Metafile (.wmf), Jpeg (.jpg), Bitmap (.bmp), and Portable Network Graphics (.png).

Remove

Click the Remove button to remove the image files for the selected data points. Select the image file in the scrollable list of Names of graphics files to be used as point markers (see below) and click the Remove button to erase the file name and consequently remove the image for the corresponding data point. If you now want to select an image file for this data point, you will have to use the Add/change image files button again (see above).

Close

Click the Close button to close this dialog box and return to the previous dialog box.

Names of graphics files to be used as point markers

The Names of graphics files to be used as point markers list displays the image files for the respective point(s) in the Scatter Image Plot. You can select a point and image file by clicking on the respective row; then click the Add/change image file button to select the image file for the respective point(s); note that the assignment of image files to points is also further determined by the selection in the Use image box. When the selection is complete, the name of the image file will be displayed in the blank space in front of the currently selected data point in the spreadsheet. Correspondingly, the image contained in the currently specified image file will be displayed in the Preview box.

Use image

Use the Use image drop-down box to either display separate images for each data point, or the same images for groups of data points. Select For individual points to use different images for the selected data points. Select For all subsequent points to use an image file for the point for which the file is specified and continue using it for all subsequent data points until it finds a data point with another specified image file. Note that no image will be displayed for a data point if an image file is not assigned to it through one of the two options: Individual points, For all subsequent points.

Apply weight

Select the Apply weight check box to apply the case weights to the Scatter Image Plot. Note that this check box will not be available if case weights have not been previously specified. See Spreadsheet Case Weights or Analysis/Graph Case Weights for further details.

Preview

The Preview box shows a preview of the image contained in the image file that is currently selected in the Names of graphics files to be used as point markers list.

Specs for selected marker

The options in the Specs for selected marker group are used to control display characteristics of the selected images/point markers. Note that the options in this group will apply only to the selected images/point markers; thus, first click on the data point (row) in the Names of graphics files to be used as point markers list, and then set the desired options.

Update image

The options in the Update image drop-down box apply only to the image currently selected. Therefore, you will need to first select the image file from the Names of graphics files to be used as point markers list to which you want to apply one of the three options: Never, On loading graph file, On each redraw. Select Never if you do not want the selected image to be updated in the graph during its lifetime. Select On loading graph file if you want the selected image to be updated only when the graph file is loaded. Finally, select On each redraw to update the currently selected image every time the graph is redrawn.

Transparent background

To provide a transparent background to an image (other than wmf), select the corresponding image file from the Names of graphics files to be used as point markers list and then select the Transparent background check box. Note that this option will not be available if the selected image file is a metafile (.wmf).

Image size

The options in the Image size group box are used to specify and control the sizes of the selected images.

Use/specify common size

Select the Use/specify common size option button if you want the same size to apply to all the selected images. To specify a common image size, select this option button and then specify the desired common size in the Horizontal size and Vertical size fields (see below). All images displayed in the scatterplot will then be of the same size.

Use native image size

Select the Use native image size option button if you want the images to retain their original sizes (in proportion with the current graph dimensions). Accordingly, the Horizontal size and Vertical size fields will no longer be available.

Use/specify image size

Use the Use/specify image size option button to specify different sizes for the selected images. Select the data point from the Names of graphics files to be used as point markers list and then select this option button. You can then specify the desired dimensions of the selected image in the Horizontal size and Vertical size fields (see below). Note that these dimensions will apply only to the currently selected image. Therefore, you will need to repeat the above sequence of operations, as many times as the number of images for which you want to specify different sizes.  

Horizontal size

Specify an integer value (in points) in the Horizontal size field as horizontal dimension of the image.

Vertical size

Specify an integer value (in points) in the Vertical size field as vertical dimension of the image.