Question : Trying to graph a "timeline" from a column of data

In Excel, I am trying to take several columns of data (which represent trips that drivers are on the road) and to graph them so that each driver is represented by one horizontal line or bar, with 10 drivers on one graph.  Each line should be "solid" when the driver is on the road, then disappear or be transparent when he is not on the road.

I have Visio available, which seems to have a wizard designed to take Excel data and represent graphically as I describe above.  However, the only formats are for days, weeks and months.  I am working in a scale of minutes / seconds.  Also, the wizard seems awfully rudimentary.

Thanks, Bob

Answer : Trying to graph a "timeline" from a column of data

Bob,

You may like to try Excel's chart wizard and when it asks for chart type select Custom/FloatingBars. I am not at all sure it will do what you want as it seems very limited in tems of ability to cope with anything other than a very simple data set.

I believe what you are wanting to do might be OK for a one off exercise but I think you will find that the data entry needed to keep such a chart up-to-date very onerous indeed - unless of course you have some means of automating the data entry. There might be more that 60 entries per day for 10 drivers so making it 300 entries per five-day working week - my guess is that could well be an underestimate of the number of entries you will need to make.

Patrick