Configuring the Scale (igLinearGauge)

Topic Overview

Purpose

This topic explains, with examples, how to customize the scale of the igLinearGauge™ control. This includes positioning the scale inside the control and configuring the scale tick marks and labels. (For the default settings, see the igLinearGauge Overview topic.)

Required background

The following topics are prerequisites to understanding this topic:

• igLinearGauge Overview: This topic provides conceptual information about the igLinearGauge control including its main features, minimum requirements, and user functionality.

• Adding igLinearGauge: This is a group of topics demonstrating how to add the igLinearGauge™ control to an HTML page and to an ASP.NET MVC application.

In this topic

This topic contains the following sections:

• Introduction
  • Scale configuration summary
  • Scale configuration summary chart
• Configuring the Scale’s Size and Position
  • Overview
  • Property settings
  • Example
• Configuring the Scale’s Range
  • Overview
  • Property settings
  • Example
• Configuring the Scale’s Major Tick Marks
  • Overview
  • Configuring the position along the scale, count, and spacing
  • Configuring the position across the scale and the length of the segments
  • Property settings
  • Example
• Configuring the Scale’s Minor Tick Marks
  • Overview
  • Configuring the position along the scale, count, and spacing
  • Configuring the position across the scale and the length of the segments
  • Property settings
  • Example
• Configuring the Scale’s Labeling
  • Overview
  • Event handling
  • Property settings
  • Example – horizontal orientation
  • Example – vertical orientation
• Related Content
  • Topics
  • Samples

Introduction

Scale configuration summary

The scale of the igLinearGauge control is a logical entity formed by the tick marks and the (numbering) labels. The size and position of the tick marks is configured relative to the Graph area and the position of the numbering labels – relative to the inner edge of the control (the bottom edge at horizontal orientation).

The tick marks of the igLinearGauge control identify equal intervals of measure along the graph. Two types of tick marks are supported – major and minor. Both can be positioned along the scale by adjusting the values of the respective extent-related properties which are measured against the Graph area. The tick marks’ exact count, position, look, and frequency of occurrence can be customized by property settings.

As far as the labels are concerned, various aspects of them can be configured such as position, text, format, etc..

Scale configuration summary chart

The following table explains briefly the configurable aspects of igLinearGauge control’s scale and maps them to properties that configure them.

Configuring the Scale’s Size and Position

Overview

The scale’s size and position within the igLinearGauge control in the along-the scale-dimension is determined relative the Graph area. This is done through a pair of properties (scaleStartExtent and scaleEndExtent).

The positioning of the scale in the other (across-the-scale) dimension of the Graph area is not configurable by itself; instead, all elements comprising the scale are configured individually.

Note:The value of the LabelExtent property, which controls the positioning of the numbering labels, is measured relative to the height of the control when its orientation is horizontal and to its width otherwise. (For details, see Configuring the Orientation and Direction (igLinearGauge).)

Property settings

The following table maps the desired behavior to its respective property settings. For an illustration of the configurable aspects, see the Example.

Example

The screenshot below demonstrates how the igLinearGauge would look as a result of the following settings:

Following is the code that implements this example.

In JavaScript:

$('#igLinearGauge').igLinearGauge({
    width: 300,
    height: 70,
    scaleStartExtent: 0.2,
    scaleEndExtent: 0.9});

Configuring the Scale’s Range

Overview

The values of the scale are defined by specifying its value range, that is, its minimum and maximum values. This is done with the minimumValue and minimumValue properties.

Setting the minimum and maximum values implicitly defines all values within the scale; all values are meant as evenly distributed between the minimum and maximum values. However, only those values are displayed for which there is a numbering label, placed on the scale. (The scale’s values can be displayed only through the numbering labels. The labels display the respective values based on the label’s position on the scale, i.e. the labels’ values are configured through the positioning of the labels along the scale and not set explicitly.) There is no requirement to have labels at the positions of the minimum and maximum values which means that the minimum and maximum values may not be indicated visually on the scale and the scale can look something like this:

Having the scales’ range defined also enables the positioning of the other value-based visual elements on the scale, namely the comparative ranges and the needle. Note that because these elements are value-based, when the scale’s range changes (i.e. when either its minimum or maximum value (or both) changes), these visual elements are re-positioned spatially together with the scale’s values keeping their position on the scale. (To see this effect in action, refer to the Range Settings sample.)

Property settings

The following table maps the desired behavior to its respective property settings. For an illustration of the configurable aspects, see the Example.

Example

The screenshot below demonstrates how the igLinearGauge would look as a result of the following settings:

Following is the code that implements this example.

In JavaScript:

$('#igLinearGauge').igLinearGauge({
    width: 300,
    height: 70,
    minimumValue: 60,
    maximumValue: 70});

Configuring the Scale’s Major Tick Marks

Overview

The major tick marks of the igLinearGauge control can be customized in terms of position and interval at which they occur. The height, thickness, and color of the line segments that forms the major tick marks are configurable as well.

Configuring the position along the scale, count, and spacing

The major tick marks are defined in terms of starting and ending points (the positions of the first and the last tick marks relative to the edges of the Graph area and the interval (the distance from each other) at which they occur. (This is done through the ticksPostInitial, ticksPreTerminal, and interval properties.) This way, defining the starting and ending points of the major tick marks essentially defines the position and length of the scale.

Configuring the position across the scale and the length of the segments

In the across-the-scale dimension, the length and position of the line segments that form the major tick marks is configured relative to the edges of the Graph area. (This is done through the tickStartExtent and tickEndExtent properties.)

Property settings

The following table maps the desired behavior to its respective property settings. For an illustration of the configurable aspects, see the Example.

Example

The screenshot below demonstrates how the igLinearGauge looks as a result of the following settings:

Following is the code that implements this example.

In JavaScript:

('#igLinearGauge').igLinearGauge({
    width: 300,
    height: 70,
    interval: 30,
    tickBrush: 'lime',
    tickStartExtent: 0.5,
    tickEndExtent: 0.9,
    ticksPostInitial: 30,
    ticksPreTerminal: 10,
    tickStrokeThickness: 3 });

Configuring the Scale’s Minor Tick Marks

Overview

The minor tick marks of the igLinearGauge control can be explicitly disabled or customized in terms of number (between two major tick marks), positioning, size, and color.

Configuring the position along the scale, count, and spacing

The minor tick marks are defined as a count (the number of minor tick marks between two adjacent major tick marks). (This is done through the minorTickCount property; setting this property to 0 disables (hides) the minor tick marks.) When the count is set, the specified number of minor tick marks is placed evenly between every two adjacent major tick marks, from the first one, to the last.

Configuring the position across the scale and the length of the segments

In the across-the-scale dimension, the minor tick marks length and position is configured relative to the edges of the Graph area.

Property settings

The following table maps the desired behavior to its respective property settings. For an illustration of the configurable aspects, see the Example.

Example

The screenshot below demonstrates how the igLinearGauge looks as a result of the following settings:

Following is the code that implements this example.

In JavaScript:

('#igLinearGauge').igLinearGauge({
    width: 300,
    height: 70,
    minorTickCount: 4,
    minorTickBrush: 'purple',
    minorTickStartExtent: 0.05,
    minorTickEndExtent: 0.1,
    minorTickStrokeThickness: 2,
    interval: 20});

Configuring the Scale’s Labeling

Overview

By default, the labels indicating the scale’s measures are enabled. The labels are defined in terms of the following factors:

• Starting and ending points – the positions of the first and the last label relative to the edges of the scale
• Breadth of the label row – relative to the height/width of the control, depending on the orientation (vertical/horizontal). The breadth can be controlled only indirectly by the font settings in the applied style template.
• The interval (the distance from each other) at which they occur. (This is done through the labelsPostInitial, labelsPreTerminal and labelInterval properties.)
• The position of the label row in the across-the-scale dimension – the default is at the bottom / on the left of the control (for horizontal or vertical orientation, respectively); the entire row can be shifted vertically at horizontal scale orientation or the horizontally at vertical scale orientation. (This is done through the labelExtent property.)

The value that each label displays is defined by the value represented by its position on the scale (This requires configuring the scale’s value range.) A string format can be applied to the labels so that their look is additionally customized. By default, a numeric label is displayed for each of the major tick marks and the labels are positioned beneath / on the left of the scale depending on the scale’s orientation (horizontal/vertical, respectively).

If you customize the labels and the major tick marks, you will more likely need to make sure they align to each other; to achieve alignment, set the same value for the tick marks interval (interval property) and the label interval (labelInterval property). (By default, they are aligned because the labelInterval property is not set and uses the value set for interval.)

Event handling

The labels of igLinearGauge can be additionally formatted and aligned on handling the corresponding events.

The following table maps the desired behavior to its respective event.

Property settings

The following table maps the desired behavior to its respective property settings. For an illustration of the configurable aspects, see Example – horizontal orientation.

Example – horizontal orientation

The screenshot below demonstrates how the igLinearGauge looks as a result of the following settings with the default horizontal scale orientation:

Following is the code that implements this example.

In JavaScript:

('#igLinearGauge').igLinearGauge({
    width: 300,
    height: 70,
    labelExtent: 0.75,
    labelInterval: 30,
    labelsPostInitial: 20,
    labelsPreTerminal: 20,
    fontBrush: 'green'
});

Example – vertical orientation

The screenshot below demonstrates how the igLinearGauge looks as a result of the following property settings (same as in Example – horizontal orientation) and vertical orientation:

Following is the code that implements this example.

In JavaScript:

('#igLinearGauge').igLinearGauge({
    height: 300,
    width: 70,
    orientation: 'vertical',
    labelExtent: 0.75,
    labelInterval: 30,
    labelsPostInitial: 20,
    labelsPreTerminal: 20,
    fontBrush: 'green'
});

Related Content

Topics

The following topics provide additional information related to this topic.

• Configuring Orientation and Direction (igLinearGauge): This topic explains how to configure the igLinearGauge control with vertical scale and/or inverted scale direction.

• Configuring the Needle (igLinearGauge): This topic explains, with examples, how to configure the needle of the igLinearGauge control. This includes the value it indicates, its width, position, and formatting.

• Configuring Comparative Ranges (igLinearGauge): This topic explains, with code examples, how to configure ranges in the igLinearGauge control. This includes the number of ranges and their positions, lengths, widths, and formatting.

• Configuring the Background (igLinearGauge): This topic explains, with code examples, how to configure a background for the linear gauge. This includes setting the background’s size, position, color, and border.

• Configuring the Tooltips (igLinearGauge): This topic explains, with code examples, how to enable the tooltips in the igLinearGauge control and configure the delay with which they are displayed.

Samples

The following samples provide additional information related to this topic.

• Scale Settings:This sample demonstrates the supported scale configurations of the igLinearGauge control.