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consistent marker and style control - type properties

I wished there was a consistent marker control in Graph Builder.

Data Exploration and VisualizationRe: consistent marker and style control - type properties

The wish is from August (2025):consistent marker control in Graph Builder 


It seems that someone else had the same wish, because here it is [1st part]!

 

A new era of style control in Graph Builder / JMP19:

Names Default to Here(1);
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class Families.jmp" );
Graph Builder(
	Size( 590, 412 ),
	Graph Spacing( 4 ),
	Variables( X( :name ), Y( :weight ), Y( :height ), Color( :sex ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 1 ), Points( X, Y, Legend( 1 ) ) ),
	Elements( Position( 1, 2 ), Points( X, Y, Legend( 2 ) ) ),
	Column Switcher( :sex, {:age, :sex} ),
	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
			{Legend Model(
				1,
				Type Properties( 0, "Marker", {Marker( "Circle" )} )
			), Legend Model(
				2,
				Type Properties( 0, "Marker", {Marker( "FilledCircle" )} )
			)}
		))
);

 

In the Scripting Index, I could not find further documentation about the new feature:
https://jsl.jmp.com/search.html?q=Type+Properties

I guessit works along the idea:  if all items of one plot type have the same setting, then this setting is saved via Type Properties() to the Legend Group.

Important: default settings (marker = dot, color=black, line style: solid) are not saved (!!)      * )

 
*) further details about this behavior can be found in a previous post:
https://community.jmp.com/t5/Discussions/Do-you-use-the-preferences/m-p/913487/highlight/true#M107338 

Re: consistent marker and style control

Not only for Marker Styles ; )

JMP19:

• The user was not happy with the default settings and adjusted the color for one item in the legend.
  
  
• during the exploratory data analysis, the user restricts the view to the item with the special setting
  
  
• this is where the new feature gets activated:

from an earlier post:

---

 if all items of one plot type have the same setting, then this setting is saved via Type Properties() to the Legend Group.

---

• "all" -> even a single one (!)
  JMP saved the specific setting as the default for the whole plot.
• Later, when the user resets the selection in the data filter, this new setting is applied to all the other elements in the graph as well. By this inheritance of plot settings all elements get assimilated and share the same style:
  
  
  

In general, this is not what the users expect.

How can you escape the trap?
- To get rid of the Type Properties(), the user simply needs to revert (or overwrite) one of the settings:

Re: consistent marker and style control

Items with their own settings are protected from unwanted inheritance:

 

So, the user has to apply special settings to EVERY entry in the legend to protect them from the spillover.

important in this context:

---

default settings (marker = dot, color=black, line style: solid) are not saved * 

---

 

-> Standard dot, black and solid line? -> a big no-go until a bugfix is available.

Re: consistent marker and style control

Interesting:

1. Settings for Bar Graphs  and Box Plots are  NOT stored to Type Properties().
   
   
2. Bar Graphs  and Box Plots  ignore Type Properties()
   [if a graph is changed from Marker to Bar Graph, there will be a setting like 
   Type Properties( 0, "Bar", {Fill Color( 43 )} ),
   but it's ignored by the Bar Graph]

Re: consistent marker and style control

bug confirmed by JMP support [TS-00256956]

Important detail: The surprising behavior gets active when the graph is created via JSL.
It's not there the fist time when the graph is created via the GUI.

Re: consistent marker and style control

-> fixed.