Object Manager

The Object Manager contains a hierarchical list of the objects in a Grapher plot window. The objects can be selected, arranged, and renamed in the Object Manager or with ribbon commands. Changes made in the Object Manager are reflected in the plot window, and vice versa.

Check the View | Display | Object Manager command to show or uncheck the command to hide the Object Manager. A check mark indicates the manager is visible. No check mark indicates the manager is hidden. You can also show or access the Object Manager by pressing ALT+F11.

Image showing example object manager

The Object Manager contains a list of all objects in a plot window and
can be used to select objects, arrange objects, and control object visibility.

Object Visibility

Each item in the Object Manager list consists of an icon indicating the object type, a text label for the object, and a visibility check box. A check mark indicates that the object is visible. An empty box indicates that the object is not visible. Click the check box to change the visibility of the item. Invisible objects do not appear in the plot window or on printed output.

 

To change the visibility for multiple selected objects, right-click in the Object Manager and click Toggle Visibility. Visible selected objects will be hidden, and hidden selected objects will become visible.

Object Manager Tree

If an object contains sub-objects, a or displays to the left of the object name. Click the or  icon to expand or collapse the list. For example, a graph object contains a plot, e.g., line/scatter, plus at least two axes. To expand the tree, click on the icon, select the item and press the plus key (+) on the numeric keypad, or press the right arrow key on your keyboard. To collapse a branch of the tree, click on the  icon, select the item and press the minus key (-) on the numeric keypad, or press the left arrow key.

Add to Graph

Click on the Add to Graph button () next to Graph to add a plot to a graph . Then select the plot type you want to add in the Select Plot Type window dialog. Next, select existing axes or create new axes in the Choose Axes dialog. After that choose a data file in the Open Worksheet dialog. Lastly set the properties of the new plot in the Property Manager.

Selecting Objects

Click on the object name to select an object and display its properties in the Property Manager. The plot window updates to show the selected object with a selection bounding box and the status bar displays the name of the selected object. To select multiple objects, hold down the CTRL key and click on each object. To select multiple adjacent objects at the same level in the tree, click on the first object's name, hold down the SHIFT key, and then click on the last object's name.

Editing Object IDs

Select the object and then click again on the selected object (two slow clicks) to edit the object name. You must allow enough time between the two clicks so the action is not interpreted as a double-click. Enter the new name into the box. Alternatively, right-click on an object name and click Rename Object, select an object and click the Home | Selection | Rename command, or select an object and press F2. Enter a name in the Rename Object dialog and click OK to rename the object.

Arranging Objects

To change the display order of the objects with the mouse, select an object and drag it to a new position in the list above or below an object at the same level in the tree. The cursor changes to a black right arrow if the object can be moved to the cursor location or a red circle with a diagonal line if the object cannot be moved to the indicated location. For example, a line/scatter plot can be moved anywhere within its graph object or into another graph object, but not into a group object. Objects can also be arranged using the Layout | Move commands: To Front, To Back, Forward, and Backward.


The cursor changes to a black horizontal
arrow if an object can be moved to a
new location in the Object Manager.

 


The cursor changes to a circle with a
diagonal line if an object cannot be moved
to a new location in the Object Manager.

Deleting Objects

To delete an object, select the object and press the DELETE key. Some objects cannot be deleted. For example, you cannot delete an axis that is currently in use by a plot in a graph.

Keyboard Commands

Press ALT+F11 to access the Object Manager. Pressing ALT+F11 will also show the Object Manager if it is hidden or pinned.

Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to navigate between objects in the Object Manager. Hold CTRL to select multiple contiguous objects. Press LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW to collapse or expand an item in the Object Manager such as a graph or group.

Press ALT+ENTER to access the Property Manager for the selected item. If the selected item cannot be collapsed, such as a plot or axis, you can also press ENTER to access the object's properties. If the selected item can be collapsed, such as a group or graph, press ENTER to collapse or expand the item.

See Also

Changing the Window Layout

Hide/Show All Managers

Property Manager

Script Manager

Worksheet Manager