Axis Layout and Appearance

• Apr 26, 2022
• 3 minutes to read

This topic describes how to modify an axis‘s layout and change its color and thickness. See the Tickmarks, Grid Lines, and Interlacing document for information on how to customize axis tickmarks’ and grid lines’ appearance.

How to Reverse an Axis Labels’ Order

The Chart Control labels an x-axis from left to right, and a y-axis from bottom to top. You can reverse an x-axis to label it from right to left, and a y-axis from top to bottom. The following images show a y-axis’s labels in the default and reversed order:

Default labels’ order	Reversed labels’ order

Use the following example to display a y-axis’s labels in reverse order:

Markup

XAML

<dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisY>
      <dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisY>
            <dxc:AxisY2D Reverse="True"/>
      </dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisY>
      <!-- Other diagram settings. -->
</dxc:XYDiagram2D>

Code

XAML

<dxc:XYDiagram2D x:Name="diagram">
    <!--...-->
</dxc:XYDiagram2D>

C#

using DevExpress.Xpf.Charts;

public MainWindow() {
    //...
    diagram.AxisY = new AxisY2D { Reverse = true };
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.Xpf.Charts
Public Sub New()
    '...
    diagram.AxisY = New AxisY2D With {
            .Reverse = True
        }
End Sub

How to Change an Axis Position

You can display an x-axis on the bottom or top of a chart’s plot area, and a y-axis on the left or right. To change an axis’s position, use the Axis2D.Alignment property. The following images demonstrate different axis alignments:

Value	The Example Image
Center
Far
Near
Zero

The example below shows how to set the Far alignment for a y-axis:

Markup

XAML

<dxc:XYDiagram2D>
      <dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisY>
            <dxc:AxisY2D Alignment="Far"/>
      </dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisY>
      <!-- Other diagram settings. -->
</dxc:XYDiagram2D>

Code

XAML

<dxc:XYDiagram2D x:Name="diagram">
    <!--...-->
</dxc:XYDiagram2D>

C#

using DevExpress.Xpf.Charts;

public MainWindow() {
    //...
    diagram.AxisY = new AxisY2D { Alignment = AxisAlignment.Far };
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.Xpf.Charts
Public Sub New()
    '...
    diagram.AxisY = New AxisY2D With {
            .Alignment = AxisAlignment.Far
        }
End Sub

How to Customize Axis Appearance

You can modify an axis’s thickness and the brush that is used to draw the axis.

The markup below shows how to modify the x-axis’s appearance as shown in the previous image:

Markup

XAML

<dxc:XYDiagram2D>
    <dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisX>
        <dxc:AxisX2D Brush="Gray" 
                     Thickness="3"/>
    </dxc:XYDiagram2D.AxisX>
    <!-- Other diagram settings. -->
</dxc:XYDiagram2D>

Code

XAML

<dxc:XYDiagram2D x:Name="diagram">
    <!--...-->
</dxc:XYDiagram2D>

C#

using DevExpress.Xpf.Charts;
using System.Windows.Media;

public MainWindow() {
    //...
    diagram.AxisX = new AxisX2D { Brush = Brushes.Gray, Thickness = 3 };
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.Xpf.Charts
Imports System.Windows.Media

Public Sub New()
    '...
    diagram.AxisX = New AxisX2D With {
            .Brush = Brushes.Gray,
            .Thickness = 3
        }
End Sub

You can also use DevExpress themes to modify chart elements’ appearance. Refer to Themes for information on how to apply a theme to an application.