DATA PREPARATION

Your spreadsheet structure should look similar to this image before exporting into .csv format. Be aware that datasets must be in numeric format. Also, you can change the column for x-axis later, the first column is taken as default.

In addition, the names of the datasets must be unique.

After exporting, check if .csv data is separated by semicolons, as the example below. If not, use tools like Windows Notepad to replace comma's with semicolons.

Example of data

Why semicolon? Because some regions across the world use a comma for decimal numbers, so that can generate errors when importing data.

Next releases will have a button to choose which format you are using before importing, so there will be no need to replace comma's!

PARAMETERS

Chart list

It lists all charts you have in this Blender file. With the "add" button you can import a new .csv data source, or remove it at anytime (this also clears the chart).

If data changes over time the Update chart button search into the original .csv file and import the changes, updating the data while maintaining existing chart settings.

If new dataset are added it creates a new dataset entry with a new material applied to it.

If a dataset is removed it removes it from Blender along with its material.

Main settings

Auto draw: if checked, for some parameters redraw the chart every time its value changes. Be aware, for large dataset it can take long times and freeze blender interface for too long. Instead, let it unchecked anche use the "Draw chart" button below.

Draw chart: Pretty straightforward.

Chart type: Select the chart type.

Import all system fonts: import all fonts from the path indicated in Blender Preferences>File Paths>Fonts . If it doesn't work, then import the font you want as usual. Select a text object, go to Data properties tab, Font panel, click on "Open Font" button and locate your font location.

Chart settings

Chart settings for each chart type

Direction: whether vertical or horizontal chart

Size: X and Y dimensions, in blender units

Y range: Min and max values that are shown on the Y axis.

Y steps: subdivision number of the Y axis.

X bin number (histogram): number of interval into wich the dataset values are subdivided.

X bin size (histogram, bar): width of each bin expressed as a percentage of its max width.

Stack: it shows the data stacked.

Percent: it shows the data in percentages.

f(x)=y: scale x axis based on data input or keep an equal distance between x labels.

Group by dataset: if checked, each bin will contain a single dataset. If deselected, the data will be grouped by rows: this means that each bin will contain the values contained in the same row from each dataset.

Pie resolution (pie): number of subdivision of the circle.

Growth (pie): chart will be drawn considering this value as the maximum angle.

Plot area

Axis

X/Y axis: toggle visibility for x and y axis.

Step line: toggle visibility for step lines on x and y axis.

Step line lenght: lenght controller for step lines.

Axis lines thickness: change the thickness of all chart axis.

X/Y grid: toggle visibility for the grid lines into the plot area.

X/Y grid subdivision: set the density of the grid.

Axis lines color: change the color of all chart axis.

Main font: properties to set the font and the size of any label for this chart. Can be overridden by the "custom font" property for each label type.

Label settings (x label title, x labels, y label title, y labels)

X labels settings for pie chart (right) and all others (left) 

X/Y/title labels: toggle visibility for each label type.

Offset X/Y/Z: they move the labels into the 3D space.

Rotation X/Y/Z: they rotate the labels into the 3D space.

Decimal position: it works only with numeric values.

Font color: pretty straightforward.

Custom font: it overrides the "main font" properties into the "Plot area" panel.

Legend

Legend: toggle visibility for the chart legend.

Location: it sets the position of the legend.

Horizontal/Vertical alignment: depending on the "location" property, it changes the legend position between the following possibilities: "LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT" for "TOP/BOTTOM" location and "TOP, CENTER, BOTTOM" for "LEFT/RIGHT" location.

Offset X/Y/Z: they move the labels into the 3D space.

Rotation X: it rotates the labels into the 3D space.

Show bbox: toggle visibility for the bounding box of the legend. It can be useful to pre-visualize the dimensions and to correctly set the alignment properties.

X size: x dimension for the legend box. Legend labels will be updated automatically depending on this property. 

Text spacing X: horizontal distance between two consequent legend entries.

Text spacing y: vertical distance between two consequent row of legend entries.

Legend type: there are two types of legend entries: LINE and RECTANGLE. Depending on which one is selected the following properties can be changed.

Length: horizontal size of the graphic element.

Height (rectangle): vertical size of the graphic element.

Line spacing: spacing between the graphic element the the legend label.

Line offset: vertical offset to adjust the location of each graphic element.

Font color: pretty straightforward.

Custom font: it overrides the "main font" properties into the "Plot area" panel.

Chart dataset

Rotation X/Y/Z: they rotate the labels into the 3D space.

Decimal position: it works only with numeric values.

Font color: pretty straightforward.

Custom font: it overrides the "main font" properties into the "Plot area" panel.

Sample of the custom properties for all datasets.

Name: dataset name, can be changed at anytime. It is used into the legend.

Type: where the dataset data should be used. Can be set to "NONE, DATA-SET, X LABELS" and can be changed at anytime. Be shure to use only one "X LABEL". 

Stroke: toggle the stroke visibility for this dataset. This property is taken directly from the material slot assigned to the dataset.

Stroke thickness: change the thickness of the dataset.

Stroke color: change the stroke color of the dataset

Fill: toggle the stroke fill for this dataset. This property is taken directly from the material slot assigned to the dataset.

Fill color: change the fill color of the dataset

Animation

Frame start: pretty straightforward.

Frame end: pretty straightforward.

Linked (pie): if selected the chard is animated from the "zero" angle to the "growth" angle set into the chart settings. If not, each value of each dataset will be animated locally.

Clockwise: pretty straightforward.

Animate data labels: if selected data labels will be animated in different ways depending on the chart type.