Chart annotations: How can I align the annotation

Question

I have aligned the annotations to data points; I want to align the annotations vertically.

I have read this, But can't figure out how to relate the chart width to data points. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd456731.aspx

And this: MS Charting Annotations refuse to align to mouse position

I added a picture of the chart so far as an example.

'create new chart
 chart1 = New DataVisualization.Charting.Chart

 'add chart areas
  chart1.ChartAreas.Add("NewChartArea")
  chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").Area3DStyle.Enable3D = False
  chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisX.MajorGrid.Enabled = False 'turn chart background grid on and off
  chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisY.MajorGrid.Enabled = False 'turn chart background grid on and off
  chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisX.Title = "Activities of daily living" '----> title on the bottom for the x axis
  '[template] chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisX.LabelStyle.Angle = 45
  '[template] Chart1.Series(SeriesZeroChartName).Label = " my own label" ' -----> adds a label at the top of each bar

   For c As Integer = 2 To Me.DataGridViewResultsAdls.ColumnCount - 1

        Dim NextSeriesChartName As String
        NextSeriesChartName = DataGridViewResultsAdls.Columns(c).Name

        chart1.Series.Add(NextSeriesChartName)
        chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).ChartType = DataVisualization.Charting.SeriesChartType.Bar 'CHART CHANGER ******  change this value to change chart type
        chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).Points.Clear()
        chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).IsValueShownAsLabel = True '----> puts little labels ontop of each bar
        chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).SmartLabelStyle.Enabled = True


       ' fill each subsequent series with points
         For Count As Integer = 0 To DataGridViewResultsAdls.Rows.Count - 2
                Dim NextColumnName As String
                NextColumnName = DataGridViewResultsAdls.Columns(c).Name

                ' define X values
                Dim XLabelMyCustom As String
                XLabelMyCustom = DataGridViewResultsAdls.Item(0, Count).Value
                'define Y values
                Dim YLabelMyCustom As String
                YLabelMyCustom = DataGridViewResultsAdls.Item(NextColumnName, Count).Value

                ' add the point to the chart
                chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).Points.AddXY(XLabelMyCustom, YLabelMyCustom)

                ' create custom labels for the x axis
                chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisX.CustomLabels.Add(Count + 0.5, Count + 0.4 + 0.5, "Q2", 0, DataVisualization.Charting.LabelMarkStyle.None)
                chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisX.CustomLabels.Add(Count + 0.5 + 0.5, Count + 0.9 + 0.5, "Q1", 0, DataVisualization.Charting.LabelMarkStyle.None)
                chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisX.CustomLabels.Add(Count + 0.5, Count + 1, "Q3", 2, DataVisualization.Charting.LabelMarkStyle.LineSideMark)



                'Create a variable MyDataPoint to hold the current datapoint
                Dim MyDataPoint As DataPoint
                MyDataPoint = chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).Points(Count)
                'Create a new text annotation
                Dim MyTextAnnotation As TextAnnotation
                MyTextAnnotation = New TextAnnotation
                MyTextAnnotation.Text = "some notation"
                '[template] MyTextAnnotation.X =   <---- sets coordinates on screen for x
                '[template ]MyTextAnnotation.Y =   <---- sets coordinates on screen for y
                '[template] MyTextAnnotation.AnchorDataPoint = MyDataPoint  'sets the point where the notation will be
                '[template] chart1.Annotations.Add(MyTextAnnotation) ' adds the notation to the chart

                ' only add annotations to the chart once per series
                If c = 2 Then
                    MyTextAnnotation.AxisY = chart1.ChartAreas("NewChartArea").AxisY

                    ' [template] chart1.Series(NextSeriesChartName).Points.Item(Count).ToString  <--- output points to a string {x,y}


                    MyTextAnnotation.AnchorDataPoint = MyDataPoint  'sets the point where the notation will be
                    chart1.Annotations.Add(MyTextAnnotation) ' adds the notation to the chart
                    MyTextAnnotation.AnchorOffsetX = -10


                End If
            Next

        Next

        'Add chart to control and set dock to fill
        Me.PanelChartAdls.Controls.Add(chart1)
        chart1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill

    End If

Answer 1

Positioning in a Chart control is rather complex.

To begin with a chart has three coordinate systems:

• The data values
• Percentages of some area, most notably the ChartArea and the InnerPlotPosition
• Pixels of the Chart control's ClientArea

The simplest way to achieve an alignment of your Annotations is to first anchor each to its DataPoint:

MyTextAnnotation.AnchorDataPoint = MyDataPoint 

Next you override the X-Position to a value you like:

MyTextAnnotation.X = someValue;

A few notes:

• While by default the Annotation.Position would use percentages, after anchoring it to a DataPoint it uses the values instead. So using 50 would not place in somewhere around the middle but all to the right...

Looking at your Chart I suggest using a value of 3.

• If your values vary this positioning will also vary. And when you resize the Chart the Axes will be resized and the Annotations will move as well.

Btw: The percentages are in relation to the next outer container: The ChartAreas to the Chart.ClientRectangle, the InnerPlotPostion to the ChartArea and each element to the container it is docked to..

• The Positions are by default set to automatic so their values are NaN. To access the (current) values you can call ElementPosition.ToRectangleF().

• Also note that there are several functions on the Chart's Axes that will convert values, pixels and percent-positions.

However you need to find a valid moment to call those functions; if the Chart is not done with its layout, they will return null.

You can safely either call them in one of the three Paint events or in response to a user interaction like a Mouse event.

Here is how to use them for positioning all Annotations to a (somewhat) fixed pixel position:

private void chart1_PostPaint(object sender, ChartPaintEventArgs e)
{
    Axis AY = chart1.ChartAreas[0].AxisY;

    double pypx = AY.ValueToPosition(AY.PixelPositionToValue(30));

    foreach (TextAnnotation ta in chart1.Annotations)
    {
        ta.X = pypx;
    }
}

Now the Annotations will not move when the chart is resized or when the data values grow or shrink. At least not a lot; a few jumps can be seen. Either because I missed something or because of rounding issues.

But I suggest going with the simpler method of setting their X-Position to a fixed value on your axis..:

MyTextAnnotation.X = 3;

This would put them at the yellow line you drew.