MS Excel 2007: what is wrong with standard colors when constructing a chart?

[valchyshen]

Hi All,

I have just changed PC. This new one has MS Office 2007 installed. I have my own add-in built in MS Excel 2003. The add-in has its own color pallete and uses it to constructing charts. It worked smoothly in the previous version (in 2003). But in 2007 it appears that, while a standard color pallete is embedded into a workbook, Excel uses its own colors for lines, bars, etc. when a chart is constructed.

How to make it possible that Excel uses that standard color pallete?

Thank you very much for your help!

Regards,
Alexander

[Cyberdude]

Hi, valchyshen! I need some clarification. You said

while a standard color pallete is embedded into a workbook, Excel uses its own colors for lines, bars, etc. when a chart is constructed.

I use charts extensively, and each uses the set of custom colors I've set up in the parent workbook. These colors are also used elsewhere in the text also. The pallete is NOT the standard Excel pallete, which I find lacking. Is the "standard" pallete you refer to a set of colors you have customized, or is it the Excel default standard pallete? I haven't switched to Excel 2007 yet, and you are scaring me. It sounds like my charts will stop using my customized colors (choke) when I make the change to 2007.

[valchyshen]

Hi! I refered to the "standard" pallete as to the set of colors I had customized. And it is not a pallete which Excel uses by default.

...I have changed my work place, where MS Office 2007 is used only.

Regards, Alexander

[CaptRon]

Cyberdude,

We just switched last week from Office 2003 to Office 2007 at work. I had it loaded on my machine for about 2 months longer than the rest of the office. The sweet looking charts we had built in Excel and Word 2003 look like $%!# in 2007. WordArt.....forget about it. What was created in pre-2007 appears in 2007 with strikethrough and underlined. Build it in 2007 and it's just plain black when opened in 2003.

And that's only the beginning of the work we've got ahead of us. Turns out, as far as I can tell, that macros won't run in Excel 2007 if the workbook or worksheets are password protected, even if it was saved to .xlsm.

I'm going to post an inquiry here at VBAX to see if I can get some insight into a solution. We need those sheets protected to keep our users from inadvertently deleting a formula here and there.

If I were you, I'd hang on to 2003 as long as possible. Microsoft, what were you thinking?

Ron

[valchyshen]

Guys,

Despite all the bugs about MS Excel 2007, I have found solution for my problem. I just added some VBA code that assigns those colors I want. if you need an example I'll provide it.

Regards,
Alexander

[Bob Phillips]

Post it, it might help others at another time.

[CaptRon]

Just a followup on my previous post.....

The sweet looking charts we had built in Excel and Word 2003 look like $%!# in 2007.

Looks like custom colors are retained in 2007 as they appeared in 2003, but colors straight from the pallete look different.

macros won't run in Excel 2007 if the workbook or worksheets are password protected, even if it was saved to .xlsm.

No so. 2007 doesn't care if the worksheets are protected, with or without a password, but 2007 WILL NOT enable macros in a workbook that is password protected on open. Won't give you the option to enable either, even if you place it in a trusted location. The workbook can be protected when opened, just not password protected.

Now once the workbook is open, you can apply password protection to the workbook itself and everything works OK because the macros have already been enabled. I am now making sure that workbook protection is removed on close and then reset by the user (click this button to show sheets) after its opened. Fortunately for me, this will be no big deal.

If I were you, I'd hang on to 2003 as long as possible.

Haven't changed my mind about that yet.

Ron