Duplicating Minitab Graphs
Don't Recreate, Recycle!
Over time, many Minitab users find there are a few graphs they return to time and again. For example, you might create a bar chart to examine yearly manufacturing defect data, then another to look at quarterly defect figures, and then another for defects by month. Or maybe you create the same set of graphs detailing customer satisfaction ratings – with the same edits and annotations – each time you assemble a quarterly report. But creating a detailed graph takes time, and it can be frustrating to feel like you're creating essentially the same graphs over and over again. And when it's been weeks or months since you last created a particular type of graph, it can be even more difficult to remember all the settings and options you used to produce the original.
Thankfully, Minitab offers a number of tools that allow you to leverage existing graphs into producing new ones. In this short article we'll cover three easy ways to do just that.
Simple Duplication
There are many times when you simply need a duplicate copy of a graph you've already created. Rather than fill out a dialog box and edit the graph to match, you can use Editor > Duplicate Graph to create an identical copy.
Suppose you've created a bar chart of defect data for a monthly report. You want to use the graph at several points in your presentation, each time for a different purpose. |  |
Simply choose Editor > Duplicate Graph to make as many copies as you like. You might then add descriptive annotation to one, data labels to another, and so on. |  |
You'll find the Duplicate Graph command has many other useful applications, even when the goal isn't producing identical copies. You might use it to make a backup copy of a graph before altering the original dramatically. Or if you have a graph that is set to update automatically, you can use Duplicate Graph and turn off the updating feature to create a snapshot of particular moments while the original copy changes over time.
Making Similar Graphs
Sometimes an identical copy isn't exactly what you need. The type of graph may be right, and even the editing changes and additions might be appropriate. In fact, the only thing you want to change about the graph are the variables used to create it. In these cases, use Make Similar Graph to quickly generate a copy of a graph that has all the attributes of the original, but with different data.
Suppose you created this histogram of measurements for a hand-cut part in your manufacturing plant. You included a reference line at the target value, and even changed the default colors of the graph. Now you'd like to create an identical histogram, but with data from a different plant. |  |
| Just choose Editor > Make Similar Graph and swap out the old variables with the ones you want to include. Now you've got the new graph you want without creating and editing it from scratch. |  |
With Make Similar Graph, you can be sure that you're retaining all of the important edits made to the original version of the graph without having to remember paths, gallery choices, options, and so on.
Duplicating with Command Language—Simply
So far we've seen how you can duplicate a graph or create a similar copy with different variables. But with Copy Command Language you can make a copy of a graph that retains or changes most any element you like. Even if you've never used Minitab command language before, this is a simple and straightforward way to create a customized copy of a graph.
Suppose you've created this boxplot of fill weight data recorded from one machine at your facility. You'd like to create a similar graph with data from another machine. Choose Editor > Copy Command Language and all of the session commands used to create the current graph will be copied to the clipboard. |  |
Choose Edit > Command Line Editor, and then paste the commands into the window. You can now edit these commands however you'd like. In this example, you only want to change the variable being graphed. When you're done making changes, click Submit Commands. |  |
Your new graph retains all of the characteristics of the original except for the items you changed – all with a few clicks of the mouse. |  |
Using Copy Command Language to make altered copies of graphs is a good way to get accustomed to the command language underlying all Minitab commands. As you become more comfortable with Minitab command language in general, you might use Copy Command Language as the basis for constructing time saving macros and execs to automate your recurring analyses.
Putting It to Use
These are just a handful of the many ways you can use Minitab's simple yet sophisticated copying tools. And like most good tools, you'll find even more applications as you use them. These handy duplicating methods will both reduce the time you spend graphing in Minitab and make the time you do spend more productive. So, the next time you find yourself making the same old graph from scratch, reach for one of these tools instead to replicate, repurpose, and recycle your existing graphs into useful new ones.