topic Re: Help with relative positions of custom "legend" in Discussions

Help with relative positions of custom "legend"

SDF1 — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:08:46 GMT

Hello JSL Scripters,

I'm working on a script, where I am adding my own "legend" to a graph. See screenshot below.

I've added the lines and text by right clicking in the graph Customize...> and then adding a Script to the graph. The following JSL generates the "legend" as shown above.

Pen Color( "Red" );
Pen Size( 2 );
Line Style( "Solid" );
Line( [20, 100], [65, 65] );
Text( {120, 64}, "Weight" );
Pen Color( "Blue" );
Pen Size( 2 );
Line( [20, 100], [60, 60] );
Text( {120, 59}, "Height" );

But, what I'm really after is how to make the positions of the legend lines and text relative to, e.g. 90% the maximum value in the column :"Weight diff [g]"n. Data table is attached as well with script (non working script is commented out). I thought I could do it with something like an Eval(Substitute(Expr(...), Expr(__pos__), pos) type of JSL, but I keep getting the "Invalid Matrix Token" error. With something like the following:

Names Default To Here( 1 );

pos = Col Max( :"Weight diff[g]"n );

Eval(
	Substitute(
			Expr(
				Graph Builder(
					Size( 510, 510 ),
					Show Legend( 0 ),
					Graph Spacing( 4 ),
					Variables(
						X( :"MeasTime [s]"n ),
						Y( :"Weight diff [g]"n ),
						Y( :"Height diff [mm]"n, Position( 1 ), Side( "Right" ) )
					),
					Elements( Line( X, Y( 1 ), Legend( 5 ) ), Line( X, Y( 2 ), Legend( 6 ) ) ),
					SendToReport(
						Dispatch( {}, "MeasTime [s]", ScaleBox, {Inc( 100 )} ),
						Dispatch( {}, "Graph Builder", FrameBox,
							{Add Graphics Script(
								5,
								Description( "" ),
								Pen Color( "Red" );
								Pen Size( 2 );
								Line Style( "Solid" );
								Line( [20, 100], [__pos__, __pos__] );
								Text( {120, 64}, "Weight" );
								Pen Color( "Blue" );
								Pen Size( 2 );
								Line( [20, 100], [60, 60] );
								Text( {120, 59}, "Height" );
							)}
						)
					)
				)
			),
		Expr( __pos__ ), Eval( Round( 0.9 * pos, 0 ) )
	)
);

I've even tried wrapping the y-coordinates of the Line() in "{ }", like: Line( [20, 100],[{_pos__,__pos__}]), and I still get the same error. I'd prefer to use a variable like "pos", that I get from a column rather than have it as an absolute value because the column values can change and I need the graph objects like the line and text to be able to move relative to what's being graphed.

Any suggestions on how to get around this error and/or what I'm missing -- this approach should work, but I'm just not catching why.

Thanks!,

Re: Help with relative positions of custom "legend"

jthi — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:19:16 GMT

Y Range() and Y Origin() are most likely what you need.

Re: Help with relative positions of custom "legend"

SDF1 — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:35:59 GMT

Hi @jthi ,

Thanks for the hint! With a minor modification, that helped out a lot and got me exactly what I needed, thanks!

Thank for the quick reply, too!,

Re: Help with relative positions of custom "legend"

SDF1 — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:32:41 GMT

In case other readers are interested, I modified the JSL code (see below) to:

Names Default To Here( 1 );

x1=300;
y2=36.7;

Graph Builder(
	Size( 510, 510 ),
	Show Legend( 0 ),
	Graph Spacing( 4 ),
	Variables( X( :"MeasTime [s]"n ), Y( :"Weight diff [g]"n ), Y( :"Height diff [mm]"n, Position( 1 ), Side( "Right" ) ) ),
	Elements( Line( X, Y( 1 ), Legend( 5 ) ), Line( X, Y( 2 ), Legend( 6 ) ) ),
	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "MeasTime [s]", ScaleBox, {Inc( 100 )} ),
		Dispatch( {}, "Graph Builder", FrameBox,
			{Add Graphics Script(
				5,
				Description( "" ),
				Pen Color( "Black" );
				Line Style( "Dashed" );
				Line( {x1,YOrigin()}, {x1,y2}, {XOrigin(),y2}, {x1,y2} );
				Pen Color( "Red" );
				Pen Size( 2 );
				Line Style( "Solid" );
				Line( {XOrigin()+30, 0.9*YRange()}, {XOrigin()+130, 0.9*YRange()} );
				Text( {XOrigin()+150, 0.9*YRange()-1}, "Weight" );
				Pen Color( "Blue" );
				Pen Size( 2 );
				Line( {XOrigin()+30, 0.85*YRange()}, {XOrigin()+130, 0.85*YRange()} );
				Text( {XOrigin()+150, 0.85*YRange()-1}, "Height" );
			)}
		)
	)
);

Which makes the following output:

Which are demonstrations of exactly what I was looking to do -- create relative "legends" and specific reference lines that don't go across the entire length/height of the graph.

Hopefully this can help others looking to do something similar.

Hope this helps others!,

Re: Help with relative positions of custom "legend"

jthi — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:38:53 GMT

You might want to evaluate the x1 and y2 to the graphic script to avoid all sorts of possibly annoying issues.

Names Default To Here(1);

x1 = 300;
y2 = 36.7;

dt = Current Data Table();
gb = Eval(Substitute(
		Expr(dt << Graph Builder(
			Size(510, 510),
			Show Legend(0),
			Graph Spacing(4),
			Variables(X(:"MeasTime [s]"n), Y(:"Weight diff [g]"n), Y(:"Height diff [mm]"n, Position(1), Side("Right"))),
			Elements(Line(X, Y(1), Legend(5)), Line(X, Y(2), Legend(6))),
			SendToReport(
				Dispatch({}, "MeasTime [s]", ScaleBox, {Inc(100)}),
				Dispatch({}, "Graph Builder", FrameBox,
					{Add Graphics Script(
						5,
						Description(""),
						Pen Color("Black");
						Line Style("Dashed");
						Line({_x1_, Y Origin()}, {_x1_, _y2_}, {X Origin(), _y2_}, {_x1_, _y2_});
						Pen Color("Red");
						Pen Size(2);
						Line Style("Solid");
						Line({X Origin() + 30, 0.9 * Y Range()}, {X Origin() + 130, 0.9 * Y Range()});
						Text({X Origin() + 150, 0.9 * Y Range() - 1}, "Weight");
						Pen Color("Blue");
						Pen Size(2);
						Line({X Origin() + 30, 0.85 * Y Range()}, {X Origin() + 130, 0.85 * Y Range()});
						Text({X Origin() + 150, 0.85 * Y Range() - 1}, "Height");
					)}
				)
			)
		)),
		Expr(_x1_), x1,
		Expr(_y2_), y2
	)
);