Lotus Development Corp, Cambrdidge, Massachusetts has introduced Graphwriter II, a major upgrade of its Graphwriter that offers PC-DOS users a system for producing and automatically updating charts created from spreadsheet or database data. Graphwriter II enables users to produce up to 100 updated charts with a single command. Charts can be linked to files such […]
Lotus Development Corp, Cambrdidge, Massachusetts has introduced Graphwriter II, a major upgrade of its Graphwriter that offers PC-DOS users a system for producing and automatically updating charts created from spreadsheet or database data. Graphwriter II enables users to produce up to 100 updated charts with a single command. Charts can be linked to files such as those from Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony, or Ashton-Tate’s dBase, and chart data, text and attributes, such as line colour or bar fill, can then be determined by values in the spreadsheet or database. Major enhancements to the product include a new user interface with the 1-2-3 menu and command structure; direct links to any data source; automatic updating and output of charts; greater chart style control; wider variety of charts; the ability to place multiple charts on a page; the ability to view and select data from the data source; and improved chart formats, file handling and output options. The new version eliminates some of the time- consuming steps in the chart production process by giving the user the ability to set only once many chart style parameters such as the number of charts per page, colours, fonts, fill patterns, and line width. Users can choose from 24 chart types when determining formats to represent their data. It positions all chart elements on the page according to default style settings, without requiring user decisions on layout, legends, or graph labels. Users can also view a representation of the spreadsheet or database from within Graphwriter II to designate and select ranges of data, text, or chart attributes for charting. 3D effects can be added, multiple charts can be placed on a page, and colours, fill patterns, fonts, and text sizes can be changed. Users can export Graphwriter II charts to Freelance Plus to enhance them with symbols and diagrams or to Lotus Manuscript to combine them with text. It supports matrix and laser printers (including those that support PostScript), plotters, colour printers, and image recorder cameras, and charts can be produced for paper, 35mm slides, and overhead transparencies. It runs on XTs and compatibles up, needing 512Kb memory and a hard disk. It also requires one of Hercules, IBM CGA, IBM Colour Graphics Adaptor, Enhanced Graphics Adapter, Video Graphics Array, or Multi-Colour Graphics Array. It ships in October at $495. Registered users who bought Graphwriter before July 15 will be able to upgrade $75. There is no upgrade charge for registered users who bought Graphwriter after July 15.
