JFreeChart BarChart -> NO gradient

Question

my bar chart is always drawn with a gradient color by default. I just want a simple color without any styled effects.

Can anyone help ?

Code:

   final JFreeChart chart = ChartFactory.createBarChart(
        "",         // chart title
        xLabel,               // domain axis label
        yLabel,                  // range axis label
        dataset,                  // data
        PlotOrientation.VERTICAL, // orientation
        true,                     // include legend
        false,                     // tooltips?
        false                     // URLs?
    );

  final CategoryPlot plot = chart.getCategoryPlot();
  // SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE HERE

  showChart(chart); // Simply shows the chart in a new window

Thanks

Hymenopterous

Paste your code. In the most cases you should add some code to make it gradient like: GradientPaint – Woodford

+1 for the realest title. Web 2.0 goodbye! – Twill

Answer 1

The problem lies in the BarPainter you are using. The JFreeChart version 1.0.13 default is to use GradientBarPainter which adds a metallic-ish look to the bar. If you want the "old" look the solution is to use the StandardBarPainter.

final CategoryPlot plot = chart.getCategoryPlot();
((BarRenderer) plot.getRenderer()).setBarPainter(new StandardBarPainter());

That should do it.

Alternatively, if you want use JFreeChart's BarRenderer, you could force it to use the StandardBarPainter by calling the static method setDefaultBarPainter() before initializing your renderer.

final CategoryPlot plot = chart.getCategoryPlot();
BarRenderer.setDefaultBarPainter(new StandardBarPainter());
((BarRenderer) plot.getRenderer()).setBarPainter(new BarPainter());

If you want more control of the chart you can always build it from the ground up instead of using ChartFactory, but that does require a lot extra code.

Coupe

Great! I was looking for the solution for a long time! – Tonkin

Kudos for the solution. The "default" (I think) bar chart has this very cheap look. – Lilllie

Answer 2

Before you create the chart from ChartFactory you can set the chart theme:

ChartFactory.setChartTheme(StandardChartTheme.createLegacyTheme());

The default is the JFreeTheme which adds the gradient. The following themes are available:

ChartFactory.setChartTheme(StandardChartTheme.createJFreeTheme());
ChartFactory.setChartTheme(StandardChartTheme.createDarknessTheme());

Coherent

This solution helped me in case of using StackedBarChart which was not affected by changing barPainter in renderer. Perhaps I was accessing wrong renderer. Nevertheless this helps. – Nguyen

Answer 3

The source code for an older version of org.jfree.chart.demo.BarChartDemo1 shows how to set the series colors. Just specify plain colors instead of gradients.

renderer.setSeriesPaint(0, Color.red);
renderer.setSeriesPaint(1, Color.green);
renderer.setSeriesPaint(2, Color.blue);

Correction: The key to @Jes's helpful answer may be found in the initialization of defaultBarPainter in BarRenderer.

Spar

Does not work too, still everything is drawn with a gradient. Unfortunately i can not upload an image yet :( Furthermore the what will happen with at the upper solution if there are more than three columns ? – Hymenopterous

An image would be good, but the code would be better. If you do nothing, you should get the colors prescribed by the DefaultDrawingSupplier. – Spar