working with maps (2003 SP3)

[steveh]

Morning all

Does anybody have experience with working with maps in Excel.

I am trying to place temperature data into or onto a map to show the actual temperature (obtained from a web query) for certain major cities, what I have tried and the assocuated problems are below

• 1. Using a picture as a backgroun object: I have had limited success but the workbook is subject to bloat because the image is copied to the whole of the worksheet and not just to the area that I would like to work in. Also when I open the workbook it sometimes expands a row or column height with no rhyme or reason which makes the temeprature data go askew.
  2. Using a transparent GIF means that the temperature data sometimes goes behind lines on the map such as borders etc. and is unreadable, also to avoid clutter I wanted to add the city name as a comment but because the cell is effectively behind the the map the mouse hover does not work. I have tried selecting the GIF and using 'Order to back' but it makes no difference.

Has anybody found or know of a workaround?

[HansV]

Perhaps you could use the map as background for an otherwise empty chart object, and place the numbers as text boxes on the chart (you can link them to cells on the sheet)

[steveh]

Perhaps you could use the map as background for an otherwise empty chart object, and place the numbers as text boxes on the chart (you can link them to cells on the sheet)

Hi Hans

That is fantastic, thanks, I did not realise that you could do that with a chart frame.

If anybody else is thinking of doing this and you Google for linking a cell to a text box, don't, nearly all of the solutions give convuleted code but all you really need to do is highlight the cell and in the formula bar type =A1 (or whatever cell you want it linked to).

Thanks again Hans

[HansV]

Er, you probably mean

... highlight the text box and in the formula bar type =A1 (or whatever cell you want it linked to).

[steveh]

Er, you probably mean

... highlight the text box and in the formula bar type =A1 (or whatever cell you want it linked to).

Umm, yes, my excitement at getting something right must have affected my fingers as I typed