---
title: "Chart Time Scale – X-Axis"
description: "Chart window can be divided into several columns. Each column has its own X axis (time scale). #### **How to change the time scale (X axis)** > The horizontal axis is divided into 3 areas: left, center and right **To…"
url: "https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/docs/chart-time-scale-x-axis/"
updated: "2023-02-24"
category: Charts
---

# Chart Time Scale – X-Axis

Chart window can be divided into several columns. Each column has its own X axis (time scale).

#### **How to change the time scale (X axis)**

> The horizontal axis is divided into 3 areas: left, center and right

**To compress or decompress the X axis, or more commonly perform a chart Zoom-In or Zoom-Out:**

- Place the mouse over the chart window and scroll the mouse wheel up and down

- or press **+** and **-** buttons on the right of X-axis scroll bar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-zoom1.png)

- or *right click on X-axis* > *Zoom-In/Zoom-Out*:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-zoom2.png)

- or left click on x-axis left or right area and move the mouse cursor to the left or right:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-zoom3.png)

- or use the Hot Keys '**CTRL** **+'** and **'CTRL** **-**'

**To move X-axis horizontally while keeping the current time interval:**

- left click on chart window and move the mouse left or right

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-move1.png)

- or move X-axis scroll bar left or right:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-move2.png)

- or left click on x-axis central area and move the mouse cursor to the left or right (you can also directly use the mouse scroll wheel on central X-axis area):

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-move3.png)

- or use the hot keys '**CTRL + Left Arrow**' and '**CTRL + Right Arrow**'

You can change **mouse wheel sensitivity** on chart by setting the **Mouse Wheel Sensitivity** property in the **Preferences** window accessible from: *Tools* menu > *Preferences* > *Chart* section. The greater the mouse wheel sensitivity on chart, the greater the zoom

#### **Manual Zoom**

Manual zoom allows you to zoom-in on a specific chart area by defining the area directly on chart using the mouse:

**1**. Activate manual zoom by pressing **Zoom-In (Manual)** button on **Zoom and Control** toolbar

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-zoom-manual1.png)

**2**. Draw the area on chart using the mouse:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-zoom-manual2.png)

**3**. Disable manual zoom by pressing **Zoom-In (Manual)** button again on **Zoom and Control** toolbar

To undo the zoom, press **Zoom-Out (Manual)** button on **Zoom and Control** toolbar.

#### **Right Margin**

Right margin in a chart represents a time interval (expressed in number of bars) added to the right of chart after last bar. This additional space allows you, among other things, to draw and/or extend drawing tools (trendline etc.) beyond the chart last bar.

You can change the Right Margin in one of the following ways:

- *right click on X-axis* > *Right Margin*
- or **right click on X-axis** > *Properties* > *Right Margin*

#### **Further Right Margin**

In addition to the Right Margin, you can define an additional margin to the right of chart. This margin, unlike Right Margin, is NOT represented by any time interval. ***Further-Right-Margin* management is completely automatic and transparent to the user** (if ***DYNAMIC*** type). If, on the other hand, it is of the *FIXED* type, further-right-margin is equal to a fixed number of bars defined in the relative property. We **RECOMMEND** you always use the ***DYNAMIC*** type (default), unless you have particular needs.

To change/set Further-Right-Margin as ***FIXED***::

- *right click on X-axis* > *Properties* > *Further Right Margin*

To change/set Further-Right-Margin as ***DYNAMIC***:

- Move the mouse cursor near the chart last bar, then left click on chart window and move the mouse left or right

To reset Further-Right-Margin, reset time scale as described in ***point 2*** of ***Reset Time Scale*** section

#### **Reset Time Scale**

There are two types of time scale (X axis) reset:

**1**. Reset the scale to display all available bars in the chart:

- press **Reset time scale** button on the right of X-axis scroll bar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-reset1.png)

- or select *Format* menu > *Reset Time Scale*

- or press **Reset Time Scale** button on **Zoom and Control** toolbar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-reset2.png)

**2**. Reset of the scale (both X and Y axis) and positioning on chart last bar (with resetting of dynamic Further-Right-Margin, if present):

- press **Move to last bar** button on the right of X-axis scroll bar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-reset3.png)

- or select *Format* menu > *Move to last bar*

- or press **Move to last bar** button on **Zoom and Control** toolbar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-reset4.png)

#### **Space between bars**

Bars in a chart are spaced from each other by a Standard space. You can change the space between bars according to your needs by multiplying the standard space by x times.

You can change the space between bars in one of the following ways:

**1**. *right click on X-axis* > *Space between bars* > select the multiplier

**2**. *right click on X-axis* > *Properties* > *Space between bars*

#### **No Scoll on New Bar**

By selecting this property, chart will NOT automatically scroll to the left when adding a new bar in real time.

You can enable/disable automatic chart scrolling in one of the following ways:

**1**. *right click on X-axis* > *No Scroll on New Bar*

**2**. *right click on X-axis* > *Properties* > *No Scroll on New Bar*

#### **Scroll bar always visible or "retractable"**

To save space on chart you can hide the chart scroll bar:

- By pressing '**Make Scrollbar Retractable**' button on the right of chart scroll bar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-scrollbar1.png)

- or *right click on X-axis* > 'Scrollbar Always visible'

When the scroll bar is 'retractable' to make it visible, hover the mouse over the part immediately above the X axis::

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-scrollbar4.png)

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-scrollbar2.png)

To make the scroll bar permanently visible again:

- Press **Make scrollbar always visible** on the right of chart scroll bar:

![](https://www.overcharts.com/en/helpcenter/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/chart-xaxis-scrollbar3.png)

or *right click on X-axis* > 'Scrollbar Always visible'