Add Slicer to Graph

Have you ever had the need to plot multiple graphs from the same worksheet but set different filter conditions on each graph, or plot a multi-panel graph but want to set different filter conditions on each panel? In old versions, there is only a filter in worksheet column therefore changing filter conditions on a column will affect all graph windows plotted from it. So you had to duplicate multiple worksheets and set filter conditions on each worksheet to create graphs with different filter conditions.

Good news that Origin 2025  introduces data slicer purely on graph so that user can easily set different filter condition on each graph. There are 3 levels of filters: Page level, Layer level and Plot level to fit different needs.

This blog will demonstrate the basics of how to add and manipulate slicers on graph, and several examples of how to easily use data slicer to easily compare data with different conditions. You can download the Data_slicer_automobile.zip file and open it in Origin 2025 to follow along.

1. Add Slicer to Graph

Note: all plots on graph must be from the same worksheet to use this feature.

There are 3 ways to add a Slicer to a graph: the old data filter toolbar button, Data: Slicer… menu and the Data Slicer mini toolbar button when clicking on edge of page.

After adding a Slicer to a graph, the Slicer pane will show on the left side of the graph to change filter conditions. For text columns, by default, the filter is added as a dropdown list for single selection, but you can right-click the filter condition and change it into multiple selection to select multiple items. There is also Custom Filter… context menu to add advance filter conditions.

If you perform analysis (including gadget analysis) on such graph, it will be done on filtered data. Please add filter first and then do analysis since if you do it the other way around, you may not be able to add slicer to graph since the analysis result data and source data may not be in same sheet. Filter is only supported if all plots are from same sheet.

To change existing filter to use another column, right-click and choose Change Filter Column.

Right-click in blank area to add a 2nd filter condition.

For numeric filters, single-click to change filter condition, or right-click and choose Change condition type context menu. E.g. there is Between… option to set a range. The Between… option is easier to use than conditions using the AND operator via the single-click option.

Data slicers applied to a graph so original worksheet isn’t affected. You can easily duplicate such graphs and change filter conditions, or plot new graph and add different slicer on the new graph.

2. Duplicate a Plot in Same Layer with Different Conditions

This is the case when you plot a single plot and then want to plot different conditions of such plot in the same layer. In the Add Slicer to Graph dialog, choose Duplicate Plot: Same Layer option . The plot will be duplicated with different filter condition on each plot. Each plot will also be given a different color/shape to distinguish them.  You can right click a plot level filter to move it to page level so it becomes a common filter for all layers. 

Again, there are 3 ways to add slicer. In the following example, the Data: Slicer… menu is used.

3. Convert a Single-Layer Graph into Multi-layer Graph with Different Conditions

There is also Duplicate Plot: Multiple Layers to convert a single layer graph into multi-panel graph with different filter condition in each layer. The filters are added on layer levels in such case. Filter info. shows in legend. But there is also mini toolbar button on page level (clicking on edge of white page edge) to show filter condition as layer titles. Again you can right click in blank area on left pane to add additional filter condition on page level to control all layers. 

4. Add a Common Slicer on Multi-layer Graph

For existing multi-layer graph, check the Common Filter for All Layers/Plots checkbox in Add Slicer to Graph dialog. Such filter will be added as page level filter to control all layers.

5. Add Slicer to Multi-layer Graph + Duplicate Plots in Each Layer

For multi-layer graph, if there is only 1 plot in each layer, you can also duplicate plots in each layer so 1st plot in each layer shares the same filter, 2nd plots in each layer shares the same filter, and so on. Again, you can right click on white area on left pane to add common filter on page level to control all layers. 

6. Duplicate Single Layer with Filters into Multi-Layer Graph

If you have already added filter condition in a single layer graph but later want to turn it into a multi-layer graph with similar filter on each layer, right-click the white area on the left pane and choose Duplicate Layer with Filter(s) from the context menu. You can also move a layer level filter to page level by right-click it and choose Move to Page as Common Filter

There are also other context menus on left pane for you to explore, such as custom filter, etc. But hope this blog will help you get started. Any suggestion or issues, please add comment!