Introduction to ODS Graphics Output

Whenever you run a program that creates ODS Graphics output, several details are handled by default. Among them are the following:

output file characteristics (file path and filename)
image characteristics (format, name, DPI, size)
ODS style used
when anti-aliasing is used
whether fonts and markers are scaled when graph size is changed
whether the graph that is created can be edited
whether data tips are produced.

In addition to the actual template code, you have a great deal of control over the environment in which ODS graphs are produced. Knowing what options are available and how to adjust these options gives you the maximum control in producing the best possible graphs for your needs.

Three areas work in conjunction with each other to control all aspects of graph creation:

SAS Registry	Provides a repository of defaults for many options that affect ODS Graphics
ODS Destination statement	Provides options specific to destinations, such as HTML, PDF, and RTF
ODS GRAPHICS statement	Provides many global options that affect ODS graphics

You often need to add options to both the ODS destination statement and the ODS GRAPHICS statement to get the desired output. Resetting SAS registry keys serves to configure your default ODS Graphics environment.