To reproduce:
create a new custom report, add a chart. it fails with the stack trace below.
after this, you get errors trying to add other things to the report.

49699 - [ERROR] [ncsa.maeviz.rcp.ApplicationWorkbenchAdvisor]: Unchecked Exception occurred
java.lang.NullPointerException
at ncsa.gis.reports.ui.editor.extensions.ChartEditPart.initFigure(ChartEditPart.java:64)
at ncsa.gis.reports.ui.editor.parts.ReportElementEditPart.createFigureForModel(ReportElementEditPart.java:88)
at ncsa.gis.reports.ui.editor.parts.ReportElementEditPart.createFigure(ReportElementEditPart.java:71)
at org.eclipse.gef.editparts.AbstractGraphicalEditPart.getFigure(AbstractGraphicalEditPart.java:445)
at org.eclipse.gef.editparts.AbstractGraphicalEditPart.addChildVisual(AbstractGraphicalEditPart.java:197)
at org.eclipse.gef.editparts.AbstractEditPart.addChild(AbstractEditPart.java:197)
at org.eclipse.gef.editparts.AbstractEditPart.refreshChildren(AbstractEditPart.java:727)
at ncsa.gis.reports.ui.editor.parts.DiagramEditPart.propertyChange(DiagramEditPart.java:107)
at java.beans.PropertyChangeSupport.firePropertyChange(PropertyChangeSupport.java:339)
at java.beans.PropertyChangeSupport.firePropertyChange(PropertyChangeSupport.java:276)
at ncsa.gis.report.elements.BaseReportElement.firePropertyChange(BaseReportElement.java:490)
at ncsa.gis.report.elements.BaseReportElement.addChild(BaseReportElement.java:92)
at ncsa.gis.reports.ui.editor.commands.ReportElementCreateCommand.redo(ReportElementCreateCommand.java:58)
at ncsa.gis.reports.ui.editor.commands.ReportElementCreateCommand.execute(ReportElementCreateCommand.java:52)
at org.eclipse.gef.commands.CommandStack.execute(CommandStack.java:149)
at org.eclipse.gef.tools.AbstractTool.executeCommand(AbstractTool.java:388)
at org.eclipse.gef.tools.AbstractTool.executeCurrentCommand(AbstractTool.java:400)
at org.eclipse.gef.tools.CreationTool.performCreation(CreationTool.java:254)
at org.eclipse.gef.tools.CreationTool.handleButtonUp(CreationTool.java:178)
at org.eclipse.gef.tools.AbstractTool.mouseUp(AbstractTool.java:1053)
at org.eclipse.gef.EditDomain.mouseUp(EditDomain.java:259)
at org.eclipse.gef.ui.parts.DomainEventDispatcher.dispatchMouseReleased(DomainEventDispatcher.java:374)
at org.eclipse.draw2d.LightweightSystem$EventHandler.mouseUp(LightweightSystem.java:538)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.TypedListener.handleEvent(TypedListener.java:206)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.EventTable.sendEvent(EventTable.java:66)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Widget.sendEvent(Widget.java:1101)
at org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display.runDeferredEvents(Display.java:3319)