Format Panel for Graph Visualizations

Once you add a graph visualization to a dashboard, you can format it.

Access

Open an existing dashboard that contains a graph visualization.
Select the entire visualization or just the area you want to format.
In the left toolbar, click Format .

Data Exploration

The Data Exploration options contain general graph formatting options to determine how to display graph axes, whether to display labels for graph items, etc.

Axis Configuration: Select the metric for which you want to specify axis configuration options. Select All Metrics to specify axis configuration options for all metrics in the visualization. This option is only available if the visualization displays multiple metrics.

Axis Scale: To determine how to display the axes for the metrics selected in the Axis Configuration drop-down list above, select one of the following:

Global (default): Display each of the selected metrics on axes with the same minimum and maximum values.
Per row/column: Display the selected metrics using the same minimum and maximum Y-axis values across each column of graphs, and the same X-axis values across each row of graphs.
Per Cell: Allow MicroStrategy to display the selected metrics using the axis values best suited to display the metric data.
Custom: Define specific minimum and maximum values to use to display the selected metrics. A preview of your changes is appears in the scale below. The numbers above the scale represent the minimum and maximum axis values that you define. The numbers below the scale represent the minimum and maximum values in the data.

Log Scale: Determine whether to use a logarithmic scale to display the metrics selected in the Axis Configuration drop-down list above. This can improve the display of data that follows a logarithmic trend.

Axis Origin: Define a custom axis origin value for the metrics selected in the Axis Configuration drop-down list above. You can use this option to display a scatter plot on an axis that divides the graph into four quadrants. The value is determined automatically by default. To define a custom value, clear the checkbox and enter the numeric value at which to begin displaying the axis values.

Max Size: Select Automatic to allow MicroStrategy to automatically determine the maximum size of the graph items in the visualization. Select Manual to enter a maximum graph items size as a ratio between 0.01 - 1.0. If all graph items in the visualization are the same size (that is, there is no metric in the Size By area), this value determines the size of all items that appear in the visualization. If the graph items are automatically sized based on the value of a metric (that is, there is a metric in the Size By area), this value is the size of the largest graph item that appears in the visualization.

Min Size: This field is available when there is a metric in the Size By area of the Editor panel. Specify how MicroStrategy determines the minimum size of graph items in the visualization. Select Automatic (default) to allow MicroStrategy to automatically size graph items. Select Proportional to allow MicroStrategy to determine the minimum size in proportion to the maximum size. Select Manual to manually size graph items. The graph item for the smallest metric value in the visualization appears as a percentage of the size of the largest item.

Enter .2 in Min Size to display the smallest metric items as 20% of the largest graph items.

Container Fit: Determine how to size the visualization. Select None to size the visualization according to your existing settings. Select Compact to size the visualization so that all graph items appear at once. Select Automatic (default) to size the visualization to take up all available space on the visualization's panel.

Show All Labels: This option appears when Container Fit is set to Automatic. By default, this option is disabled for time-based attributes, since time follows a recognizable pattern.

Banding on Rows: Select the checkbox to apply color banding to alternating rows in the visualization. Banding rows can make reading multiple rows of data easier for the user.

All Graph Fonts: Select font formatting options.

More Options: Click to define additional formatting options, such as how to display the attribute form names and how null and zero metric values are hidden. See More Options Dialog for more information.

Trend Lines

Trend lines are available for graphs that contain the following features:

Each metric is plotted on its own axis.
In graphs where there is more than one metric series that appears in each graph (that is, more than one metric on a single axis, or there is an object in the Break By area), the graph must be in absolute mode.
Attributes on one axis and metrics on another, or metrics on both axes.

Trend lines are not available for stacked or clustered graphs in which there is more than one metric series that appears in the graph, or percent graphs. At least one axis must display numeric values.

Metric: If your visualization contains multiple metrics, select the metric for displaying the trend line from the drop-down list.

Enable Trend Line: Select this checkbox to display a trendline for the metric.

Line: Select the line style and color of the trend line.

Model: Select the type of trend line to display:

Best fit: Display the trend line that best fits the data, defined as the trend line with the highest r-squared value.
Linear: Display a linear trend line, which is a best-fit straight line that is used with simple linear data sets. Your data is linear if the pattern in its data points resembles a line. A linear trend line represents data that is increasing or decreasing at a steady rate.
Logarithmic: Display a logarithmic trend line, which is a best-fit curved line that is most useful when the rate of change in the data increases or decreases quickly and then levels out. This option is available if the graph values are positive.
Exponential: Display an exponential trend line, which is a curved line that is most useful when data values rise or fall at increasingly higher rates.
Power: Display a power trend line, which is a curved line that is best used with data sets that compare measurements that increase at a specific rate.
Polynomial: Display a polynomial trend line, which is a curved line that is used when data fluctuates. Use a polynomial trend line to analyze gains and losses over a large data set.

Degree: Enter the degree of the polynomial, from 2 to 6. The order (degree) of the polynomial corresponds to the number of upward and downward fluctuations in the data. Your data fluctuates if the pattern in its data points resembles a line with hills and valleys. Generally speaking, an order 2 polynomial has up to one hill or valley, an order 3 polynomial has up to two hills or valleys, etc.

Level: Determine whether to display a single trend line across each graph in the visualization, or use the same trend line across each row, column, or individual graph.

Per cell: Display a separate trend line for each chart in the visualization.
Per row: Display a separate trend line for each row of charts in the visualization.
Per column: Display a separate trend line for each column of charts in the visualization.
Entire table: Each chart shares the same trend line.

Include Break-by attribute: Select this checkbox to display a separate trend line for each attribute in the Break By area. This option is selected by default. It is available for graphs, other than scatter or bubble, with metrics on only one axis.

Enable Forecasting: If there is a metric on only one axis, select this checkbox to enable forecasting. In Forward, select the additional periods you want to insert before the starting point of the data. In Backward, select the additional periods you want to insert after the ending point of the data. If one of your axes contains a time-based attribute (that is, Quarter, Month, and Day), use the Seasons drop-down list to select additional periods, based on seasons, for display in the graph.

If there are metrics on both axes, select the metric you want to use for the trendline from the drop-down list. On the pop-up dialog, select the Enable Forecasting checkbox. In Min and Max, enter the minimum and maximum values at which to display the trend line. The minimum value must be less than the minimum value available in the data. The maximum value must be more than the maximum value available in the data. Use the corresponding visual reference for Forecast and Data Range. Forecast refers to the values you enter in Min and Max. Data Range refers to the range of values in your data.

Reference Lines

The Reference Lines options contain general graph formatting options to format the reference lines in a graph visualization. The options below are available if there is a metric on the X or Y axis. Reference lines are not available for 100% stacked graphs.

Metric: Select the metric for displaying the reference line from the drop-down list. If multiple metrics share the same axis and the metrics appear in a stacked graph, this option is not available and the reference line is calculated based on the sum of the metric values.

Reference Lines: Lists reference lines for the selected metric. Click Add to add a new reference line based on the selected metric. Select one of the following options to display the reference line:

Maximum: Display a reference line at the highest point in the graph.
Minimum: Display a reference line at the lowest point in the graph.
Average: Use the average of all data points in the graph.
Median: Use the median value of all data points in the graph.
First: Use the height of the first data point plotted in the graph.
Last: Use the height of the last data point plotted in the graph.
Constant: In the pop-up, type the height at which to display the reference line as a number and click OK. The reference line is named Constant, by default, but you can change the name. Click on the reference line name and enter a new name.

Line: Select the line style and color.

Level: This field is available for all reference lines, other than Constant. Select from the following options to determine the level at which to display each reference line:

Per cell: Display a separate reference line for each chart in the visualization.
Per row: Display a separate reference line for each row of charts in the visualization.
Per column: Display a separate reference line for each column of charts in the visualization.
Entire table: Each chart shares the same reference line.

Show label: Select this checkbox to add a label to the reference line. Choose one of the following options:

Type: Display the type of reference line shown in the visualization, such as Maximum, Average, or Constant.
Metric: Display the name of the metric used to create the reference line.
Value: Display the value of the reference line.

Font: Select font formatting options.

Title and Container

The following options are available to format the title, background, and borders in a visualization:

Title

Show titlebar: Select the checkbox to display the visualization's title.

Font: Select font formatting options.

Container

Fill Color: Select the background color of the visualization from the palette.

Outer Border: Select the style and color of the visualization's borders from the drop-down lists.

Legend

If your visualization contains a legend, the following options are available for formatting:

Show Legend: Select this checkbox to display the legend. Legends are disabled by default.

Text: Select font formatting options.

Fill: Select the background color from the palette. In the Percent field, type the opacity of the background as a percentage. Higher values are more opaque.

Axis Lines and Labels

The following options are available to format the axes in a visualization.

Axis Labels

Select the axis to format from the drop-down.

Show Labels: Select this checkbox to show axis labels.

Wrap Text: Wrap axis label text.

Font: Select font formatting options for the axis label text.

Rotation: Select whether to display the axis labels as Automatic (default), Vertical, Horizontal, or Custom. If you select Custom, choose a rotation angle of 30, 45, or 60 degrees. The default is 30 degrees. This option is only available if you are formatting the X axis.

Axis Lines

Select the axis lines to format from the drop-down.

Line: Select the style and color of the axis lines from the drop-downs.

Axis Titles

Select the axis titles to format from the drop-down.

Show Axis Title: Select this checkbox to show axis labels.

Font: Select font formatting options for the axis title text.

Grid Lines

Select options to format the grid lines from the drop-down.

Line: Select the style and color of the grid lines from the drop-downs.

Rows and Columns

The Rows and Columns option displays fields for formatting rows and columns in a graph.

Text: Select the area of the visualization to format from the drop-down list (for example, All, Row Text, Column Text, Row Headers, Column Headers, Row Values, or Column Values).

Show Text: Select this checkbox to show the selected row or column text.
Font: Select the font formatting options.
Align: Select text alignment options for the selected rows or columns.

Background: Select whether to format the background of rows or columns from the drop-down list.

Fill: Select the background color from the palette. In the Percent field, type the opacity of the background as a percentage. Higher values are more opaque.

Matrix Lines: Select the boundary lines to display in the graph (for example, All Matrix Lines, Horizontal Matrix Lines, Vertical Matrix Lines, etc.).

Line: Select the style of the grid lines from the drop-down list. Then, select the color of the grid lines from the palette.

Shapes and Data Labels

The Shapes and Data Labels options are available to format the graph items, such as graph markers and data labels, in a graph visualization.

Shape Type: Select the shape of the graph markers from the drop-down list (for example, Bar, Tick, Pie, etc.).

Shape Formatting

Attribute: If your graph contains multiple shapes, select the attribute that corresponds with the shape you want to format.

Color: Select the fill color for shapes. If you are using thresholds, click to modify the threshold colors.

Fill: Select the fill color and opacity for shapes. The higher the percentage, the more opaque the color is.

Border Style: Select the border style and color (if applicable) of shapes.

Show Marker: Select this checkbox to show markers on a line. This option is only available for areas and lines.

Marker Color: If you selected the Show Marker checkbox, choose the marker color.

Data Labels

Text: Select this option to display data labels using the metric values associated with each graph item. This option is only available if there is an attribute in the Break By area of the Editor panel.

Values: Select this option to display data labels using the metric values associated with each graph item.

Totals: For a stacked bar chart, select this option to display total data labels using the metric values associated with each graph item.

Percentage: Select this option to display data labels using percentage values associated with each graph item.

None: Select this option to hide data labels. This is the default option.

Hide Overlapping Labels: Select this checkbox to hide labels that overlap each other.

Position: For pie or ring charts, select whether to position data labels Inside or Outside the slices. The default for pie or ring charts is Outside.

For bar charts, select whether to automatically position the data labels or locate them on the Outside End, Inside End, or Inside Base of the bar. The default for bar charts is Automatic.

Leader Lines: If you position data labels for pie or ring charts outside the slices, the default setting of Automatic hides or shows leader lines based on the size of the visualization container. Leader lines automatically appear when the container for the pie or ring chart contains less space. Resizing the container to a larger size adds extra space and eliminates leader lines. You can also choose to Hide or Show leader lines.

All Metrics: Select this checkbox to display data labels for all metrics.

[Specific Metrics]: Select the checkbox next to the name of each metric to display the corresponding data labels.

Font: Select font formatting options.