Configuring Charts

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to build and format charts.

Charts

Create charts in a story to display your data graphically. As shown in the following figure, you can select a chart type from the builder and then pick the measures and dimensions to show in your chart. Once you have defined the structure of your chart, you can add other chart elements and/or filters. You can also customize color palettes.

Chart options available to select from the Builder panel.

Because of the many elements available to include on a chart, if the widget is too small, some elements or labels may not display. Simply making the chart larger on the page will correct this issue.

Configure Charts and Widgets

Business Scenario: You are responsible for creating visualizations to meet a variety of business requirements for you team.

You need learn how to configure charts and work with chart features that the users will find helpful.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Add a chart to a story
  • Format charts and data labels
  • Add a reference line

Task 1: Add a New Chart

ExerciseStart Exercise

Task 2: Format the Chart

ExerciseStart Exercise

Task 3: Use the Reference Line on the Chart

ExerciseStart Exercise

Chart Scaling

Chart scaling ensures that you have a meaningful display of values across multiple charts. By default, charts are not scaled. However, this behavior can lead to incorrect data analysis, particularly if users are not paying attention to the actual values displayed in the chart.

You can also use chart scaling to ensure that you have a consistent display of values across multiple charts when they display the same measure value(s). In this video, we will explore why chart scaling is important and how to apply chart scaling to your SAP Analytics Cloud stories.

No Chart Scaling

In the following example, you can see that the columns for Quantity Sold and for Sales Revenue are the same height; however, the numbers are very different. A user who only looks at the columns may conclude that there is a one-to-one relationship between Sales Revenue and Quantity Sold, which is incorrect.

Example of a story with no chart scaling applied.

With Chart Scaling

But, in this example, when chart scaling is defined for Quantity Sold and Sales Revenue, the columns in each chart are clearly very different, indicating an approximate three-to-one relationship between Sales Revenue and Quantity Sold, which is accurate.

Example of a story with chart scaling applied.

Note

  • Chart scaling is applied to all of the pages in a story, but the scaling may be different for the same measure on different pages, because the scaling factor is calculated separately for each page.
  • You can exclude charts from the scaling. For example, if a chart contains data that is much larger than the data in other charts, the other charts look smaller than they should, and could be misleading to the viewer.

Use Chart Scaling

Business Scenario: By default, charts are not scaled, so you to ensure correct data analysis you want add chart scaling to your story.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Add chart scaling to a chart
  • Edit the bar width
ExerciseStart Exercise

Variances in Charts

Variances in your charts let you show the difference between different measures in a chart, different versions of a measure, or the difference between time periods for a measure.

As illustrated in the following example, you can use the variance chart add-on for any two measures, even if the measures do not appear in your base chart.

The Builder panel with chart add-ons displayed (left). Variance is highlighted. The middle image is the creation panel for the variance. Top and bottom right are examples of where variances are displayed.

You can also create a dynamic variance, a variance that is based on the measures in the chart context. If you change the measures in the chart, then the variance automatically updates.

Note

To include time in your variance, you must have the Date dimension in your chart.

For some chart types (numeric point, for example), when the variance uses a Time Range filter, the range must be set to only one interval (year, quarter, or period).

When using models from live data connections, you must include version information with your measures, and your measures must be in your base chart.

Use the Variance Chart Component

Business Scenario: You want to use variances in your charts show the difference between different measures in a chart, different versions of a measure, or the difference between time periods for a measure.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Create a comparison chart
  • Add a variance chart component to compare the different time periods of a measure
ExerciseStart Exercise

Trellis Add-On

A trellis add-on creates the same chart for each member of the trellis dimension.

In the following example, you can see a trellis add-on in a story.

Trellis add-on in a story.

Note

Trellis charts are supported for both classic and optimized design mode stories.

Work with Trellis Charts

Business Scenario: You decide that you want to create a trellis to dynamically create many charts for a selected chart for better data visualization. This will allow for better data comparison in your story.

You also decide that you want to add tool tips to the chart for your report viewers.

Task Flow: In this practice exercise, you will:

  • Add a trellis to a chart in a story
  • Add a tooltip
ExerciseStart Exercise

Restore a Deleted Widget

If you delete a widget in your story, you can restore it, but how you restore it depends on which design mode you are using – Optimized Design or Classic Design.

Optimized Design

To restore a widget you have deleted, use the Undo button in the main toolbar. Undo reverts any previous action, from adding/deleting widgets, to configuring them.

Classic Design

To restore a widget you have deleted, you must immediately choose the Restore link in the message at the bottom of the screen:

This message appears for only a few seconds and then disappears. Once it disappears, you can no longer restore your deleted widget.

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