The exercises used are based on a testing database. You will need to adjust your values of your entries (when applicable) to accommodate the data in your database. Results displayed will differ than those in the exercises.
Probably one of the most utilized Visualizers, the Chart can be a very versatile way to display information. There are over forty-three charts to choose from and customize. To add a Chart Visualizer to a Dashboard, perform the following:
- Select the appropriate Visualizer with the left mouse click and drag it to the desired location on the Display Grid. You will see a small plus sign next to your cursor when dragging the Visualizer. For this example, the first Visualizer is Chart.
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The Visualizer will appear with sizing squares. The sizing squares allow you to adjust the size of the Visualizer. Select the square and drag to the appropriate size.
The center sizing square is used to move the entire Visualizer around on the Designer Grid. The cursor will turn to a 4-way arrow.
- After you have the Visualizer in the appropriate location, you can utilize the Properties area to make changes to the Chart. You can make changes to the following:
- Initially Expanded - This feature can be toggled between True (Expanded) and False (Not Expanded).
- Title - Enter an appropriate Title for the Chart. The Title will show up above the Chart as a heading.
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Wrap with Border - This feature allows you to toggle between True (The chart will wrap with the border) and False (the chart will NOT wrap with the border.)
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Settings - Click the Ellipses button in this field to display the extended properties of the Chart Editor. This area is where you will define:
- Chart (Chart Type, Colors, Tool Tip Format, Grid Line Toggle)
- Data (Query, Row Label, Swap Rows and Columns, Treat Data and Time as String, Zero Align Data)
- X - Axis (Visibility, Flip Label, Format, Colors, Orientation)
- Y - Axis (Visibility, Flip Label, Format, Colors, Label Orientation)
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Legend (Toggle Off/On, Location, Format, Color, Size)
Not all tabs and extended properties are listed. Each Chart Type has varying tabs. Extended colors, Z-Axis for 3D Charts, Labeling and Orientation.
SettingsThe settings area contain the parameters for the data the chart uses, the chart type, and how it will look. Let us look at each setting in more detail.
Chart Tab
To complete the Chart Tab settings, perform the following:
Selecting a different Chart Type may display more tabs for choices, including a Z-Axis for 3D charts, more colors, labels and orientations. vary the selections and use the Preview Tab to view the changes made.
- Select Chart Type - Choosing the Chart Type is very important. It is the style of how you want your chart to look and represent the data. There a bar charts, pie charts, area charts etc. The best method for becoming familiar with the Chart Types is to choose one, edit the rest of the properties including queries, x and y axis, and return to the Chart Type. That way you have a completed chart with data that can be changed and previewed. Each time you select a different Chart Type, you can use the Preview Tab to confirm whether or not the Chart Type is suitable for the type of data you are representing. For this example we will select Pie Chart.
- Select the colors you want to use; Beginning, Ending, Background, Label
- Select the Label Format.
- Select ToolTip Format. The ToolTip is when you hover over a particular area of the Dashboard with the mouse cursor, information about that location (if applicable), is displayed.
- Click the Data tab.
- Click the Ellipses button in the Query field to launch the Select Query window. If you are familiar with the queries in Juris Suite you can type in search criteria to narrow the criteria. The Query is the component that fetches the data from the Juris database. To learn more about Queries, click here. For this example, select the Accounts Receivable by Client Matter Query.
- After you have selected the Query, you have the ability to narrow the query by clicking on the Ellipses button in the Default Values field. In this example, the Query returned the values of Timekeepers. For this example, Ann A. Allen will be selected. Click the OK button after you have made the selection.
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Included in the Default Values section is a list of values that can be selected to be represented in the chart. You can select more than one, however, it will change the output in the chart. There is a Preview window and grid that displays the results of the selections you have chosen.
Depending on the Chart Type you have chosen, the selection of Default Values can be limiting. For example: A Pie Chart shows a distribution of values without a comparison against another value. A graph shows values in comparison or against a timeline. The functionality of the Default Values is directly affected by the Chart Type. The Planning Phase can assist with making sure you have chosen the appropriate representations.
- Once you have the appropriate selections for the Query and the values selected, you can click the Legend tab. The Legend tab allows you display and format a Legend. This is an optional feature and does not affect the rendering of the Dashboard Visualizer. Features available are the following:
- Show Legend - Allows you to toggle the appearance of the Legend.
- Format - Allows you to change how the legend values are displayed.
- Location - Right, Left, Top, Bottom of the Chart.
- Color - This is the color of the Font for the data values.
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Size - Sizes the box that the legend is contained in.
Each adjustment made to the Legend is reflected in the Preview section of the Chart Editor. This allows to quickly view any changes made.
- If you are happy with each of the tabs settings, click the OK button on the Chart Editor. However, now that the Query and data set are completed, you may want to go back and change the title of the Chart to reflect the data being displayed.
- Click the Save button on the Dashboard tool ribbon.
- Click the Preview Button to view the results of the setup.
After reviewing the Chart in the preview section, you may decide it is not the best way to convey the data. You can easily make changes. For this example, the Pie Chart may not have been the best way to represent the data chosen. To make changes to an existing chart, perform the following:
- Click on the Chart within the Layout Tab to enable the Properties section.
- Make adjustments to the features desired. For this example, we will change the Chart Type and some of the data sources. For these changes, we will need to click on the Ellipses button of the Settings section.
- Select BarChart3D as the Chart Type.
- Leave the color scheme.
- Select Show Major Grid Lines.
- Click on the X Axis tab and select Flip Label. Leave the color and orientation at the defaults.
- Leave the Legend settings as they are.
- Note that an Orientation Tab has been added. This is due to the Chart Type being 3D. Click on the Orientation Tab.
- Use the sliders and Preview Section to change the perspective of the Chart. They are the following:
- Perspective - Changes the angle of the depth.
- Scale - Changes the size.
- X Rotation - Moves the Chart on the horizontal axis.
- Y Rotation - Moves the Chart on the vertical axis.
- Z Rotation - Moves the Chart on the z axis.
- Click the OK button.
- Click the Save button on the Dashboard tool ribbon.
- Click the Preview Tab to view the changes made.
Finding the appropriate chart may require some trial and error. The more Chart Dashboards you construct, the more familiar you will become with which best represents certain types of data. Varying the Chart Type for the Query chosen will be the focal point of creating an effective Dashboard. Remember that if a preferred Chart Type is identified, it can be used a template and copied for further creation of new Dashboard components.