Visualizations → Spider

About a Spider Visualization

A Spider visualization, also known as a radar chart or star chart, is a two-dimensional chart of a dimension represented on axes originating from a central point. Measure values are compared against the dimension value as a measurement against the dimension value along its own axis. Spider visualizations can be used for comparing multiple measures against a single dimension, visualizing the difference between the measures.

Configurable Properties of a Spider Insight in the Analyzer

The available trays for a Spider insight within the Insight panel are:

  • Grouping Dimension: Add one column or formula to this tray to group the Spider data.
  • Measure: Add a column or formula to this tray to include it as a column in the Spider Insight.
  • Individual Filter: Add a column or formula to this tray to filter unwanted results.
  • Aggregate Filter: Add a column or formula to this tray to filter the summarized results.

A column or formula in a tray is a Pill. Each pill has configurable properties. The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. Select the arrow to the right of the pill name to view the Properties panel and set the pill properties.

Grouping Dimension

From the Data panel, you can add one column or a formula to the Grouping Dimension tray. The spider insight plots each row of the Grouping Dimension column as an axis, each originating from the center of the insight.

Measure

To create an aggregation or calculation, you can add a column or a formula from the Data panel to the Measure tray.

A spider insight shows the increments for the measure pill along the grouping dimension axis.

You can select the measure pill to open the Properties panel. In the Properties panel, you can configure various properties such as the Aggregation and Format properties.

Note

The largest scaled measure value will determine the scaling on the grouping dimension axis.

Individual Filter

To filter individual values for the spider insight, define an individual filter for the insight. You can add a column or a formula to the Individual Filter tray from the Data panel.

You can select the individual filter pill to open the Filter panel. Using the Filter panel, you can specify the filter operator, one or more filter values, or the filter expression itself with the Formula Builder. You can also disable the individual filter.

To learn more about filter expressions for an individual filter, review Concepts → Individual Filter.

Aggregate Filter

You can define a filter expression that contains an aggregation or calculation using the Aggregate Filter tray.

To create a filter expression, you can add a column or a formula to the Aggregate Filter tray from the Data panel. You can select the aggregate filter pill to open the Filter panel.

Using the Filter panel, you can specify the aggregation, the filter operator, one or more filter values, or the filter expression itself with the Formula Builder. You can also disable the aggregate filter.

To learn more about filter expressions for an aggregate filter, review Concepts → Aggregate Filter.

Spider Grouping Dimension Pill Properties

Following are the Spider properties for the pills in the Grouping Dimension tray:

PropertyControlDescription
Column fully qualified namelabelThe fully qualified name of the selected column. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a column in the tray. Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. Copy to clipboard button provided in preview window.
Formulatext boxSelect to invoke the Formula Builder and create the desired formula expression. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a formula added to the tray.
Data → Column Labeltext boxEnter the label for the grouping dimension
Data → Date Partdrop down listWhen the selected column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are:

  ●  Full (default)
  ●  Year
  ●  Quarter
  ●  Month
  ●  Day
Data → HierarchytoggleEnable this property to specify the level of data in the hierarchy that you want to include in the insight for the respective column. This option is available only for columns from objects with data hierarchy; physical schema objects with self-join.
Hierarchy → Leveltext boxEnter a numeric value that represents the level of data you want to include in the insight. Leave blank or enter -1 to include all levels.
Data → Sort Bydrag and dropDrag and drop the column or formula to sort the grouping axis
FormatselectSelect the format of the formula or date column. This option is available only when you edit the pill properties for a date column or a formula.
Format → Date Masktext boxEnter a customized date format or select a predefined one to appear in this text box
Drill Down → Dashboards Drill DownlinkSelect + Add Dashboard to select a dashboard tab to drill down to when the user selects a grouping dimension value in the insight
Add Dashboard → Include Runtime FilterstoggleEnable this property to pass a filter from one dashboard to another
Add Dashboard → Search Dashboardtext boxEnter a search string to filter the dashboard tree. From the results, select a dashboard tab to drill down to.

Spider Measure Pill Properties

Here are the Spider properties for the pills in the Measure tray:

PropertyControlDescription
Column fully qualified namelabelThe fully qualified name of the selected column. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a column in the Measure tray. Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name.
Formulatext boxSelect to invoke the Formula Builder and create the desired formula expression. This property is available only when you edit the properties of a formula added to the tray.
Data → Column Labeltext boxEnter the label for the measure pill.
Data → Date Partdrop down listWhen the selected column is a date or timestamp, select the part of the date used. The options are:

  ●  Full (default)
  ●  Year
  ●  Quarter
  ●  Month
  ●  Day
Data → Aggregationdrop down listSelect the aggregation option for the measure values. The options are:

  ●  Average
  ●  Count
  ●  Distinct
  ●  Median
  ●  Min
  ●  Max
  ●  Sum
  ●  None
The data type of the measure column will determine the available Aggregation options.
Data → Scaledrop down listSelect the chart scale. The options are:

  ●  None
  ●  Percent (%)
  ●  Thousands (K)
  ●  Millions (M)
The default is None.
Data → Running TotaltoggleEnable this property to display the measure values as a running total
Data → Filterdrag and dropDrag and drop a column or formula to filter the measure
FormatselectSelect the format of the measure (e.g. Dollar Rounded)
Format → Number Formatdrop down listSelect the format of the measure (e.g. Dollar Rounded)
Format → Decimal Placestext boxEnter the number of decimal places to display for the measure value.
Format → Thousands SeparatortoggleEnable this property to include a comma separator for values of 1000 or greater.
Format → PercentagetoggleEnable to display value as a percentage.
Format → Prefix/Suffixtext boxEnter a custom prefix and/or suffix for the pill’s values. The entered value can not include single quotes.
Format → Abbreviate on HovertoggleEnable this property to abbreviate the measure value upon hover.
Format → ColorselectSelect a color for the measure value.
Drill Down → Dashboards Drill downlinkSelect + Add Dashboard to select a dashboard tab to drill down to when the user clicks on the measure value
Add Dashboard → Include Runtime FilterstoggleEnable this property to pass a filter from one dashboard to another.
Add Dashboard → Search Dashboardtext boxEnter a search string to filter the dashboard tree. From the results, select a dashboard tab to drill down to.
Advanced → Base Fielddrag and dropDrag and drop the column to join two tables that are not directly joined. To learn more, review Concepts → Base Table.
Advanced → Query PlanbuttonSelect this property to reveal the direct data map path that the Incorta Analytics Service uses to retrieve or calculate the measure.

Spider Individual Filter Properties

Individual filter properties for a filter expression with a column as a pill

Following are the properties of a filter expression for a column as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for a spider insight:

PropertyControlDescription
Column fully qualified namelabelThe fully qualified name of the selected column. Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name.
Column Labeltext boxEnter the fully qualified name of the filter
Date Partdrop down listWhen the filter column is a date, select the part of the date to use. The options are:

  ●  Full
  ●  Year
  ●  Quarter
  ●  Month
  ●  Day
Operatordrop down listSelect the operator to use in the filter criteria
Valuesmulti-selectSelect the value(s) to evaluate the column value against. Some operators do not require a value to evaluate against, such as Null and True, and some require more than one value, such as Between. If applicable, enter a string in the search bar to filter the list of values. To add a value to the list, enter it in the text box below the list and select +.
Disable FiltertoggleEnable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight.

Individual filter properties for a filter expression with a formula as a pill

Here are the properties of a filter expression for a formula as a pill in the Individual Filter tray for a spider insight:

PropertyControlDescription
Formula labellabelThe formula pill label
Data → Column Labeltext boxEnter the label for the individual filter formula pill
Formula → DynamictoggleEnable this property to select a filter expression session variable as a value
Formulatext boxDisable Dynamic to configure this property. Enter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression.
Operatordrop down listSelect the operator to use in the filter expression
Valuesmulti-selectSelect the value(s) to evaluate the column value against, if required. Some operators do not require a value to evaluate against, such as Null and True, and some require more than one value, such as Between. In the case that you enable Dynamic, select a filter expression session variable. If applicable, enter a string in the search bar to filter the list of values. To add a value to the list, enter it in the text box below the list and select +.
Advanced → Disable FiltertoggleEnable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight.

Spider Aggregate Filter Properties

Aggregate filter pill properties for a filter expression with a column as a pill

Here are the properties of a filter expression for a column as a pill in the Aggregate Filter tray for a spider insight:

PropertyControlDescription
Column fully qualified namelabelThe fully qualified name of the selected column. Select the information icon (the letter i in a circle) to preview the column function (dimension, key, or measure) and samples of the column data. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name.
Column Labeltext boxEnter the fully qualified name of the filter
Date Partdrop down listWhen the filter column is a date, select the part of the date to use. The options are:

  ●  Full
  ●  Year
  ●  Quarter
  ●  Month
  ●  Day
Aggregationdrop down listWhen the aggregate filter is a non-formula column, select the aggregation type to use in the filter. The available aggregation types are:

  ●  Average
  ●  Count
  ●  Distinct
  ●  Median
  ●  Min
  ●  Max
  ●  Sum
  ●  None
The data type of the aggregate filter will determine the available Aggregation options.
Operatordrop down listWhen the aggregate filter is a non-formula column, select the operator to use in value compared to the measure value.
Valuestext boxWhen the aggregate filter is a non-formula column, select the comparison value to use in the filter, or enter a new value to use in filter comparison.
Disable FiltertoggleEnable this property to disable the filter. The aggregate filter property configuration is retained for future use.

Aggregate filter properties for a filter expression with a formula as a pill

Here are the properties of a filter expression for a formula as a pill in the Aggregate Filter tray for a spider insight:

PropertyControlDescription
Column Labeltext boxEnter the label of the aggregate filter formula pill
Formulatext boxEnter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression
Disable FiltertoggleEnable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight.

Spider Insight Settings

Here are the Spider properties for the Insight Settings that appear when you select Settings (gear icon) in the Action bar.

PropertyControlDescription
General → Max Rows Limittext boxEnter the maximum number of rows to include in the insight. A value lower than the number of table rows returned will restrict results. A value of 0 will include all rows.
General → Auto RefreshtoggleEnable this property to automatically refresh the insight preview while editing it in the Analyzer.
There is a tenant configuration in the CMC Clusters Manager that can globally enable or disable this feature at the tenant level.
General → Data SamplingtoggleEnabled by default. This property allows using only a sample of the insight query result set, rather than the whole query result set, when creating the insight. Disable it to use the whole query data list, which may impact the insight rendering time.
Layout → LegendtoggleEnable this property to display a chart legend
Advanced → Max Groupstext boxSet the maximum number of groups that cannot be exceeded in the Insight
Advanced → Join Measuresdrop down listSelect Yes to calculate the group-by function across joined tables.
Warning

There is an impact on engine performance when you select Yes to enable the Join Measures property.

Available User Interactions for a Spider Insight on a Dashboard Tab

As a dashboard end user, there are several actions you can take to customize the Spider insight to fit your specific needs.

Filter the Spider Insight

Select a measure from the Spider insight legend, to hide/show the filter measure.

Download the Spider Insight

  • Select More Options (kebab icon) for the Spider insight.
  • Select Download.
  • Select the download file format:
    • PNG
    • JPEG
    • SVG
    • PDF

View the Spider Insight as a Table

  • Select More Options (kebab icon) for the Spider insight.
  • Select one of the following options:
    • View as Regular Table
    • View as Aggregated Table

Set an Alert when Data in the Spider Insight Changes

  • Select More Options (kebab icon) for the Spider insight.
  • Select Set Alert. Refer to the Scheduler document for additional information on Data Alerts.

Create a Spider Insight Visualization

For an existing dashboard, to create a Spider insight for a given dashboard tab, follow these steps:

  • If not already open, open a dashboard.
  • To add a new insight to the dashboard, in the Action bar, select +.
  • If needed, in the Analyzer, in the Data panel, select Manage Dataset.
  • In the Manage Data Sets panel, select one or more business schema views and/or one or more physical schema tables.
  • To close the Manage Data Sets panel, select X or any other area of the Analyzer.
  • In the Insight panel, select V. Under Charts, select Spider.

Spider Insight Example

Create a Spider insight that compares quarterly revenue for a given year and country by product categories.

Add an insight

  • In the Action bar, select +.
  • In the Data panel, select Manage Dataset.
  • In the Manage Data Sets panel, in Tables, select the SALES table.
  • Close the Manage Data Sets panel.
  • In the Insight panel, under Charts, select Spider.
  • From the Data panel, drag and drop Revenue to the Measure tray.
  • Change the name of the pill to Revenue Q1.
  • Repeat the prior two steps 3 more times, naming the pills Revenue Q2, Revenue Q3, and Revenue Q4.
  • From the Data panel, drag and drop Category to the Grouping Dimension tray.
  • From the Data panel, drag and drop Year to the Individual Filter tray.
  • From the Data panel, drag and drop Country to the Individual Filter tray.

Edit the pill properties

  • Select the arrow to the right of each quarterly Revenue pill to open the Properties panel.
  • From the Data panel, drag and drop Quarter Number to the Drag columns/formulas here tray in Filter for each Measure pill. The default operator is In.
    • Select the corresponding quarter for each Revenue pill in Values:
      • Select Q1 for the Revenue Q1 filter value.
      • Select Q2 for the Revenue Q2 filter value.
      • Select Q3 for the Revenue Q3 filter value.
      • Select Q4 for the Revenue Q4 filter value.
    • Each Revenue measure pill should have the FORMAT set to Dollar.
  • Select the arrow to the right of the Year pill in Individual Filter to open the Properties panel.
    • In Values, select 2010.
  • Select the arrow to the right of the Country pill in Individual Filter to open the Properties panel.
    • In Values, select France.
  • Name the insight 2010 Quarterly Revenue in France.
  • In the Action bar, select Save.