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 are ideal for comparing multiple measures against a single dimension, visualizing the difference between the measures.
The distinction between a visualization and an insight is that an insight is an instance of the visualization. As an instance, an insight has unique configurations that a dashboard developer determines for displaying a chart on a dashboard tab. Insight configurations affect the available user interactions for a dashboard consumer such as the ability to drill down into a grouping dimension.
With two possible dimensions, a spider visualization offers a dashboard developer the ability to create an insight that groups one or more aggregated or calculated values by one or more attributes. The result is a spider chart on a dashboard tab that shows:
- a grouping dimension as the axis of the chart
- one or multiple measures defining the points and drawing the lines on the chart
Configurations for a spider insight
A dashboard developer first selects an spider visualization for an insight in the Analyzer. Using the Analyzer, a dashboard developer configures pill properties, filter properties, and insight settings. Insight settings and pill properties determine not only how the spider chart appears as an insight in a dashboard tab, but also how a dashboard consumer can interact with the spider chart.
The visualization selection in the Insight panel of the Analyzer determines the available trays. From the Data panel, a dashboard developer adds a column or a formula to a tray. A column or a formula in a tray is a Pill.
Each pill has configurable properties. The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill.
The available trays for a spider insight are:
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.
Each pill in the Grouping Dimension tray is a filterable column for the insight. The pill ordering in the grouping dimension tray defines the following:
- the first pill is the initial grouping dimension
- the other pills define an order of user interactions that allow a dashboard consumer to drill down into the next grouping and in doing so, also create one or more dashboard runtime filters
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.
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.
Pill properties
The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. There are various possible configurations for each pill type:
- Grouping dimension pill properties
- Measure pill properties
- Individual filter properties for a filter expression
- Aggregate filter properties for a filter expression
You can edit the properties of a grouping dimension or a measure pill with the Properties panel for a spider insight.
To create a filter expression, edit the properties of an individual filter or aggregate filter pill with the Filter panel.
In the case of the Filter property of a measure pill, you can open the Filter panel from the Properties panel to create the filter expression.
To open the Properties panel or Filter panel, select the pill arrow.
Grouping Dimension pill properties
Here are the properties of a pill in the grouping dimension tray in a spider insight:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column fully qualified name | label | The 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. You can also use the Copy Column Name option (two paper sheets icon) to copy the column’s fully qualified name. |
| Formula | text box | Select this property 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 Label | text box | Enter the label for the grouping dimension |
| Data → Date Part | drop down list | When 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 → Hierarchy | toggle | This option is available only for columns from objects with data hierarchy (physical schema objects with a self-join relationship). Enable this property to specify the level of data in the hierarchy that you want to include in the insight for the respective column. |
| Hierarchy → Level | text box | Enable Hierarchy to configure this property. Enter 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 By | drag and drop | Drag the column or formula to sort the grouping axis |
| Format → Date Format | drop down list | Select 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 Mask | text box | Enter a customized date format or select a predefined one to appear in this text box |
| Format → Quarter/Month Format | drop down list | Select the format of the date column. The options are: ● No Format ● Prefix ● Short ● Long This property is available only when you set Date Part to Quarter or Month. |
| Drill Down → Dashboards Drill Down | link | Select + 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 Filters | toggle | Enable this property to pass a filter from one dashboard to another |
| Add Dashboard → Search Dashboard | text box | Enter a search string to filter the dashboard tree. From the results, select a dashboard tab to drill down to. |
Measure pill properties
The parent tray determines the available properties of a pill. Select the arrow to the right of the pill name to open the Properties panel and configure the related properties.
Here are the properties for a pill in the measure tray in a spider insight:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column fully qualified name | label | The 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. |
| Formula | text box | Select this property 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 Label | text box | Enter the label for the measure pill. |
| Data → Date Part | drop down list | When 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 → Aggregation | drop down list | Select 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 → Scale | drop down list | Select the chart scale. The options are: ● None ● Percent (%) ● Thousands (K) ● Millions (M) The default is None. |
| Data → Running Total | toggle | Enable this property to display the measure values as a running total. |
| Data → Filter | drag and drop | Drag a column or formula to filter the measure |
| Format → Number Format | drop down list | Select the format of the measure (e.g. Dollar Rounded) |
| Format → Decimal Places | text box | Enter the number of decimal places to display for the measure value. |
| Format → Thousands Separator | toggle | Enable this property to include a comma separator for values of 1000 or greater. |
| Format → Percentage | toggle | Enable this property to display value as a percentage. |
| Format → Prefix/Suffix | text box | Enter a custom prefix and/or suffix for the pill’s values. The entered value can not include single quotes. |
| Format → Abbreviate on Hover | toggle | Enable this property to abbreviate the measure value upon hover. |
| Format → Color | select | Select a color for the measure value. |
| Drill Down → Dashboards Drill down | link | Select + Add Dashboard to select a dashboard tab to drill down to when the user clicks on the measure value. |
| Add Dashboard → Include Runtime Filters | toggle | Enable this property to pass a filter from one dashboard to another. |
| Add Dashboard → Search Dashboard | text box | Enter a search string to filter the dashboard tree. From the results, select a dashboard tab to drill down to. |
| Advanced → Base Field | drag and drop | Drag the column to join two tables that are not directly joined. To learn more, review Concepts → Base Table. |
| Advanced → Query Plan | button | Select this property to access the Query Plan Viewer to check the Direct Data Map path that Incorta Analytics Service uses to retrieve or calculate the measure. |
Individual filter properties for a filter expression
To filter individual rows 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.
Individual filter 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 Individual Filter tray for a spider insight:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column fully qualified name | label | The 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. |
| Data → Column Label | text box | Enter the fully qualified name of the filter |
| Date Part | drop down list | When the filter column is a date, select the part of the date to use. The options are: ● Full ● Year ● Quarter ● Month ● Day |
| Operator | drop down list | Select the operator to use in the filter criteria |
| Values | multi-select | Select 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 +. |
| Advanced → Disable Filter | toggle | Enable 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:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Formula label | label | The formula pill label |
| Data → Column Label | text box | Enter the label for the individual filter formula pill |
| Formula → Dynamic | toggle | Enable this property to select a filter expression session variable as a value |
| Formula | text box | Disable Dynamic to configure this property. Enter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression. |
| Operator | drop down list | Select the operator to use in the filter expression |
| Values | multi-select | Select 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 Filter | toggle | Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight. |
Aggregate filter properties for a filter expression
You can define a filter expression that contains an aggregation or calculation using the Aggregate Filter tray.
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:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column fully qualified name | label | The 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 Label | text box | Enter the fully qualified name of the filter. |
| Date Part | drop down list | When the filter column is a date, select the part of the date to use. The options are: ● Full ● Year ● Quarter ● Month ● Day |
| Aggregation | drop down list | When 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. |
| Operator | drop down list | When the aggregate filter is a non-formula column, select the operator to use in a value comparison to the measure value. |
| Values | text box | When 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 Filter | toggle | Enable 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:
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Column Label | text box | Enter the label of the aggregate filter formula pill. |
| Formula | text box | Enter the formula in the Formula Builder to create the filter expression. |
| Disable Filter | toggle | Enable this property to disable the filter. Disabled filters are deleted when you save the insight. |
Settings Panel
With the Settings panel, you can configure additional properties for the spider insight. To open the Settings panel, in the Analyzer, in the Action bar, select Settings (gear icon).
| Property | Control | Description |
|---|---|---|
| General → Max Rows | text box | Enter 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 Refresh | toggle | Enable 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 Sampling | toggle | Enabled 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 → Legend | toggle | Enable this property to display a chart legend |
| Layout → Legend Position | drop down list | Select the position of the legend in a chart from the following values: ● Top ● Left ● Bottom ● Right ● Auto (default) |
| Advanced → Max Groups | text box | Set the maximum number of groups that cannot be exceeded in the Insight |
| Advanced → Join Measures | drop down list | Select Yes to calculate the group-by function across joined tables. |
There is an impact on engine performance when you select Yes to enable the Join Measures property.
User interactions for a spider insight
As a dashboard consumer, you can interact with a spider insight on a dashboard tab. Some interactions will affect only the spider chart. Other interactions will affect both the spider chart and the dashboard. The creation of one or more dashboard runtime filters is an example of a user interaction that affects all applicable insights on all tabs of a dashboard.
Some user interactions require specific configurations by a dashboard developer and therefore may not be available.
Here are the possible types of user interactions for an spider insight:
- Select a legend label to hide (and then select again to show) the related line
- Select a point on a border to drill down into a grouping dimension and in doing so, create a dashboard runtime filter
- Select a point on a border to open the Filter by menu and select an option to drill down into a grouping dimension and in doing so, create a dashboard runtime filter
- Select a point on a border to open the Go to menu, and then select a dashboard tab to navigate to (requires a dashboard drill down configuration for a grouping dimension pill)
A dashboard runtime filter affects all applicable insights on all tabs of a dashboard. A dashboard runtime filter appears as a filter bar pill and displays the filter expression.
More Options menu for a spider insight
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) enforces access to certain features and functionality. With Discretionary Access Control (DAC), a user who owns the dashboard can control the access to the dashboard. Access rights include the ability to view, share, and edit the dashboard. Together, RBAC and DAC affect the available selections in both the Action bar and the More Options menu for an insight.
For more information about RBAC and DAC, review Tools → Security Manager.
In addition, certain tenant configurations by a Cluster Management Console (CMC) Administrator affect the available selections in the More Options menu for an insight, such as the export option.
Download as
- For the spider insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
- Select Download as.
- Select the download file format:
- PNG
- JPEG
- SVG
View as Table
The View as Table is an Incorta Labs feature and a tenant configuration. A CMC Administrator must enable the feature.
To view a spider insight as a Listing Table or Aggregated Table, follow these steps:
- For the spider insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
- Select the table type:
- Select View as Regular Table to view the insight as a listing table.
- Select View as Aggregated Table to view the insight as an aggregated table.
For a Listing Table or Aggregated Table, you can:
- Download as CSV, XSLX, or PDF
- Send to a Data Destination
Set Alert
You can set an alert that identifies specific changes to a spider insight by defining a filter expression for a measure filter, individual filter, and/or aggregate filter in an aggregated table or a listing table.
- For the spider insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
- Select Set Alert. The Analyzer opens with an aggregated table insight that has the Grouping dimension pills and the measure pills from the spider insight. Refer to the Scheduler document for additional information on Data Alerts.
Open Lineage
Starting with 2023.7.0, you can view the data lineage of each insight on the dashboard. The Data Lineage Viewer v2 displays the entities (tables, views, variables, and columns) that the insight references.
- For the spider insight, select More Options (⋮ vertical ellipsis icon).
- Select Open Lineage. The Data Lineage Viewer v2 opens displaying the data lineage diagram of the insight.
Steps to create a spider insight
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.
- In Charts, select the Spider visualization.
- From the Data panel, drag various columns to various trays in the Insight panel:
- Grouping Dimension
- Measure
- Individual Filter
- Aggregate Filter
- Configure the pill properties using the Properties panel or Filter panel.
- Configure various insight properties using the Settings panel.
After introducing the dashboard free-form layout in 2023.4.0:
- The steps to add an insight to a dashboard are as follows:
- In the Action bar, select Edit (pen icon).
- From the Insight panel, drag the visualization that you want to the canvas, and then hover over the new insight and select Edit (pen icon) to launch the Analyzer.
- To open an insight in the Analyzer, hover over the insight, and then select Edit (pen icon).
- The steps to edit the insight in the Analyzer are still the same.
Example of a spider insight
In this example, you will create a spider insight that compares quarterly revenue for a given year and country by product categories. The example uses the SALES schema that comes with the Sample Data.
In the CMC, you can create a tenant that includes Sample Data. The Sample Data includes the SALES schema.
Add an insight starting 2023.4.0
- In the Action bar, select Edit (pen icon).
- From the Insight panel, from Charts, drag Spider to the canvas, and then hover over the new insight and select Edit (pen icon) to launch the Analyzer.
- 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.
- From the Data panel:
- Drag Revenue from the Sales table to the Measure, tray and then change the name of the pill to Revenue Q1.
- Repeat the prior step three more times, naming the pills Revenue Q2, Revenue Q3, and Revenue Q4.
- From the Data panel, drag Category from the Products table to the Grouping Dimension tray.
- From the Data panel, drag Year from the Sales table to the Individual Filter tray.
- From the Data panel, drag 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 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 corresponding quarter for each Revenue pill in Values:
- 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.
