Overview
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Type |
Icon |
When to Use |
|---|---|---|
Line |
|
You want to view trends over time by plotting data at points connected by lines. Use a line chart to plot many metrics. |
3D Line |
|
Similar to the line chart, but in three-dimensional form. |
Z Chart |
|
Trends over a short period of time; displaying the data, accumulative total, and moving total. |
Stepped Line |
|
A line chart where movement is shown in steps rather than straight lines. |
Chart Data Options
Option |
Description |
|---|---|
Label |
This is the category label for the X axis |
Series |
Typically a numeric value such as $. An item that you want to measure on your Chart |
Colour |
This option is only available if you have a cross tab data set available and is used to determine the colour applied for cross tab series data. |
Line Chart Tutorial
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Summary
In order to set up a Line Chart you will need:
- Create a report with chart display
- Select a field to use as the Label
- Select a field to use as the Metric
- Select a field to use as the Colour (if you have decided to create a cross tab report)
- Create your chart, selecting Line as the type
- Provide the Label, Metric, and Colour options and Refresh
- Customise the Chart as required
- Close the Chart Builder
- Save your report
Tutorial
The following Line Chart tutorial can be used for any of the above listed Line Charts, with the exception of the Z Chart which is discussed later.
1. Click on the Create link and select Report to begin building your report.
2. You should now be on the Initialise Report page. Select the Drag and Drop Builder as the build tool.
3. Select Ski Team as the View.
4. Now click the 
button to proceed.
5. You should now be on the Step 1. Report Data page. To start with, set the Output Options to Chart Only by selecting it in the Report Options section on the right. This will ensure that the information appears as a chart.
6. Now you need to add metrics to your report. Click on the 
next to the Time category to expand it.
7. Drag and drop the 
Year field into the Columns area.
8. Now expand the Athlete Payment category and drag and drop the 
Invoice Estimate dimension into the Columns area below Year. You will notice that the icon has changed to 
, this is because the default aggregation for this field has been set to SUM in the view.
9. Click on at the top of the page to move to the next step.
10. You should now be on the Report Preview page. Click on the image of a Pie Chart (pictured here) to go to the Chart Builder page to setup your chart.
11. Click on the Chart Menu, select Line as the Chart Type and click on the picture of the Line Chart to select it.
12. Click Save, this will load the options for a Line Chart.
13. In the Chart Data section you will need to select the data for each setting in the chart.
14. Set the Label to Year.
15. Set the Series to Sum Invoice Estimate.
16. Click Refresh to generate your chart.
17. You should now have a chart that looks like the one pictured.
18. You now need to Save and Activate your chart. Click on the 
Close button to go back to the Report Preview page.
19. It is now time to save your report. Click on the Report Menu and select Save.
20. Type Line Chart Tutorial as the Name, and This Line Chart was created using the Charts Tutorial as the Description.
21. Enter Tutorial as the Category and Charts as the Sub Category.
22. Click Activate.
Z Chart Tutorial
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Summary
In order to set up a Z Chart you will need:
- Create a report with chart display
- Select a date field to use as the Label
- Select a field to use as the Metric
- Create your chart, selecting Z Chart as the type
- Provide the Label and Metric options and Refresh
- Customise the Chart as required
- Close the Chart Builder
- Save your report
Tutorial
The Z Chart is a specially designed line chart used for period comparisons.
1. Start creating a chart as you did with the other charts by clicking on the Create link.
2. On the Report Data page, drag and drop the Month dimension, and Profit Margin metric into the Column Fields area.
3. Change the aggregation on Profit Margin to average by selecting the field and clicking on the
icon.
4. Make sure that you select the Chart Only option as you have for the other charts.
5. Click on at the top of the page to move to the next step.
6. On the Report Preview page click Columns link.
7. Select Month as the Column.
8. Click on the Display Menu.
9. Set the Format to Date.
10. Select Other as the Date Format
11. Type MMMM, yy in the Format box.
12. These options will mean that instead of just displaying the Month names, Yellowfin will display the month name and then the year, eg: March, 09.
13. On the Report Preview page click on the Pie Chart image as before.
14. Click on the Chart Menu and select Line as the Chart Type and Z Chart as the subtype.
15. Click Save to load the options for a Z Chart.
16. Set the Label to be Month.
17. Set the Series to be Avg Profit Margin.
18. Click Refresh to view your chart.
19. Your chart should now look like this one.
20. You are now going to customise the look of your Z Chart. Click on the Chart Format Menu.
21. You are going to extend the chart so it shows 24 months worth of data at a time. When you do this, remember that Yellowfin needs double the amount of data in order to calculate the Moving Total. In this case it would need 48 months worth of data.
22. Click Save to see how these options have changed your chart.
23. Click on the arrow icon next to the Periodic Value to expand the options.
24. Set Line Shapes to Yes.
25. Set the Line Thickness to 2.
26. Repeat these steps for Cumulative Total and Moving Total.
27. Click Refresh to regenerate your chart.
28. Your chart should now look like the one pictured here.
29. You are now finished with this chart so Save and Activate it.
30. Click on the Close button to go back to the Report Preview page.
31. Click on the Save Menu and use Z Chart Tutorial as the Name.
32. Type This Z Chart was created using the Charts Tutorial as the Description.
33. Enter Tutorial as the Category and Charts as the Sub Category.
34. Click Activate.
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