Adding Data Elements to Visualizations

This topic describes how you add data elements to visualizations.

Topics:

Adding Data Elements to Drop Targets

After you select the data sources for your project, you can begin to add data elements such as measures and attributes to visualizations.

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Note:

To toggle the Explore pane on or off, click the Explore button on the project toolbar.

Here are some of the ways you can add data elements to drop targets:

  • You can drag and drop one or more data elements from the Data Elements pane to drop targets in the Explore pane or double click data elements in the Data Elements pane to add them.

    The data elements are automatically positioned in the best drop target in the Explore pane, and the visualization type may also change to optimize the visualization layout.

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    Note:

    You can press the Ctrl key to select multiple data elements at a time.
  • You can replace a data element in the Explore pane by dragging it from the Data Elements pane and dropping it over an existing data element already in the Explore pane.
  • You can swap data elements in the Explore pane by dragging a data element already inside the pane and dropping it over another data element in the pane.
  • You can remove a data element from the Explore pane by clicking the X in the data element token.

Note:

If you add an attribute to the Color drop target, you only see discrete colors displayed in the canvas, whereas if you add a measure to that drop target, it only displays shades of a single color. When you perform these same actions on a Pivot visualization, the result is a heat map.

If you add multiple measures to the Values drop target, most of the visualizations display in a discrete color for each measure.

Adding Data Elements to Visualization Drop Targets

You can use visualization drop targets to help you position data elements in the optimal locations for exploring content.

To add data elements to visualization drop targets:

  • If you drag and drop a data element over to a visualization (but not on a specific drop target), a blue outline displays around the recommended drop targets in the visualization. If you drop the data element in the visualization, it is automatically shuttled to the best drop target.

    Also, you see a green plus icon next to the data element when it is over a valid drop target.

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    Note:

    If you are not sure where to drag and drop any data element, simply drag and drop the data element anywhere over the visualization, and not to a specific drop target. The data element is automatically added to the best drop target in the canvas.

    After you drop data elements into visualization drop targets or when you move your cursor outside of the visualization, the drop targets disappear.

  • To display the drop targets again in the visualization, in the visualization toolbar, click Show Assignments. You can also do this to keep the visualization drop targets in place while you work.

For more information on adding, removing, or moving data elements, see Adding Data Elements to Drop Targets.

Adding Data Elements to a Blank Canvas

You can add data elements directly from the Data Elements pane to a blank canvas.

To add data elements to a blank canvas:

Drag one or more data elements to a blank canvas or between visualizations in the canvas. A visualization is automatically created and the best visualization type and layout are selected. For example, if you add time and product attributes and a revenue measure to a blank canvas, the data elements are placed in the best locations and the visualization type of Line is selected.

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Note:

If there are visualizations already in the canvas, then you can drag and drop data elements between them.