Using Combo Charts

Using a combo chart, you can create one visualization that shows two different types of data, such as trends and categories. Combo charts combine a line chart with a bar chart. Bar charts are useful for comparing categories. Both bar charts and line charts are useful for displaying changes over time, although bar charts are more useful when there is a greater difference between changes.

Combo chart

These types of combo charts are available:

Clustered bar combo chart
Displays sets of single-color bars. Each set represents a parent dimension and each bar represents a child dimension.

This type of chart helps you determine values for each bar more easily.

Stacked bar combo chart
Displays multi-color bars. Each bar represents a parent dimension and each color represents a child dimension.

This type of chart helps you understand the relationships between child dimensions within a parent dimension. It shows the total value for the parent dimension and how each child adds to the total value. To determine the value for each child dimension, you compare the size of the color section to the data labels for the axis.

Both types of combo chart require only one dimension in the X axis field well, but are more effective when they also include at least one measure under Lines.

Use a combo chart only if you want to show a relationship between the bars and the lines. Make sure that the data in the bars directly relates to the data in the lines.

    Note:
  • The data points in each series render on different scales. Combo charts use a scale based on the maximum value for the selected measure.
  • The distance between the numbers on the axis does not match between the lines and bars, even if you select the same scale for each chart type.
  • For clarity, try to use different units for the measure in each data series.

Bars and lines show up to 2,500 data points on the axis for visuals that do not use group or color. For visuals that use group or color, bars show up to 50 data points on the axis and up to 50 data points for group or color. Lines show up to 200 data points on the axis and up to 25 data points for group or color.

To create a combo chart:
  1. Click Dashboards tab, the Dashboards tab.
  2. Click Dashboard Designer, in the bottom-left corner.
  3. On the Analyses dialog, click New analysis or click Options button, the Options button, next to an existing analysis and select Edit.
  4. On the analysis page, click , the Add visual button, on the toolbar.
    Analysis page - Create a visual
  5. Click the icon for the type of combo chart that you want to create.
    • Clustered bar combo chart icon Clustered bar combo chart
    • Stacked bar combo chart icon Stacked bar combo chart
  6. Add data to the visual by dragging fields from the Data panel to the appropriate field wells in the Visuals panel:
    1. Drag a dimension to the X axis field well.
      This dimension is typically a text field that is related to the measure and can be used to segment it to see more detailed information.
    2. Drag at least one measure to the Bars field well.
      Each bar in the chart represents a measure value for an item in the dimension that you added.
    3. Drag at least one measure to the Lines field well.
      Make sure that the data for the bars directly relates to the data for the lines.
    4. Drag a measure to the Group/Color for bars field well.
      If you use this field well, you can have only one measure in the Bars field well.
    5. Add drill-down layers by dragging one or more additional fields to the X axis or Group/Color for bars field well.
  7. Customize the appearance of the visual in the Properties panel on the right.
    1. Under Display Settings, format the title and subtitle.
      For more information, see Formatting Titles and Subtitles in Visuals.
    2. Under X-axis, Bars, and Lines, configure the axes, the grid lines, and the range and scale.
      • Under X-axis, enter the maximum number of data points in the Number of data points to show field. The remaining data is grouped under the Other category. To hide the Other category from the chart, click Menu options button, the Menu options button, in the corner of the visual, and select Hide "other" categories.
      • To combine the bars and lines into a single y-axis, enable the Single Y-axis option under Bars or Lines.

      For information on the other available settings, see Formatting Axes and Grid Lines in Visuals and Configuring Range and Scale in Visuals.

    3. Under Group/Color, enter the maximum number of bar groups to display.
      The remaining data is grouped under the Other category. To hide the Other category from the chart, click Menu options button, the Menu options button, in the corner of the visual, and select Hide "other" categories.
    4. Under Reference lines, add reference lines if there are other values that you want to display along with the chart data.
      For more information, see Adding Reference Lines to Visuals.
    5. Under Legend, format the legend.
      For more information, see Formatting Legends in Visuals.
    6. Under Data labels, format the labels.
      For more information, see Formatting Data Labels in Visuals.
    The settings available in the Properties panel depend on the combo chart type and configuration.
Parent topic: Creating Visuals