Interactive Chart Tool

The Create menu options allow you to define your layers and the data that makes up each of the layers. In addition, you can import a template or save your current settings as a template for future use. The Transforms menu option allows you to Split your chart by a column in your dataset.

Layer

Use Layer to start designing the layers of your chart. Layers can be the same or different chart types. Add layers on top of the initial chart layer or configure the chart so that the last layer displays on top. You can set the layer order using the Style > Legend menu.

With each new layer you create, you can reveal different relationships and outcomes in your dataset. For example, if you have a dataset with country and population data and you want to visualize population growth, your strategy might be to create an initial layer to show the population of each country in a bar chart. You could then add a second layer on top and configure a scatter plot as a bubble chart using the population growth values.

Chart types

• Area: Displays a relationship of how data changes over time.
• Bar: Displays categorical data vertically with rectangular bars of heights or lengths proportional to the values they represent.
  • Options
    • Column - Displays values for categorical data as rectangular bars of heights or lengths proportional to the values they represent.
    • Stacked bar - Displays an extra level of detail within a simple bar chart and allows you to see how subgroups of data contribute to the total.
• Box and Whisker: Displays groups of numerical data distributed by their quartiles.
• Candlestick: Displays the price movements of a financial asset for a specific period.
• Heatmap: Displays a map in which data values are represented as colors.
• Line: Displays information as a series of data points connected by straight line segments.
• Scatter: Displays values that show the correlation between two numerical sets of data.
  • Options
    • Bubble - Displays an added dimension in a scatter plot represented by the plotted value.
• Pie: Displays data as a circle divided into slices to represent a numerical proportion.

Template

Template allows you to reuse a chart or style configuration across multiple tools. Use a saved template as a quick way to rebuild charts you've made before. A saved template is available to other Interactive Chart tools or the Chart Editor of the Insight Tool.

To recreate a chart, use the same data stream you used when you created the template. Then, all you have to do is click the template you want to use, import it, and Alteryx recreates the chart for you.

To use a template with new data, you can select new columns when creating a layer in the create layer page.

Save and import a chart template

To save a chart as a template:

1. Under Create, click Template.
2. Type a Template Name.
3. Click Save.

To import a saved template:

1. Under Create, click Template.
2. Click the name of the template.
3. Click Import.

Transforms

Transforms allows you to transform your chart. The Transforms option is not available for all chart types.

• Split transform: Use the Split transform to split data into multiple layers. With Split, you can quickly create multiple layers by selecting a column to group by. Alteryx then charts each value in the column you select as a different layer. For example, if your dataset contains a column for Country and one for Region, you can chart the data by Country and then split it by Region.

Style contains options for applying styles to your chart and its layers, selecting a chart size, adding axis titles, configuring the legend, determining chart layer order, and adding notes to your chart.

Style options

• Default Font: Select the default font, font size, and font color for the chart. Edits made to the font for the chart title, axes titles and labels, legend text, and notes will override the default font.
• Layer: Select colors and show values when the cursor hovers over a data point on the chart. Options depend on the type of chart selected. You can use the Style Layer to group your data by color. For more information, visit the Alteryx Community article, How to Group Data by Color in an Interactive Chart.
• Chart: Select the size, background color, margins and padding for the chart, and add a chart title.
• Axes: Add a title for each axis, adjust the range of values that display, and show grid lines and labels. The font for the axes titles and labels can be customized.
• Legend: Show a legend for the chart, and select the legend box font, color, and orientation. Click and drag the legend to move it to a new location on the chart. For a layer to show in the legend, it must be enabled under Style > Layer. You can also use Legend options to set the order for the layers in your chart to reversed (Style > Legend > Layer Order > Reversed).
• Note: Add a note and arrow to the chart. Click and drag the note to move it to a new location on the chart.

Use the time-saving Batch function to configure and format a chart once, select a column or columns to group by, and then create multiple charts with the same formatting based on the unique values in the columns you selected.

For example, if your dataset contains a column for Country and one for Region, you can chart the data by Country and then use Batch to quickly create charts by Region.

To create a batched chart:

1. Create a chart.
2. Under Batch, click Batch.
3. Click On.
4. In Group By, select a column to group the data.
5. To create a custom title for the batched chart, type in the title editor.
6. View each chart by clicking the page numbers at the top.

1. Run the workflow.
2. Click Configure Chart.
3. Under Create > Layer, click Add Layer.
4. Type a Name for the layer.
5. Select the chart Type.
Chart types
• Area: Displays a relationship of how data changes over time.
• Bar: Displays categorical data vertically with rectangular bars of heights or lengths proportional to the values they represent.
  • Options
    • Column - Displays values for categorical data as rectangular bars of heights or lengths proportional to the values they represent.
    • Stacked bar - Displays an extra level of detail within a simple bar chart and allows you to see how subgroups of data contribute to the total.
• Box and Whisker: Displays groups of numerical data distributed by their quartiles.
• Candlestick: Displays the price movements of a financial asset for a specific period.
• Heatmap: Displays a map in which data values are represented as colors.
• Line: Displays information as a series of data points connected by straight line segments.
• Scatter: Displays values that show the correlation between two numerical sets of data.
  • Options
    • Bubble - Displays an added dimension in a scatter plot represented by the plotted value.
• Pie: Displays data as a circle divided into slices to represent a numerical proportion.
6. Select columns to use as the values for the X and Y axes.
Split data into multiple layers

Under Create > Transforms, click Split to separate data into multiple layers and style each layer of a chart based on the number of different values within a column.

7. Under Style, click to configure the Default Font, Layer, Chart, Axes, Legend, and Notes:
Style options
• Default Font: Select the default font, font size, and font color for the chart. Edits made to the font for the chart title, axes titles and labels, legend text, and notes will override the default font.
• Layer: Select colors and show values when the cursor hovers over a data point on the chart. Options depend on the type of chart selected. You can use the Style Layer to group your data by color. For more information, visit the Alteryx Community article, How to Group Data by Color in an Interactive Chart.
• Chart: Select the size, background color, margins and padding for the chart, and add a chart title.
• Axes: Add a title for each axis, adjust the range of values that display, and show grid lines and labels. The font for the axes titles and labels can be customized.
• Legend: Show a legend for the chart, and select the legend box font, color, and orientation. Click and drag the legend to move it to a new location on the chart. For a layer to show in the legend, it must be enabled under Style > Layer. You can also use Legend options to set the order for the layers in your chart to reversed (Style > Legend > Layer Order > Reversed).
• Note: Add a note and arrow to the chart. Click and drag the note to move it to a new location on the chart.
8. Click the X to save your changes, close the Interactive Chart window, and return to the workflow.