Builder Lesson 43 of 66 ⏱ 4 min read

Visualization options reference — every control in every builder

Lesson summary

A flat catalog of every control in the Module 8 visualization builders, one tab per builder. Pick the visualization you're configuring. The lessons that walk you in the door are Your first chart, Chart data shaping, and Aggregate grid and pivot grid; this page is the lookup you come back to. Other specialized visualizations — KPI, Calendar, maps, Financials, and more — get their own tabs here as they're added.

By the end of this lesson

Find any visualization control by the builder and accordion it lives in
Know which options appear when — by chart type, and by whether a grid field is grouped

Background

The eight chart types that share one builder — line, bar, column, stacked column, pie, area, range bar, and scatter. The builder organizes its controls into accordions with two scopes: per-series controls inside Add New that apply to one value series at a time, and chart-wide controls in the accordions below the series list.

Some controls only appear for certain chart types; those are flagged inline, and the applicability matrix at the end of this tab lists every type-specific control in one place.

Can't find a control, or one's behaving unexpectedly? Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Do it

Value Field (per series)

The number this series plots. Only number and currency fields are eligible — text fields can't be a value series. Range Bar is the exception: it asks for two value fields (the start and end of each span).
Values Options (per series)

Control
What it does

Label Formats
How the number reads: fixedPoint (plain), currency, largeNumber (e.g. 2.5K), or percent.

Currency Code
Appears only when Label Formats is currency — picks the currency symbol.

Precision
Decimal places. 0 for whole numbers.

Show Value Axis as Discrete Scale
Treats the value axis as evenly-spaced categories rather than a continuous number line. Hidden for Pie.
Color Options (per series)

Select Bar Color (the label tracks the chart type — bar, line, area) sets this series' color. Pick a swatch or enter a hex value; the default is #25A0DA. Set per series, so a multi-series chart can give each series its own color.
Symbol Options (per series — scatter only)

Only on a Scatter Plot. Select Symbol sets the marker shape for the series: circle, square, cross, triangleUp, or triangleDown.
Chart Options (chart-wide)

Control
What it does

Select Series Type
Series in columns (default) or Series in rows — flips which dimension is the argument and which is the legend. Range Bar is columns-only.

Title Position
Where the chart title sits: top or bottom, left / center / right.

Argument Axis
The label printed along the x-axis (e.g. "Customer").

Value Axis
The label printed along the y-axis (e.g. "Ticket count").

Legend Position
Left, Right, Top, Bottom, or None to hide the legend.

Tick Interval
Spacing of the value-axis ticks. 0 means auto.

Allow Numeric Argument Fields
Off by default (the argument dropdown shows text fields only). Check it to use a numeric field as the argument.
Display Options (chart-wide, type-specific)

This list grows and shrinks with the chart type. The type-specific rows are noted.

Control
What it does

Constant Line
Draws a static threshold line at the value you enter — a goal or limit.

Chart Area Human Readable Labels
Prints each value directly on the chart, so you don't have to hover or read it off the axis. Clean with few categories, noisy with many.

Show value on hover
The tooltip showing the exact value on mouse-over. Turn off if you're showing on-chart labels.

Disable Line Chart Points (Line only)
Hides the dots, leaving a clean line.

Plot null and zero values (Line only)
Whether gaps and zeros are drawn or skipped.

Invert Argument Axis
Reverses the order of the argument axis. Hidden for Pie.

Display as Spline (Line, Area)
Curves the line instead of drawing straight segments.
Hover Options (chart-wide)

Target Document points the chart at another report to open on interaction. Use Select Target Document to pick it, Clear Target to remove it. This is distinct from a Field Builder drill-down on the underlying grid — covered in Drill-downs.
Applicability — which options appear for which chart type

Control
Appears for

Second value field
Range Bar only (the span's start and end).

Symbol Options
Scatter only.

Disable Line Chart Points
Line only.

Plot null and zero values
Line only.

Display as Spline
Line and Area.

Series in rows
All types except Range Bar (columns-only).

Discrete scale, Invert axis
All except Pie. Pie also shows percentages automatically.

If you're stuck

"Where did that option go?" — for charts the answer is usually the chart type.

Display as Spline isn't there

Spline only appears for Line and Area charts. On a column or bar there's nothing to curve.

Series in rows is missing

You're on a Range Bar, which is columns-only. Every other chart type offers both orientations under Select Series Type.

The argument dropdown won't show my number field

By design — it lists text fields until you check Allow Numeric Argument Fields in Chart Options. See Chart data shaping.

None of these match my situation

Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Background

The plain data grid — the default output before you pick a visualization — has its own Config menu in the preview toolbar. Four controls, enough for a simple grouped or totaled list. Step-by-step walkthroughs are in the linked help articles.

Can't find a control, or one's behaving unexpectedly? Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Do it

Default data grid — Config menu

The plain data grid — the default output before you choose a visualization — has its own Config menu in the preview toolbar. Four controls, enough for a simple grouped or totaled list. One limit to keep in mind: the totals and subtotals here are presentation-layer — they don't recalculate when a viewer sorts or filters. When you need totals that stay correct, use the Aggregate Grid below. Step-by-step: Add Totals and Hierarchy.

Control
What it does

Group By
Drag a column heading to the group bar to group by one or more columns — users can do this live. Config lets you set a grouping as the initial display so the report opens grouped. Grid/Table reports.

Totals/SubTotals
Add New → pick a field → Total Type: Totals sums the field (optional Add Percentages, in the same or a separate column); Subtotals sets At each change / Or change in + a function (Sum, Count, …) with optional Add Grand Totals; None clears it. Grid/Table reports only.

Hierarchy
A super-header that groups adjacent report fields under a typed Group Title. The chosen fields must sit next to each other in the field list or it errors. Carries over to the Aggregate Grid automatically.

Display Full Records
Removes pagination in the library view and in dashboard widgets. Good for a small result set, or a widget sized to show every row; not for large datasets.

If you're stuck

The one thing to watch on the default grid.

My totals look right, then go wrong when I sort or filter

Default-grid totals and subtotals are presentation-layer — an extra row that doesn't move with the data. For totals that recalculate on filter and follow the rows on export, rebuild them in the Aggregate Grid tab.

None of these match my situation

Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Background

A specialized visualization with its own builder (Visualizations → Aggregate Grid). Each report field is a card; the three-dots menu configures it. Totals here are attached — they recalculate on filter and follow the rows on export. The aggregate grid does not support drill-down.

Can't find a control, or one's behaving unexpectedly? Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Do it

Aggregate Grid

A specialized visualization with its own builder (open Visualizations → Aggregate Grid). Each report field is a card with a checkbox (ticked = included); click the three-dots menu to configure it. Totals here are attached — they recalculate on filter and follow the rows on export, unlike the default grid. The Aggregate Grid does not support drill-down. Step-by-step: How to create a new Aggregate Grid report.

Per-field action menu (three dots)

Control
What it does

Group By
Grouped or None. Group by one or more fields.

Grand Totals
None / Count / Sum / Max / Min / Avg — one total across all rows for the field.

SubTotals (grouped only)
None / Count / Sum / Max / Min / Avg — totals within each group. Appears once a field is grouped.

In Group Footer (grouped only)
true / false. true drops the subtotal to the bottom of each group instead of the header.

Align By Column (grouped only)
true / false. false aligns the subtotal under its own column rather than in the group heading.

SubTotal Display (grouped only)
A display-format string for the subtotal label — e.g. {0} Items.

Column Format
String / Fixed Point / Currency / Decimal / Large Numbers / Percent / Short Date. Defaults from the field's data type.

Column Width
A number, in pixels.

Settings accordion

Control
What it does

Auto Expand Grouped Columns
Groups open by default instead of arriving collapsed.

Sub Group Count Mode2
A grouped-display toggle, off by default.

Display Full Records
Removes pagination in the library view and dashboard widgets — same control as on the default grid. Not for large datasets.

Heading Colors (apply only when a column is grouped)

Group Top Level Color (default #E9E9E9) and Group Sub Level Color (default #F9F9F9) shade the group heading rows.

Data Row Conditional Highlighting

Shade rows by a rule — e.g. color a status, or compare two numeric columns. Add more than one rule; the trash icon deletes one. Step-by-step: color conditional row highlighting.

Field
What it does

Column 1
The field whose value is tested — from the report's fields.

Condition
>, <, =, >=, <=.

Mode
Value Conditional tests Column 1 against a value you enter; Column Comparison tests it against a second column.

Column 2 / Custom Value
Column 2 when Mode is Column Comparison (useful for two numeric columns); a custom value when Value Conditional.

Color
The highlight color for matching rows (default #25A0DA).

If you're stuck

Most aggregate-grid surprises come down to whether a field is grouped.

SubTotals (and In Group Footer, Align By Column) aren't in the field menu

Those appear in the Aggregate Grid only once the field is grouped. Set Group By → Grouped first, then reopen the field's menu.

Heading Colors does nothing

Heading Colors only take effect when at least one column is grouped — they shade the group heading rows. No grouping, nothing to shade.

None of these match my situation

Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Background

A specialized cross-tab visualization with its own builder (Visualizations → Pivot Grid). You arrange fields into Rows, Columns, Data, and Filter areas and the preview rebuilds in real time. The pivot grid does not support drill-down.

Can't find a control, or one's behaving unexpectedly? Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Do it

Pivot Grid

A specialized cross-tab visualization with its own builder (open Visualizations → Pivot Grid). You arrange fields into areas and the preview rebuilds in real time. Good for showing the important facts rather than every detail. The Pivot Grid does not support drill-down. Step-by-step: How to configure a Pivot Grid report.

Field areas (field chooser)

Area
What goes there

All
Every available field. Tick a checkbox to place it, or drag it to a specific area.

Columns / Rows
The two axes of the cross-tab. Drag fields between them; stacking more than one field gives multiple expansions.

Data
The values in the cells. Drop one or more fields here.

Filter
Fields used to filter the pivot.

Right-click a field

Option
What it does

Hide field
Removes the field from the report (any area).

Summary Type (Data fields)
Sum / Avg / Min / Max / Count. Defaults to Count until you set it.

Format Type (Data fields)
currency / fixedPoint / decimal / percent.

Sidebar checkboxes

Control
What it does

Show Column / Row Totals
Per-group totals along each axis.

Show Column / Row Grand Totals
Overall totals at the edges of the grid.

Data Field Headers in Rows
Puts the data-field headers in the row area instead of the column area.

Show Data As Text
Displays a cell value as text rather than a number — for non-numeric data fields.

Show Field Chooser reopens the drag-and-drop chooser. Saving the pivot stores its current state — which dimensions are expanded and which filters are set; users open in that state and can keep expanding and filtering live, with values recalculating.

If you're stuck

The one that catches everyone first.

My pivot value shows a count, not a sum

A Pivot Grid data field defaults to Count. Right-click the value, set Summary Type → Sum (or Avg/Min/Max), and set the Format Type while you're there.

None of these match my situation

Email [email protected] with the visualization type and the control you're after. Real human, same business day reply.

Background

Do it

Value Field (per series)

Values Options (per series)

Color Options (per series)

Symbol Options (per series — scatter only)

Chart Options (chart-wide)

Display Options (chart-wide, type-specific)

Hover Options (chart-wide)

Applicability — which options appear for which chart type

If you're stuck

Background

Do it

Default data grid — Config menu

If you're stuck

Background

Do it

Aggregate Grid

If you're stuck

Background

Do it

Pivot Grid

If you're stuck

Related lessons

Viz basics

Chart data shaping

Aggregate & pivot grid

Data Prep tools

Drill-downs

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