Visualizations
There are a number of different visualization types available in Spotfire, and which to choose depends on your data and what you want to show. If you cannot find the type of visualization you are looking for directly, you can also look for visualization mods on the Community, or create your own mod.
See Developing mods for more information about visualization mods.
All of the visualizations you add can be modified by changing their
configuration. See the corresponding section for the different visualization
types for some examples and configurations you might want to use.
Note: A few of the visualization types described here can only be
authored using the installed client. Once added to an analysis, all
visualizations except for the 3D scatter plot can be viewed in the web client.
- Creating a visualization
Data can be of many different kinds. Therefore, to present the data in the best way, there are several types of visualizations available. - Table
The table in Spotfire works much like any other table you might be familiar with. It presents the data as a table of rows and columns, and is used to see details and compare values. - Cross table
A cross table is a two-way table consisting of columns and rows. It is also known as a pivot table or a multi-dimensional table. - Graphical table
A graphical table is a summarizing visualization designed to provide a lot of information at one glance. - Text area
A text area is a space where you can add information such as the purpose of a page, or maybe state the observations you have made, so that other people can verify or comment on your findings. You can also add images, links, and buttons, which can initiate actions that you think might be helpful for others who open your analysis. - Bar chart
In a bar chart, you can compare values for different categories in your data (continuous data can be made categorical by auto-binning). - Waterfall chart
A waterfall chart shows how a value changes after being affected by various factors that either increase the value, or decrease it. The resulting value is then presented. - Line chart
A line chart is used for showing trends, and in most cases trends over time. It can also be used for discerning certain patterns. - Combination chart
The combination chart is a visualization that combines the features of the bar chart and the line chart. - Pie chart
A pie chart is a circle graph that is divided into sectors. It is used to compare values for different categories in your data on a relative basis. Each pie sector represents a specific category, and its size the category's contribution to the whole value, expressed as a percentage. The values are usually sums. - Scatter plot
In a scatter plot, markers are displayed in a two-dimensional coordinate system. It is useful for getting an overview of how your data is distributed across two dimensions. - Map chart
A map chart positions your data in a context, often geographical, using different layers. The layers can be either data layers, such as marker layers or feature layers, or reference layers, such as map layers, Tile Map Service layers (TMS), Web Map Service layers (WMS), or image layers. By adding different layers to the map chart, you can configure the map to suit your needs. - Treemap
A treemap is used for displaying huge amounts of data that can be structured hierarchically (tree-structured). It presents the data using differently sized and colored rectangles. - Heat map
The easiest way to understand a heat map is to think of a cross table or spreadsheet, in which numerical values are represented by colored cells instead of the values themselves. The default color gradient sets the lowest value in the heat map to dark blue, the highest value to a bright red, and mid-range values to light gray, with a corresponding transition (or gradient) between these extremes. - KPI chart
A KPI chart is used to quickly inform about the current performance of a company or organization. You create different KPIs, Key Performance Indicators, which measure factors that are crucial to monitor, and present them in a grid of tiles. Examples of KPIs to monitor are net revenue, sales growth, or customer satisfaction. - Parallel coordinate plot
A parallel coordinate plot is used to compare data values which are of completely different types or magnitudes within a single visualization. The values are normalized and then presented as points on a line, or a profile, with one point per data column. This makes parallel coordinate plots similar in appearance to line charts, but the way data is translated into a plot is very different. The visualization is useful also for examining patterns. - Summary table
The summary table is a visualization that summarizes statistical information about data in table form. The information is based on one data table in the analysis. When configuring the summary table you can choose which measures to show (such as mean, median, and so on), as well as the columns on which to base these measures. - Box plot
Box plots are graphical tools to visualize key statistical measures, such as median, mean and quartiles. - The Visualization types flyout
The Visualization types flyout gives you an overview of all the visualization types that are available to you. You can add a visualization to your analysis by clicking the visualization or using drag-and-drop. - Duplicating a visualization
A copy of a visualization can be created to be used as starting point for creating another similar visualization. - Creating a trellised visualization
A visualization that is trellised is split into a number of panels, where each panel represents a subset of the data. Using trellised visualizations, you can spot similarities and differences between the subsets of data, or within the subsets. - Visualization properties (preview)
Some visualization properties can be accessed from the new visualization properties panel. To open the panel, select .
- Creating a visualization
Data can be of many different kinds. Therefore, to present the data in the best way, there are several types of visualizations available. - Table
The table in Spotfire works much like any other table you might be familiar with. It presents the data as a table of rows and columns, and is used to see details and compare values. - Cross table
A cross table is a two-way table consisting of columns and rows. It is also known as a pivot table or a multi-dimensional table. - Graphical table
A graphical table is a summarizing visualization designed to provide a lot of information at one glance. - Text area
A text area is a space where you can add information such as the purpose of a page, or maybe state the observations you have made, so that other people can verify or comment on your findings. You can also add images, links, and buttons, which can initiate actions that you think might be helpful for others who open your analysis. - Bar chart
In a bar chart, you can compare values for different categories in your data (continuous data can be made categorical by auto-binning). - Waterfall chart
A waterfall chart shows how a value changes after being affected by various factors that either increase the value, or decrease it. The resulting value is then presented. - Line chart
A line chart is used for showing trends, and in most cases trends over time. It can also be used for discerning certain patterns. - Combination chart
The combination chart is a visualization that combines the features of the bar chart and the line chart. - Pie chart
A pie chart is a circle graph that is divided into sectors. It is used to compare values for different categories in your data on a relative basis. Each pie sector represents a specific category, and its size the category's contribution to the whole value, expressed as a percentage. The values are usually sums. - Scatter plot
In a scatter plot, markers are displayed in a two-dimensional coordinate system. It is useful for getting an overview of how your data is distributed across two dimensions. - Map chart
A map chart positions your data in a context, often geographical, using different layers. The layers can be either data layers, such as marker layers or feature layers, or reference layers, such as map layers, Tile Map Service layers (TMS), Web Map Service layers (WMS), or image layers. By adding different layers to the map chart, you can configure the map to suit your needs. - Treemap
A treemap is used for displaying huge amounts of data that can be structured hierarchically (tree-structured). It presents the data using differently sized and colored rectangles. - Heat map
The easiest way to understand a heat map is to think of a cross table or spreadsheet, in which numerical values are represented by colored cells instead of the values themselves. The default color gradient sets the lowest value in the heat map to dark blue, the highest value to a bright red, and mid-range values to light gray, with a corresponding transition (or gradient) between these extremes. - KPI chart
A KPI chart is used to quickly inform about the current performance of a company or organization. You create different KPIs, Key Performance Indicators, which measure factors that are crucial to monitor, and present them in a grid of tiles. Examples of KPIs to monitor are net revenue, sales growth, or customer satisfaction. - Parallel coordinate plot
A parallel coordinate plot is used to compare data values which are of completely different types or magnitudes within a single visualization. The values are normalized and then presented as points on a line, or a profile, with one point per data column. This makes parallel coordinate plots similar in appearance to line charts, but the way data is translated into a plot is very different. The visualization is useful also for examining patterns. - Summary table
The summary table is a visualization that summarizes statistical information about data in table form. The information is based on one data table in the analysis. When configuring the summary table you can choose which measures to show (such as mean, median, and so on), as well as the columns on which to base these measures. - Box plot
Box plots are graphical tools to visualize key statistical measures, such as median, mean and quartiles. - The Visualization types flyout
The Visualization types flyout gives you an overview of all the visualization types that are available to you. You can add a visualization to your analysis by clicking the visualization or using drag-and-drop. - Duplicating a visualization
A copy of a visualization can be created to be used as starting point for creating another similar visualization. - Creating a trellised visualization
A visualization that is trellised is split into a number of panels, where each panel represents a subset of the data. Using trellised visualizations, you can spot similarities and differences between the subsets of data, or within the subsets. - Visualization properties (preview)
Some visualization properties can be accessed from the new visualization properties panel. To open the panel, select .