Creating a Pivot in Visualize

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Article Goal

Learn how to create a Pivot in Visualize, including assigning fields to Values, Columns, and Rows to group and analyze data interactively.

What Is a Pivot?

A Pivot is a data visualization tool that lets you cross-tabulate values, grouping them dynamically by multiple dimensions such as dates, employees, or locations.

Use Case: A Pivot makes it easy to compare totals across categories—for example, showing freight grouped first by EmployeeID, and then by City, all within the same view.

Why Create a Pivot?

• Quickly summarize large datasets

• Compare multiple dimensions side-by-side

• Explore data interactively with collapsible groupings

Note: Pivots work best when the data source is set to Detail, as this provides the raw records needed for aggregation.

Where Are Pivots Created?

Pivots are created in the Visualize Designer within VDM. From here, you can add a Pivot element, configure rows and columns, and format grouped results.

Sample View Download

To follow along with this walkthrough, download our pre-built Northwinds Sample View (with data):

Download Sample View

Open the view in VDM, then use it inside Visualize Designer to recreate the example below.

Steps to Create a Pivot

Step 1: Open Visualize Designer

Launch VDM and click on Visualize Designer from the main screen.

Step 2: Change Data Source

Set the Data Source as needed for record-level calculations.

Step 3: Add a Pivot

Click the Pivot icon to insert a Pivot element into the Visualize workspace.

Step 4: Assign Fields

• Drag a field into Values (e.g., Freight)

• Drag a field into Columns (e.g., Order Date)

  • Adjust formatting if needed (e.g., set Order Date to Month-Year)

• Drag a field into Rows (e.g., EmployeeID)

• Optionally, drag a second field below the first row field (e.g., City under EmployeeID).

Tip: Click the arrow inside the Pivot to expand and display the second-level grouping (e.g., City within EmployeeID).

Example Output

This example displays Freight grouped by EmployeeID and City, with columns showing totals by Order Date (Month-Year). The expandable rows allow you to view employee freight totals at a high level, or drill into city-level details.

Article Summary

Pivots in Visualize give you a flexible way to summarize and compare values across multiple dimensions. By assigning fields to Values, Columns, and Rows, you can create dynamic, expandable tables that reveal deeper insights. With formatting and grouping options, Pivots make it easy to analyze raw data in a structured, interactive layout.

Use Case: A sales analyst can group order freight costs by employee, then expand each employee to view freight by city—helping identify which regions contribute most to freight expenses.