Creating a Grid in Visualize

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Article Goal

Learn how to create a Grid in Visualize, including assigning fields to columns, applying formatting, and organizing data for better readability.

What Is a Grid?

A Grid is a table-based visualization that displays raw or formatted data in columns and rows. It’s often used as the foundation for exploring datasets in detail, especially when exact values need to be compared side by side.

Use Case: Grids are ideal for displaying transactional details such as order records, customer names, shipment dates, and costs.

Why Create a Grid?

• Provides a clear, structured view of detailed records

• Useful for validating source data before building charts or maps

• Supports field-level formatting for consistency

Note: Formatting options (like numeric separators or date grouping) are important for making the Grid readable and aligned with reporting standards.

Where Are Grids Created?

Grids are created in the Visualize Designer within VDM. From here, you can add the Grid element, assign columns, and adjust formatting for each field.

Sample View Download

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

Download Sample View

Once downloaded, open the View in VDM and connect it in Visualize Designer to experiment with the example setup below.

Steps to Create a Grid

Step 1: Open Visualize Designer

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

Step 2: Add a Grid

Click the Grid icon to insert a Grid element into your dashboard.

Step 3: Assign Fields to Columns

• Drag a field into the first column

• Repeat for each additional column you need

Tip: You can rearrange fields by dragging them into a different column order.

Optional Step: Apply Formatting

• Right-click on a column field and select Format

• Example for numeric fields (Freight):

  • Format Type → Number

  • Unit → Ones

  • Precision → 0

  • Enable Include group separator

• Example for date fields (ShippedDate):

  • Format → Month-Year

Example Output

This example shows a Grid with the following fields:

• ContactName

• ShippedDate (formatted as Month-Year)

• City

• Freight (formatted as Number with separators)

The result is a structured table that displays customer shipment details by contact, date, and freight cost.

Article Summary

Creating a Grid in Visualize provides a detailed, row-and-column view of your dataset. By dragging fields into columns and applying formatting, you can quickly structure reports to include names, dates, locations, and financials. This makes Grids a foundational step before moving into charts, maps, or more advanced visualizations.

Use Case: A logistics analyst can use a Grid to list shipments by customer, with costs formatted clearly, making it easier to validate transaction data before creating summary charts.