Using Charting in VDM

VDM Charting lets you create charts from the data returned by a VDM View.

Use the Chart Designer to add series, select data fields, choose chart types, and customize titles, axes, legends, and appearance.

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Before You Begin

Open the VDM View containing the data you want to chart.
Run the View.
Confirm that the required fields are included in the results.

1. Open Charting

Under Visualize in the left navigation panel, select Charting.

The workspace is blank if the View does not already contain a chart. The upper-right corner contains Chart Designer and Reset Chart.

The Charting workspace before a chart has been created.

2. Open the Chart Designer

Click Chart Designer.

The chart structure appears on the left and includes Series, Legend, Additional Legends, Titles, and Annotations.

The settings on the right change according to the selected component. Available tabs can include Options, Properties, and Data.

If no series have been added, the preview indicates that there are no visible series.

The Chart Designer before a series has been added.

3. Add the First Series

A series represents a set of data displayed in the chart.

Select Series in the left panel.
Click the + button next to Series.
Select a series type, such as Bar.

Select a series type from the Add Series menu.

The new series appears beneath Series, and a sample chart appears in the preview. Assign data fields to connect the series to your View’s results.

4. Configure and Name the Series

Select the individual series in the left panel, then open Options.

Enter a descriptive value in Name. If the chart contains multiple series, name each one to identify its data.

Other settings can include Visible, Show in Legend, Labels Visibility, View, Bar Width, Color Each, pane and axis assignments, and appearance settings.

Select an individual series to display its settings on the Options tab.

Available settings depend on the selected series type.

5. Select the Series Data

Select the series in the left panel.
Open the Data tab.
Expand Details or Summary to locate the fields you want to use.
Drag the category field into Argument.
Drag the numeric field into Value.

Argument identifies the category, such as customer, department, state, or date. Value identifies the numeric data, such as amount, balance, revenue, or units sold.

The Data tab also includes Color and ToolTip Hint assignment areas.

The Data tab with fields assigned to the Argument and Value areas.

Important: The Chart Designer can display sample data even after fields are assigned. Use the preview to review the chart’s appearance. Click OK, then verify the actual categories and values in the Charting workspace.

If the completed chart displays unexpected information, check the View’s results and the fields assigned to the series.

6. Add Additional Series

Select Series in the left panel.
Click the + button.
Select the series type.

Use the + button next to Series to add another series.

Select the new series.
Open Data and assign its Argument and Value fields.
Open Options and configure its name and display settings.

Repeat these steps for each additional series. Assign data fields separately for every series you add.

Multiple series displayed with sample data in the designer.

7. Change an Individual Series Type

Select the individual series beneath Series in the left panel.
Open Options.
Locate View.
Open the drop-down and select the desired type.
Review the updated preview.

Use Options → View to change the type of the selected series.

Available choices and settings depend on the series and chart configuration.

8. Use the Chart Designer Toolbar

The upper-left toolbar contains chart type, Undo, and Redo controls.

Change the Chart Type

Click the chart icon in the upper-left toolbar.
Select the desired chart type.
Review the effect on the chart preview.

The Chart Designer toolbar includes chart type, Undo, and Redo controls.

Changing the chart type can change the diagram, layout, and available settings. For example, changing a chart containing three bar series to Pie can display three separate pie charts.

To change only one series, select that series and use Options → View.

Undo and Redo

Click Undo to reverse a recent change. Click Redo to restore a change that was undone.

Use these controls to compare settings and return to an earlier configuration while working in the designer.

9. Configure the Diagram and Axes

Charts that use X and Y axes include an XY-Diagram section in the left panel.

Expand it to access Default Pane, Additional Panes, Primary AxisX, Primary AxisY, Secondary X-Axes, and Secondary Y-Axes.

Select a component to display its settings on the right. Depending on the component, these can include labels, tick marks, grid lines, scale, range, visibility, titles, and appearance.

Example settings for Primary AxisX.

Other chart types use different diagram settings. Pie charts, for example, display Simple Diagram instead of XY-Diagram.

10. Configure, Move, or Hide the Legend

Select Legend in the left panel, then open Options.

Use the settings on the right to adjust the legend’s position, visibility, text, markers, background, border, and title.

Move the Legend

Use Alignment to choose where the legend appears in relation to the chart.

Use Direction to change how the legend entries are arranged. Review the preview to confirm the placement works with your chart.

Show or Hide the Entire Legend

Enable Visibility to display the legend, or disable it to hide the legend.

Hiding the legend does not remove the series from the chart.

Use Alignment to position the legend and Visibility to show or hide it.

Show or Hide an Individual Legend Entry

Select the individual series in the left panel.
Open Options.
Enable or disable Show in Legend.

Disabling Show in Legend removes that series’ entry from the legend while keeping the series visible in the chart.

11. Add an Overall Chart Title

Select the chart-level Titles section in the left panel.
Click its + button.
Select the new title.
Open Options.
Enter the title wording in Lines.

Use Visibility to show or hide the title. Other settings include Word Wrap, Dock, Alignment, and Indent.

Use Lines to edit the overall title and Visibility to show or hide it.

You can add multiple chart titles and configure each one separately.

12. Add Titles to Individual Pie Series

Pie series can also have their own titles. These are separate from the overall chart title.

Expand the pie series beneath Series.
Locate Titles within that series.
Use its + button to add a title if needed.
Select the title.
Open Options and configure Visibility, Lines, Dock, and Alignment.
Repeat for the other pie series.

Tip: Enter {S} in Lines to display the series name as its title.

Each pie has its own series title, while Demo Chart is the overall chart title.

Series-specific title options depend on the selected chart type.

13. Adjust Additional Settings

Select a component in the left panel and use Options or Properties to review its available settings.

Depending on the component, you can adjust colors, borders, labels, layout, spacing, visibility, and other appearance settings.

14. Apply and Verify the Chart

Review the chart’s appearance in the designer.
Click OK.
The designer closes and the chart appears in the Charting workspace.
Verify the actual categories, values, and series against the View’s results.

An example of a completed chart displayed in the VDM Charting workspace.

The completed chart’s data can differ from the sample data shown in the designer.

15. Save the View

After creating or modifying the chart, save the VDM View.

The chart configuration is saved with the View for use when it is opened again.

Edit an Existing Chart

Open and run the View.
Select Charting.
Click Chart Designer.
Select the series, title, axis, legend, or other component to modify.
Make the changes.
Click OK and verify the chart in the workspace.
Save the View.

Reset a Chart

Use Reset Chart to remove the existing chart configuration and start over.

Open Charting.
Click Reset Chart.
Review the confirmation.
Click Yes to reset the chart, or No to keep it.

The confirmation displayed before resetting the chart.

After the reset, the workspace is blank. Click Chart Designer to create a new chart.

Save the View to retain the reset or replacement chart configuration.