Dashboard visualizations

This article explains how to use and customize visualization widgets on AI/BI dashboards.

Configure a basic chart

After you pull a visualization widget onto the canvas, a visualization configuration panel appears on the right side of the screen. By default, the first dataset on your Data tab is selected. The selected visualization type is a Bar chart.

To create a chart:

• Select a dataset: Use the Dataset drop-down to choose the dataset you want to base your visualization on.

• Add filters (optional): To apply a static filter or parameter, click Show filters. You can apply a filter on any field. If your dataset includes a parameter, the option to apply a parameter also appears.

• Choose a visualization type: Use the Visualization drop-down menu to choose a visualization type. To learn more about available visualization types and how to confgure them, see Dashboard visualizations types.

• Choose x-axis and y-axis fields: After your dataset is selected, you can choose fields from it to display on the x-axis and y-axis.

Note

If you ask the assistant to generate a chart for you, or if you use one of the provided buttons to generate a chart, the dataset and visualization selections might change according to your prompt. For a step-by-step example that shows how to use the assistant to build visualizations on your dashboard, see Create visualizations with Databricks Assistant.

Apply formatting

Where applicable, charts include formatting options along x and y axes. Some formatting options vary based on chart type and dataset values. The following lists outline the general settings available for x and y axes, chart coloring, and number formatting.

The following screenshot highlights the kebab menus that allow you to format x and y axes.

Format the x-axis

To format the x-axis, do the following:

• Click the kebab menu in the X Axis section of the visualization editing panel.

• Show axis title is enabled by default. Enter a title into the text field to override the column name as the default title. Unselect the checkbox to hide the axis title.

• Show axis values is enabled by default. Unselect the checkbox to hide values on the x-axis.

• Click Format to see additional formatting options.

  • Click Custom to apply custom formatting. Available options change according to the column’s data type.

Format the y-axis:

To format the y-axis, do the following:

• Click the kebab menu in the Y Axis section of the visualization editing panel.

• Show axis title is enabled by default. Enter a title into the text field to override the column name as the default title. Unselect the checkbox to hide the axis title.

• Show axis values is enabled by default. Unselect the checkbox to hide values on the y-axis.

• Optionally, enter values into the Minimum and Maximum text fields to set a custom range. The range is automatically set to span the range of values in the result set.

• Reverse Axis: By default, values are automatically shown as increasing as they move up the y-axis. Select the checkbox to reverse the order of values on the axis.

• Scale Function: You can choose Linear or Log (Symmetric) scales to map data values in your visualization.

• Click Format to see additional formatting options. The specific options available for each chart type are provided in the corresponding section in this article.

Note

If any of the listed selections are not available, it means that they cannot be applied to the selected chart type.

Format the legend, chart colors, and value labels

To format the legned, chart colors, and value labels, do the following:

• Click a color to set a new color for a category. Use the color picker to choose a new color. Alternatively, enter a HEX or RBG value.

• Click the kebab menu in the Color/Group by section of the visualization editing panel.

• Use the Show legend checkbox to show or hide the legend.

• Use the Show legend title checkbox to show or hide the legend title. Enter a new title into the text field to override the default value, which is the column name.

• Use the Legend position drop-down to adjust the legend’s placement.

Labels: Use the toggle to turn data labels on and off.

Number formatting in charts

For most chart types, you can format numeric values for axis tick labels, data labels, and tooltips. To choose a formatting style, click the kebab menu to the right of the X Axis or Y Axis label in the chart configuration panel. Then, click Format to show formatting options. The following visualization types do not support number formatting:

• Box

• Pie

• Point map

You can choose from the following formatting options:

• Type: None, Currency ($), Percentage (%)

• Abbreviation: None, Compact, Scientific

• Decimal places: Max, Exact, All, Number of places

  Optionally, you can include a group separator such as a comma.

Note

Formatting is available for various types of currency. After selecting Currency as the Type, use the drop-down selector to choose your preferred currency.