Changing the Chart Type

Owned by Karen Hogan (Unlicensed)
Mar 08, 2022
3 min read

Changing the chart type is another way of exploring the data. Selecting the most appropriate chart type will enable you to better convey the message for the data in question. Some charts will provide better visualisation than others for a specific data set, some look more visually appealing and some need specific data requirements to work correctly. 

To change the chart type, click the ‘Chart Tools’ icon  at the top-right of the cell and then click the ‘Edit chart’ icon.

Click the Chart menu at the top of the ‘Edit chart’ screen.

A list of all the available chart types will be displayed. To change to a different chart type, click the chart icon and the chart will update in the preview section. 

Please be aware that some of the charts may display a warning when you select them. This will be due to the original chart not having the required data for the newly selected chart. If you see a message, like the one displayed in the following screenshot, when you select a new chart type you will need to add the missing data to the Data screen. Please refer to the section Adding data to a chart for further details.

When the new chart type has been selected and all missing data has been added, click the ‘Save’ button to confirm the changes and return to the dashboard.

Changing the chart type when colours have been applied

If you change a chart type that has colour choices specified in the Edit Chart screen, the following points will apply:

  • When a chart has both a Dimension and a Measure and both objects have new colours applied on the Colours tab in the Edit Chart screen, the chosen colours will be removed when the related Dimension or Measure is removed

    •    The colours will however be retained on the remaining object

  • When a chart has both a Dimension and a Measure and both objects have new colours applied on the Colours tab, the chosen colours will be retained when the related Dimension or Measure is changed

  • If a bar chart has been created and the chart type is changed to a Stacked Bar Chart, for example, any colours that were applied to the original chart will be retained in the new chart