Custom charts

Easily create different types of simple or complex charts.

  • Select from a variety of chart types and output formats

  • Add
    custom features to charts

  • Create charts from an existing Report Creator report

Chart types

A chart often conveys meaning more clearly and effectively than data displayed in tabular form. Charts visually communicate quantitative information. They give data shape, form, and reveal patterns or relationships among many data values.

It is important to select a chart type that is appropriate for your data. Report Creator provides a complete chart type library, which includes advanced chart types, as well as basic types. You can select from a wide variety of chart types to best represent your data.

Chart Types group

The Chart Types group is accessible from the Format tab on the Control Panel in Query Design or Interactive View for selecting chart types.

It provides an array of buttons for selecting the five most commonly used chart types. The button labeled Other accesses the entire charts library.

Five most common chart types

  • Bar Charts (default)

  • Pie Charts

  • Line Charts

  • Area Charts

  • Scatter Charts

Report Creator output formats

  • HTML (default for Reports and Charts)
  • PDF(default for Compound Documents) and Active PDF
  • Active Bar, Pie, Line, and Scatter Reports
  • Active Flash
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint

Bar charts

Bar charts plot numerical data by displaying rectangular blocks against a scale of numbers or variable measures denoted along the axis. The length of a bar corresponds to a value or amount. You can clearly compare data series (fields) by the relative heights of the bars either horizontally or vertically.

Use a bar chart to display the distribution of numerical data.

Basic bar chart

Bar chart types

Available bar chart types

Vertical Clustered Bar

Horizontal Clustered Bar

Vertical Stacked Bar

Horizontal Stacked Bar

Vertical Dual-Axis Clustered Bar

Horizontal Dual-Axis Clustered Bar

Vertical Dual-Axis Stacked Bar

Horizontal Dual-Axis Stacked Bar

Vertical Bi-Polar Clustered Bar

Horizontal Bi-Polar Clustered Bar

Vertical Bi-Polar Stacked Bar

Horizontal Bi-Polar Stacked Bar

Vertical Percent Bar

Horizontal Percent Bar

Vertical Histogram

Horizontal Histogram

Vertical Waterfall

Horizontal Waterfall

Multi-3Y Bar

Multi-4Y Bar

Multi-5Y Bar

Error Bar

Pie charts

Pie charts emphasize where your data fits, in relation to a larger whole.

Pie charts work best when the data consists of several large segments. Too many variables divide the pie into small segments that are difficult to see. Use color on individual segments to create visual contrast.

Basic Pie Chart

Pie chart types

Available pie chart types

Multi Pie

Multi Ring Pie

Multi Proportional Pie

Multi Proportional Ring Pie

Single Pie

Single Ring Pie

Pie-Bar

Ring Pie-Bar

Line charts

Line charts emphasize the movement or trend of numerical data over time.

They allow you to trace the evolution of a data point by working backward or interpolating.
  • Highs and lows, rapid or slow movement, or a tendency towards stability are all types of trends well suited to a line chart.
  • You can also plot line charts with two or more scales to present a comparison of the same value, or set of values, in different time periods.

A radar line chart is available in the line chart category, and a radar area chart is available in the area chart category.

  • Radar charts compare two or more data sets.

You can use axes or polygons to represent values in a star or spider configuration. Radar charts are essentially analogous to line charts, except that the scale wraps around.

  • Radar charts work well with data that is cyclical, such as the months of a year.

Basic Line Chart

Line chart types

Available line chart types

Vertical Absolute Line

Horizontal Absolute Line

Vertical Stacked Line

Horizontal Stacked Line

Vertical Dual-Axis Absolute Line

Horizontal Dual-Axis Absolute Line

Vertical Dual-Axis Stacked Line

Horizontal Dual-Axis Stacked Line

Vertical Bi-Polar Absolute Line

Horizontal Bi-Polar Absolute Line

Vertical Bi-Polar Stacked Line

Horizontal Bi-Polar Stacked Line

Vertical Percent Line

Horizontal Percent Line

Radar Line

Area charts

Area charts are similar to line charts except that the area between the data line and zero line (or axis) is usually displayed in color.
  • Area charts allow you to stack data on top of each other.
  • Stacking allows you to highlight the relationship between data series, showing how some data series approach a second series.

Basic area chart

Area chart types

Available area chart types

Vertical Absolute Area

Horizontal Absolute Area

Vertical Stacked Area

Horizontal Stacked Area

Vertical Bi-Polar Absolute Area

Horizontal Bi-Polar Absolute Area

Vertical Bi-Polar Stacked Area

Horizontal Bi-Polar Stacked Area

Vertical Percent Area

Horizontal Percent Area

Radar Area

XY plot charts

Scatter charts

Scatter charts share many of the characteristics of basic line charts. Plot data using variable scales on both axes. When you use a scatter chart, the data is plotted with a basic line pattern so that you can visualize the density of individual data values around particular points, or discern patterns in the data. A numeric X-axis, or sort field, always yields a scatter chart by default.

Scatter charts and line charts are distinguishable from one another only by virtue of their X-axis format. Line charts can appear without connecting lines, making them look like scatter charts, and scatter charts can appear with connecting lines, making them look like line charts.

Polar charts

Polar charts share characteristics with scatter charts. Only one column field is allowed, in the following order: X (degree) for the column field and Y (distance from the center) for the Across/By field.

Bubble charts

Bubble charts display three dimensions, requiring three column fields representing X, Y, and Z data values, in that order. The size of the bubbles is proportional to the values that they represent.

Basic scatter chart

Scatter chart types

Available area chart types

XY Scatter

XY Polar

Bubble

3D charts

3D charts add visual depth to a chart presentation. You can easily recognize trends based on two or more data sets. 3D charts also add impact to your presentation.

3D chart types

Available 3D chart types

3D Bar

3D Pyramid

3D Octagon

3D Cylinder

3D Floating Cubes

3D Floating Pyramids

3D Connected Series Area

3D Connected Series Ribbon

3D Connected Group Area

3D Connected Group Ribbon

3D Cone

3D Sphere

3D Surface

3D Surface with Sides

3D Smooth Surface

3D Smooth Surface with Sides

3D Honeycomb Surface

Additional chart types

Additional Chart Types

Gauge Charts

A gauge chart indicates the current position of a single data value in a given spectrum. This chart has a circular shape.

Gauge Thermometer

A gauge thermometer chart indicates the current position of a single data value in a given scale. This chart has the shape of a thermometer.

Pareto

A pareto chart uses the X-axis to show group members, and the Y-axis to show the percent of the total of all groups that each group represents. This chart highlights the differences between groups of data.

Vertical Box PlotA vertical box plot is oriented vertically and shows distribution of data through five-number summaries: Upper limit, Upper Quartile, Median, Lower Quartile, and Lower Limit. This chart can be represented with or without outliers, also known as whiskers.
Horizontal Box Plot

A horizontal box plot is oriented horizontally and shows distribution of data through five-number summaries: Upper limit, Upper Quartile, Median, Lower Quartile, and Lower Limit. This chart can be represented with or without outliers, also known as whiskers.

Funnel

A funnel chart is essentially a pie chart, displaying only one group of data at a time, from the first series to the last series at the bottom of the funnel.

Pyramid

A pyramid chart is essentially a pie chart, displaying only one group of data at a time, from the first series to the last series at the top of the pyramid.

Spectral Map

A spectral map contains a row or column matrix of markers that are displayed in different colors, according to the data values.

Stock Charts

Stock chart types

Available Stock Chart Types

Stock Hi-Lo

Stock Hi-Lo with Volume

Stock Hi-Lo Open-Close

Stock Hi-Lo Open-Close with Volume

Open-Hi-Lo-Close Candle Stock

Open-Hi-Lo-Close Candle Stock with Volume

Stock charts track the trend of a particular stock.

  • Trading volume of the stock
  • Its opening and closing values
  • Its high and low values over a specific time period

The data is represented by sets of bars or lines.

Advanced chart types

Report Creator provides a complete chart type library, which includes advanced chart types, as well as basic types. To access the full library, from the Format tab, Chart types group, click Other to open the New Chart dialog. Across the top of the dialog are eight tabs, depicted by icons. Each tab represents a chart type category. Hover your mouse over the icon to see a description of the category.

When a tab is selected, thumbnail images of the chart variations are displayed. In this example, the Vertical Percent Bar Chart type is selected. A description of the selected chart type is provided beneath the images.

In the category, click an image to display a detailed description of that chart type.

Selecting an Advanced Chart Type

In the following example, the 3D tab is selected (the third tab from the right). Underneath the tab, the 3D chart types supported by Report Creator are displayed as images. Within the images, the 3D Cylinder chart type is selected, and a description is displayed underneath.

Selecting a 3D Chart Type

You can also hover over an image with your mouse to display the chart type name. If you are satisfied with your selection, click OK and run the report.

Some chart types require a certain number of data values or a certain type of data values.

If your data does not satisfy the requirements, the chart will not accurately represent the data.

Tip: If you are not familiar with a chart type, be sure to read the description carefully before finalizing your selection.