Visual Axis
Learn about visual axes and how to use them to represent extra dimensions of data.
Besides the standard horizontal, vertical, radial, and angular axes, you can add additional visual axes to represent extra dimensions of data. There are four visual axes: color, shape size, lightness, and saturation. You typically use only one per chosen field. If you want to visualize more fields, add the visual axis to the canvas multiple times and select a different field for each.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Id | A text field for setting a unique identifier for this visual axis instance |
| Field | A dropdown to select a column from your data to map to visual properties |
| Mapping Type | Choose between Gradient and Segmented. Gradient creates a smooth mapping of visual properties across a continuous value range — works well with numerical values. Segmented creates discrete mapping of visual properties to explicit value intervals — works well with categorical data |
When Mapping Type is set to Gradient, one visual element is added to the canvas with a minimum-to-maximum range. When set to Segmented, one element is added per segment, named after the categorical values in the chosen field.
| Setting (Segmented only) | Description |
|---|---|
| Gap | A number input for setting the gap between elements in pixels |
| Segment Count | A number input for controlling how many segments to display. Most of the time you can leave this blank |
Range
Controls the value range for the visual axis.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Min | A number input for the minimum value. Automatically set to the lowest value from the chosen field |
| Max | A number input for the maximum value. Automatically set to the highest value from the chosen field |
In Range
Controls the visual properties for data values that fall within the specified range. Each visual axis is used independently — you typically use one per chosen field. To visualize multiple fields, add the visual axis to the canvas multiple times.
| Visual Axis | Settings | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Multiple Colors | Click the color picker to choose a color, after that you may pick a next color up to eight colors. For Gradient, two or three colors is usually enough. For Segmented, choose one color per segment. Click Show predefined palettes to pick from a set of eight pre-selected colors that work well together |
| Shape Size | Min Shape Size, Max Shape Size | Number inputs for the minimum and maximum shape size in pixels |
| Lightness | Min Lightness, Max Lightness | Number inputs for the minimum and maximum lightness of the color as a percentage. Typically you choose only one color and vary its lightness |
| Saturation | Min Saturation, Max Saturation | Number inputs for the minimum and maximum saturation of the color as a percentage. Typically you choose only one color and vary its saturation |
Out of Range
Controls the visual properties for data values that fall outside the specified range. Only applicable when there are values below the Min or above the Max.
Contains the same settings as In Range.
Legend
Controls the legend for the visual axis.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Legend | A checkbox to show or hide the legend. Default is off |
When Show Legend is enabled, the following settings become available:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Inverse | A checkbox to reverse the legend order |
| Show Handles | A checkbox to show handles on the gradient element. Only available when Mapping Type is Gradient |
| Show Labels | A checkbox to show labels on segments. Only available when Mapping Type is Segmented |
| Highlight on Hover | A checkbox that enables cross-highlighting between the chart and the legend. When enabled, hovering over a chart element highlights its value in the legend, and hovering over a legend item highlights its corresponding chart elements |
| Compose Text | Opens the Compose Text dialog to customize the legend text with dynamic placeholders |
| Orientation | Choose Vertical or Horizontal to set the layout direction of the legend |
| Alignment | Choose the alignment of the legend. When Orientation is Vertical, options are Left or Right. When Orientation is Horizontal, options are Top or Bottom |
| Text Bottom | A text input for adding text below the legend |
| Text Top | A text input for adding text above the legend |
| Item Width | A number input for the width of each legend item in pixels |
| Item Height | A number input for the height of each legend item in pixels |
| Padding | A number input for the padding around the legend in pixels |
| Text Gap | A number input for the gap between text and the legend element in pixels |
| Shape | A dropdown to choose the shape that appears in the legend per segment. Only available when Mapping Type is Segmented |
Sections
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Position | Controls the positioning of the legend within the canvas |
| Background | Customizes the background of the legend |
| Text Style | Customizes the appearance of text labels in the legend |