---
title: "Dashboard Blueprint and Quick Charts"
canonical: "https://wiki.yellowfinbi.com/space/yfcurrent/2198185/Dashboard%20Blueprint%20and%20Quick%20Charts"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (toc)
# Overview
This section covers the Blueprint and Quick Chart functionality.
## Blueprint
Blueprint functionality, available via the dashboard canvas, allows users to wireframe a dashboard design. Blueprint was designed to allow multiple users to collaborate on dashboard design, securely within the Yellowfin platform. The chart widgets within Blueprint can be further configured to create charts directly on the dashboard through **Quick Charts**.
Blueprint is ideal for cases where a consumer type user might not have access to the view or data discovery products, but can still design their ideal dashboards. Dashboard creators with the appropriate ‘create’ access can then build charts, directly from a prototype.
## Quick Charts
These allow users to create charts directly on the dashboard canvas without going through Yellowfin Data Discovery’s report builder. This is done by using the Blueprint Widgets, which include some of the most widely used chart types.
**Note:** For more advanced reporting, use [Yellowfin Data Discovery](https://yellowfin.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/yfcurrent/pages/2197856).
## Blueprint Widget types
The following types of Blueprint Widgets are included in Yellowfin.
| **Chart icon** | **Chart name** | **Description** |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  | **Number chart** | For charts with numeric report results. |
|  | **Pie chart** | For pie or ring charts. |
|  | **Column chart** | For charts with vertical columns. |
|  | **Line chart** | For time series charts. These can appear as line charts. |
|  | **Meter chart** | For meter charts. |
|  | **Bar chart** | For horizontal bar charts. |
|  | **Overlay chart*** | For charts where a line chart is overlaid on a bar chart. The line chart represents a trend and the bar chart emphasizes specific values. |
|  | **Map chart*** | For map charts to showcase geographical data. |
|  | **Scatter chart*** | For a scatter plot chart, where points are not joined. |
|  | **Heat grid*** | For a chart that plots the intensity of a metric across multiple categories. |
***** These widgets are currently only used as **Blueprints**, without the functionality to extend them to Quick Charts. Users can, however, use the Advanced Report option to create these charts via the Chart builder in Yellowfin Data Discovery.
---
# Basic Tutorial
A Quick Chart can instantly be created by dragging a Blueprint Widget and using the properties panel to configure the chart.
1. Click on the **Blueprint** button on the left side to expand its panel.
> Macro (inline-media-image)
2. Drag a chart type of your choice onto the canvas. You can position and resize it to fit your design.
3. You can add a title and description for it in its properties panel (make sure the Blueprint Widget is selected on the canvas to make its properties panel appear).
4. To create a Quick Chart (created directly in the dashboard) or even an advanced chart (created in the report builder, but added here upon publish), proceed with the following steps.
Click on **Create Report**. You’ll be faced with two options:
> Macro (inline-media-image)
1. **Create Simple Report:** This option allows you to create a Quick Chart within the dashboard canvas.
2. **Create Advanced Report: **This allows you to create an advanced report. On doing so, you will exit the dashboard and navigate to the report builder in Yellowfin Data Discovery. Create a report as per normal, and publish it. Then close the Report page to jump back into the dashboard where your newly created advanced report will be displayed.
5. In this tutorial, we’ll be creating a Quick Chart, using the **Create Simple Report** button. Click on it to bring up the following form.
6. Select a view from the list. Then select a dimension and series (metric) field for the chart.
7. Click on the **Create** button.
> Macro (inline-media-image)
8. This will create a simple chart directly on the dashboard, as shown in the example below.
> Macro (inline-media-image)
9. To further configure this chart, open the chart’s property panel, which will display additional fields, which vary for each chart type. Each chart will also differ based on the minimum set of fields to be defined for it.
1. You can create filters in your Quick Charts. Click on the **+Filters** button to define a filter condition.
> Macro (inline-media-image)
- In the new popup create a filter condition. Upon saving it, the final filter logic will be displayed in the properties panel.
> Macro (inline-media-image)
- Note, however, that to display a user prompt filter on the dashboard, you will need to use a Filter Widget (see [here](https://yellowfin.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/yfcurrent/pages/2197319/Dashboard+Filters#DashboardFilters-HowtouseaFilterWidget) for how to).
2. Expand the **Field Selection** section and choose the data fields.
3. Then in the** Chart Settings** section, define additional settings.
10. You will notice your chart autogenerating with each field and configuration you define. You do not require additional steps to save the chart.
11. You may update other properties of this widget, such as its size and location on the canvas, and background details. See the properties panel for details on all widget properties.
---
# Blueprint Chart Widget configurations
Learn how to configure each type of blueprint chart widget to generate a chart on your dashboard.
## Number chart
| **Field** | **Description/Instruction** |
| --- | --- |
| **Field Selection** |
| **Metric** | Choose a metric field for your number chart |
## Pie chart
| **Field** | **Description/Instruction** |
| --- | --- |
| **Field Selection** |
| **Label** | Choose a dimension field as the pie chart category. (These will make up the pie ‘slices’ or segments.) |
| **Size** | Select a series fields, which serves as your metric or measurement field. |
| **Chart Settings** |
| **Enable drill down** | Allows you to enable drill down functionality on the chart. |
| **Color set** | Select a color set for the pie chart. Options include:
- **Configuration colors:** Applies colors specified at the system configuration level.
- **Reference code: **Applies any colors defined for [reference code values](https://yellowfin.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/yfcurrent/pages/2201784).
- **Monochrome: **Applies different shades of a single selected color. |
| **Color** | If ‘Monochrome’ is selected as the color set, then select a color. The pie chart colors will be based on different shades of this color. |
| **Chart type** | Select what type of chart to generate, pie or ring. |
| **Other segment %** | Define a percentage limit for the ‘other’ category of the pie chart. That is, all values below this will be merged together to form the other category. |
| **Show legend** | Allows you to show or hide legends on this chart. |
| **Show labels** | Allows you to show or hide labels on each category. |
## Column chart
Define the following chart fields to generate a vertical column chart.
| **Field** | **Description/Instruction** |
| --- | --- |
| **Field Selection** |
| **Dimension** | Choose a dimension field for the chart. |
| **Series** | Select a series fields, which serves as your metric or measurement field. |
| **Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the primary series. You can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **Color** | Select a color for the chart. This will be applied to the primary series. |
| **Optional Fields** | This is an additional field you may select for a slightly more advanced chart. Note that you may only select one of the following options:
- **Second series:** Add another metric to your chart to show two time series lines.
- **Color field: **Apply the color range of any of the dimension field.
- **Function:** Apply a chart function to your chart.
- **None: **Does not apply an optional field to the chart. |
| **Second series** | If ‘Second series’ is selected as the optional field, then select a second metric field to be added to the chart.
You can configure formatting sections for this value via the *Second Series Formatting* section. |
| **(Second series) Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the second series. You can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **(Second series) color** | If a second series is specified, then select a color to display this series in. |
| **Color field** | If ‘Color field’ is selected as the optional field, then choose a dimension field as the color field. |
| **Function** | If ‘Function’ is selected as the optional field, then select a chart function to be applied. Options include:
- **Average: **Displays an average line on the chart.
- **Accumulation:** Displays an accumulative % of total line or running total on the chart, using a secondary axis. You can further configure this value via the Function Settings section.
- **Reference line: **Displays a reference line at a specified location. You can define location details in the Function Settings section. |
| **Chart Settings** |
| **Enable drill down** | Allows you to enable drill down functionality on the chart. |
| **Axis type** | If the chart has a second series, then you can further configure the axis type. Options include:
- **Shared axis:** Allows both series to have the same axis.
- **Dual axis:** Displays 2 axes, one on each side of the chart. The first series will be shown on the left axis, and the second series, the right axis.
- **Second series:** Displays both charts with separate axes, one on top of another. The first series chart will display on top, and the second series chart at the bottom. Both charts will have separate horizontal axes.
- **Stacked:** Displays both series data stacked on top of one another in the same chart. |
| **Date unit** | If you have selected a date dimension field, this setting allows you to change the date unit. Note: you cannot select a date unit lower than the unit defined in the view. |
| **Axis summary** | Enable this setting to apply automatic abbreviation to axis labels. This is useful for charts with large numeric values. For example, 10,000,000 will be changed to 10m, making it easier to read. |
| **Sort by** | Change the sort order of how dimension values are displayed. Sort these values by:
- **Auto:** Determines best sort depending on the chart type. For column charts, default is sort by series.
- **Grouped data:** This means that the chart will be sorted according to the order of the grouped data
- **Primary series:** sorts the chart by the values of the first/primary series.
- **Alphanumeric:** Sorts the chart in alphabetical order of dimension field values.
- **Reference code:** Sorts the value according to their [reference codes](https://yellowfin.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/yfcurrent/pages/2201784) if applied on the dimension field. |
| **Sort order** | Allows you to choose the sorting direction between ascending and descending.
- **Ascending:** Values are sorted from lowest to highest.
- **Descending:** values are sorted from highest to lowest. |
| **Trim values (toggle)** | If your selected dimension field contains too many values to the point where it’s difficult to read your chart, enable this toggle to trim or cut out values from the chart. |
| **Trim display** | If your dimension fields contain too many values to the point where it’s difficult to read your chart, you can use this setting to trim or cut out values from the chart.
- **Top N:** Trims the top 10 values from the chart.
- **Bottom N:** Trims the bottom 10 values from the chart. |
| **Trim value** | If value trim is enabled, specify the amount of values (N) to be cut out from the chart. |
| **Show other dimension** | Enable this to sum all trimmed out values together and display under a separate ‘Other’ field. |
| **Color set** | Define the color property of the chart.
- **Standard:** uses standard default colors on chart.
- **Monochrome:** uses variations of a single color on chart. |
| **Function settings** | **This section allows you to manage settings related to some of the chart functions.** |
| **Function type** | If the accumulation function is enabled on the chart, you can choose whether this value should be displayed as the accumulative % of the total line, or the running total. |
| **Value** | If the Reference line function is selected, then specify the position of this line by providing the exact value. |
| **Label** | If the Reference line function is selected, then provide its label. |
| **Color** | If the Reference line function is selected, then specify its color. |
## Line charts
Define the following chart fields to generate a line chart.
| **Field** | **Description/Instruction** |
| --- | --- |
| **Field Selection** |
| **Dimension** | Choose a dimension field for your quick chart. For line charts, these are limited to date fields to generate time series. |
| **Series** | Select a series fields, which serves as your metric or measurement field. |
| **Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the series, you can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **Color** | Select a color for the chart. This will be applied to the primary series. |
| **Optional Fields** | This is an additional field on your chart. Note that you may only select one of the following options:
- **Second series:** Add another metric to your chart to show two time series lines.
- **Color field: **Apply the color range of any of the dimension field.
- **Function:** Apply a chart function to your chart.
- **None: **Does not apply an optional field to the chart. |
| **Second series** | If ‘Second series’ is selected as the optional field, then select a second metric field to be added to the chart.
You can configure formatting sections for this value via the *Second Series Formatting* section. |
| **(Second series) Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the second series. You can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **(Second series) color** | If a second series is specified, then select a color to display this series in. |
| **Color field** | If ‘Color field’ is selected as the optional field, then choose a dimension field as the color field. |
| **Function** | If ‘Function’ is selected as the optional field, then select a chart function to be applied. Options include:
- **Average: **Displays an average line on the chart.
- **Trend: **Displays a trend line on the chart. You can select the trend type in the Function Settings section.
- **Forecast: **Displays a forecast line on the chart. You can select the forecasts type in the Function Settings section.
- **Accumulation:** Displays an accumulative % of total line or running total on the chart, using a secondary axis. You can further configure this value via the Function Settings section.
- **Reference line: **Displays a reference line at a specified location. You can specify location details in the Function Settings section. |
| **Chart Settings** |
| **Enable drill down** | Allows you to enable drill down functionality on chart. |
| **Time Unit** | By default the time unit of the chart will be the same as that of the selected dimension field. But you may use this to change the default time unit. **Note:** you cannot select a date unit lower than the unit defined in the view. |
| **Null behaviour** | Allows you to fill in any gaps, null or missing values in a time series chart. Options include:
- **Break:** The time data line will simply not be displayed for any missing values, resulting in a visible break in the line chart where there is a gap.
- **Skip:** (Default selection.) The line is joined from the last available value with the next one, over the missing data points. The gaps are not filled in with any additional values, but rather skipped over.
- **Zero:** The null values are treated as zero. This results in filling in the gaps with the value zero. This will alter any calculations included in your data set. |
| **Date slider** | Allows you to include a date or time slider to the chart. |
| **Color set** | Define the color property of the chart.
- **Configuration defaults: **applies the Yellowfin system default colors to the chart. Note: these can be changed at the system level through the Admin Console.
- **Metric color:** uses the colors specified for metric field in the view.
- **Monochrome: **uses variations of a single color on chart. |
| **Function settings** | **This section allows you to manage settings related to some of the chart functions.** |
| **Function type** | If the accumulation function is enabled on the chart, you can choose whether this value should be displays as the accumulative % of the total line, or the running total. |
| **Trend type** | If the Trend function is applied, then choose a trend type. Options include:
- **Auto trend:** Yellowfin creates a line with a trend it deems most useful based on some complex algorithms.
- **Moving Average:** Displays the mean line, calculated using values from a set number of periods before each point. This can be used to follow changes in the data on a line that is smoother than the actual values, making it useful when displaying trend for noisy (spikey) data.
- **Linear Regression:** This displays a straight line that indicates the relationship between the values on the x & y axes. This can be useful to give an idea of the general trend of data.
- **Polynomial Regression:** This displays a curved line to the dataset which indicates the relationship between the values on the x & y axes. This can be used where the relationship between the values is not completely linear, for example if your trend has significant fluctuations through it. |
| **Forecast type** | If the Forecast function is applied, then choose a trend type. Options include:
- **Auto trend:** Yellowfin creates a line with a trend it deems most useful based on some complex algorithms.
- **Simple Exponential Smoothing:** This displays a forecast based on the average of previous values in the dataset, with weighting defined by alpha (recent vs. historic data). This is useful for forecasting data which has no general trend or seasonality.
- **Double Exponential Smoothing:** This displays a forecast based on the average of previous values in the dataset, with weighting defined by alpha (recent vs. historic data) and beta (trend). This is useful for forecasting data which has a general trend, but no seasonality.
- **Triple Exponential Smoothing:** This displays a forecast based on the average of previous values in the dataset, with weighting defined by alpha (recent vs. historic data), beta (trend), and gamma (seasonality). This is useful for forecasting data which has a general trend and varies seasonally. Triple exponential smoothing requires at least two years of data for its seasonality calculations.
- **Moving Average:** This displays the mean, calculated using values from a set number of periods before each point. For example, if your dataset contains 10 periods, a moving average may be set to use 5 at a time. This can be used to follow changes in the data on a line that is smoother than the actual values, making it useful when displaying trend for noisy (spikey) data. |
| **Value** | If the Reference line function is selected, then specify the position of this line by providing the exact value. |
| **Label** | If the Reference line function is selected, then provide its label. |
| **Color** | If the Reference line function is selected, then specify its color. |
## Meter chart
Define the following chart fields to generate a meter chart (also called a *gauge* chart). These are used to measure the rate of change of a measure against pre-defined targets.
| **Field** | **Description/Instruction** |
| --- | --- |
| **Field Selection** |
| **Measure** | The series or metric field that serves as the measure for the meter chart. |
| **Aggregation** | Select the type of aggregation to apply to the measure value. ‘Default’ applies the default aggregation applied at the view level to the selected measure field (if any is applied). Other options include:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **Chart Settings** |
| **Target type** | Allows you to select how to add a target value to the chart, to highlight it through needles or other indicators. Options include:
- **Manual:** allows you to manually enter the target value.
- **Field:** allows you to select a metric field as the target value. |
| **Target value** | If Manual target type was selected, then provide the value of the target. |
| **Target** | If 'Field' target type was selected as the target type, then choose a data field as the target (must be a numeric field). |
| **(Target) Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the target field. You can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Default (the aggregation applied to the selected target field by default.)
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
## Bar chart
Define the following chart fields to generate a horizontal bar chart.
| **Field** | **Description/Instruction** |
| --- | --- |
| **Field Selection** |
| **Dimension** | Choose a dimension field for the chart. |
| **Series** | Select a series fields, which serves as your metric or measurement field. |
| **Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the primary series. You can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **Color** | Select a color for the chart. This will be applied to the primary series. |
| **Optional Fields** | This is an additional field you may select for a slightly more advanced chart. Note that you may only select one of the following options:
- **Second series:** Add another metric to your chart to show two time series lines.
- **Color field: **Apply the color range of any of the dimension field.
- **Function:** Apply a chart function to your chart.
- **None: **Does not apply an optional field to the chart. |
| **Second series** | If ‘Second series’ is selected as the optional field, then select a second metric field to be added to the chart.
You can configure formatting sections for this value via the *Second Series Formatting* section. |
| **(Second series) Aggregation** | Apply an aggregation value on the second series. You can aggregate the values with the following options:
- Sum
- Average
- Count
- Count distinct
- Min
- Max |
| **(Second series) color** | If a second series is specified, then select a color to display this series in. |
| **Color field** | If ‘Color field’ is selected as the optional field, then choose a dimension field as the color field. |
| **Function** | If ‘Function’ is selected as the optional field, then select a chart function to be applied. Options include:
- **Average: **Displays an average line on the chart.
- **Accumulation:** Displays an accumulative % of total line or running total on the chart, using a secondary axis. You can further configure this value via the Function Settings section.
- **Reference line: **Displays a reference line at a specified location. You can specify location details in the Function Settings section. |
| **Chart Settings** |
| **Enable drill down** | Allows you to enable drill down functionality on the chart. |
| **Axis type** | If the chart has a second series, then you can further configure the axis type. Options include:
- **Shared axis:** Allows both series to have the same axis.
- **Dual axis:** Displays 2 axes, with an extra one on top of the chart. The first series will be shown on the bottom axis, and the second series, the top axis.
- **Second series:** Displays both charts with separate axes, next to each other. The first series chart will display on the left, and the second series chart on the right. Both charts will have separate vertical axes.
- **Stacked:** Displays both the series data horizontally stacked in the same chart. |
| **Date unit** | If you have selected a date dimension field, this setting allows you to change the date unit. Note: you cannot select a date unit lower than the unit defined in the view. |
| **Axis summary** | Enable this setting to apply automatic abbreviation to axis labels. This is useful for charts with large numeric values. For example, 10,000,000 will be changed to 10m, making it easier to read. |
| **Sort by** | Change the sort order of how dimension values are displayed. Sort these values by:
- **Auto:** Determines best sort depending on the chart type.
- **Grouped data:** This means that the chart will be sorted according to the order of the grouped data.
- **Primary series:** sorts the chart by the values of the first/primary series.
- **Alphanumeric:** Sorts the chart in alphabetical order of dimension field values.
- **Reference code:** Sorts the value according to their [reference codes](https://yellowfin.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/yfcurrent/pages/2201784) if applied on the dimension field. |
| **Sort order** | Allows you to choose the sorting direction between ascending and descending.
- **Ascending:** Values are sorted from lowest to highest.
- **Descending:** values are sorted from highest to lowest. |
| **Trim Values**** (toggle)** | If your selected dimension field contains too many values to the point where it’s difficult to read your chart, enable this toggle to trim or cut out values from the chart. |
| **Trim Display** | If your dimension fields contain too many values to the point where it’s difficult to read your chart, you can use this setting to trim or cut out values from the chart.
- **Top N:** Trims the top 10 values from the chart.
- **Bottom N:** Trims the bottom 10 values from the chart. |
| **Show Other Dimension** | Enable this to sum all trimmed out values together and display under an ‘Other’ field. |
| **Color set** | Define the color set of the chart.
- **Standard:** uses standard default colors on chart.
- **Monochrome:** uses variations of a single color on chart. |
| **Function settings** | **This section allows you to manage settings related to some of the chart functions.** |
| **Function type** | If the accumulation function is enabled on the chart, you can choose whether this value should be displays as the accumulative % of the total line, or the running total. |
| **Value** | If the Reference line function is selected, then specify the position of this line by providing the exact value. |
| **Label** | If the Reference line function is selected, then provide its label. |
| **Color** | If the Reference line function is selected, then specify its color. |
---
# Blueprint Widget properties
This section covers other properties details of a Blueprint Widget.
> Macro (section)
>
> > Macro (legacy-content)
>
> > Macro (legacy-content)
# Quick Charts in Imported Dashboards
Imported dashboards containing Quick Charts, will have the Quick Charts appear in the ‘Report’ widget panel, and behave as regular report objects, meaning users will not be able to further configure them as Quick Charts (i.e. via the Properties panel). These charts can however be viewed and edited as regular reports in the dashboard.