The Bubble Grid widget conveys information in such a way that an analyst can, at a glance, identify important trends or anomalies in data, relative to the total contribution of accompanying data. In the widget, metric values are plotted as bubbles of different colors and sizes; the colors and sizes of the bubbles represent the values of two distinct metrics on the widget template. Each bubble is generated at the intersection of two different attribute elements. For example, in the widget below, a single bubble depicts the profit and revenue for books (an element of the Category attribute) in the South region (an element of the Region attribute).
The Bubble Grid widget is most beneficial when it is used to perform analyses involving key business ratios, such as the number of customers in a store vs. the revenue generated per customer.
To successfully create a useful widget that can be used to analyze data, you must first correctly define it. After you add a widget to a document, you must place report objects such as attributes and metrics on the widget template, which resembles a standard grid template. The report objects and their placement on the widget template determine how the widget displays data in Flash Mode.
To create a Bubble Grid widget
Add the widget to a document in Web
Open the document in Design or Editable Mode.
From the Insert menu, point to Widgets, and then select Bubble Grid.
Click the location on your document, except for in the Detail section, where you want to place the widget. The widget template, which appears similar to a standard grid container, is displayed. A small icon at the bottom right corner of the widget template identifies the type of widget you have added to the document.
If desired, resize the widget by clicking and dragging its handles.
Add objects to the widget template
From the Dataset Objects panel on the left, select attributes and metrics, and drag them on top of the widget, as described below.
Place two attributes on the widget template's rows.
Note: Bubbles are generated at the intersections of the elements from these attributes.
Elements from the first (left-most) attribute are displayed on the X-axis of the widget. This attribute represents one of the business areas that can be analyzed in the widget.
To analyze data along the X-axis relative to time, use a time-based attribute such as Hour, Day, or Month. If you use an Hour or Day attribute, apply a view filter to the Grid/Graph to limit the amount of hours or days displayed at once in the widget.
Elements from the second attribute are displayed on the Y-axis of the widget. This attribute represents the other business area that can be analyzed in the widget.
Place at least two metrics on the widget template's columns. The values of these two metrics produce the bubbles in the widget, as described below:
The first (left-most) metric determines the size of the bubbles. The smallest metric values produce the smallest bubbles in the widget; the largest metric values produce the largest bubbles.
The second metric determines the color of the bubbles. For example, if Profit is the second metric on the columns, the colors of the bubbles depict the range of profit values. You can determine which colors are used for minimum and maximum metric values.
Additional metrics are displayed in tooltips when an analyst hovers the cursor over a bubble in Flash Mode. These metrics do not have an effect on the size or color of the bubbles in the widget.
View the widget in Flash Mode
To view and interact with the widget, switch to Flash Mode by selecting Flash Mode from the View menu.
Note: If Flash Mode is not available in the View menu, you must make Flash Mode available for this document.
Modify the widget
In Flash Mode, right-click the widget and select Properties. The Bubble Grid dialog box opens. These are the options:
Minimum color: Color-coding the bubbles on the grid allows you to view your data more efficiently. Select a color for the bubble representing the lowest value on the grid.
Maximum color: Color-coding the bubbles on the grid allows you to view your data more efficiently. Select a color for the bubble representing the highest value on the grid.
Background color: This allows you to decide which color combinations you want to use in your widget. Select a color for the grid background.
Border color: This allows you to decide which color combinations you want to use in your widget. Select a color for the border around the widget.
Show legend: The legend displays what value each color represents in the grid. Select whether you want to display the widget legend.
Maximum radius: The maximum radius indicates how large or small each bubble will appear in the grid. Type a value up to 1,000 in the field to enlarge or decrease the size of the bubbles.
Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog box.
To use the widget as a selector
In Design or Editable Mode, do one of the following:
Right-click the attribute, custom group, or consolidation in the Grid/Graph to use as the selector, and choose Edit Selector. The Configure Selector dialog box opens.
Right-click the Metrics column in the Grid/Graph, and choose Edit Selector. The Configure Selector dialog box opens.
Select the target Grid/Graph or panel stack in the list of available targets on the left. Click > to add it to the list of selected targets on the right. You can select multiple targets.
The attribute, custom group, or consolidation you selected in the Grid/Graph is the source, and the selected Grid/Graph is the target. The Action Type of the selector is set to Select Element.
To ensure that the user can select more than one element in the widget, select the Show option for All check box.
To ensure that the element displayed in the selector changes if an element is chosen in another selector, select Allow selection to be updated by other selectors.
Click OK to apply the changes and return to the document.
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