1. Click “Add New Items”
Click the “Add New Items” button on the home page, and select the “New Chart” option. You can also click the Mapline logo, and select “New Chart” to get there too. If you’re looking to create a chart from a dataset page, then you will want to select “Dependencies,” “Add to,” then “New Chart.”
2. Name and select chart type
Create a name for the chart. For Chart “Type” select the drop down arrow to select Vertical Bar or Horizontal Bar. For both of these chart types, once creating a chart you can switch interchangeably between Vertical Bar and Horizontal Bar Chart as many times as desired. The difference is a matter of personal preference.
3. Select dataset information
Choose an existing dataset from the drop-down list that automatically populates or click “Add New Dataset” to upload new spreadsheet data you want the chart to be based on.
4. Drag and drop axis fields
Once the page loads, the chart will be blank. Datasets can contain many different metrics for measurements. For Mapline to understand which data you are wanting to display on the chart, you will need to assign fields as “X-Axis Field” or “Y-Axis Field.” The “X-Axis Field” describes the qualitative information you want to display on the x-axis (bottom) of the graph. The “Y-Axis Field” describes the numerical data that you want to display on the y-axis (side) of the graph. When you hover over a field you would like to appear on the chart, six blue dots will appear. Click and drag those dots to pull that spreadsheet data into the field of your choice.
5. Manipulate Data Visualization
On the left side of your screen you will see the different dataset fields that you have chosen. You can change these at any time. By right clicking on the fields you chose to display, options will appear for changing the way that your data is formatted.
6. Add “Series Field”
The “Series Field” is an optional field that categorizes or segments your numerical data based on another column in the spreadsheet. For this particular chart type, there can only be one field in the “Y-Axis” and “Series” areas. After adding a series, you can hover over a section to see that particular categories numerical data.
7. Customize data
After the data populates, you can view the data for analysis. On the right side of the chart, you will see the legend with different values for the “Series Field” that was added. To change the color of a bar area, right click on the bar segment itself, or click the legend’s colored squares then select “Color Picker.”
8. Convert Vertical Bar Chart to a Horizontal Bar Chart
If you would like to convert your chart from Vertical to Horizontal (optional), click the “Options” menu (located at the top left section of your screen). Once the “Options” menu expands, select “Layout,” then click “Horizontal Bar.”
9. Use more Mapline Academy articles
Once the Vertical Bar Chart has been converted to a Horizontal Bar Chart, you can play around with Mapline’s different features and learn more about charts by accessing the Mapline Academy. Additionally, if you would like to hide a specific section, simply click its name on the right side to temporarily hide that specific section from view.
