Bubble Chart
A bubble chart displays data across three or four dimensions, using the x and y axes for two, while the size and color of each bubble represent the remaining one or two.
A Bubble Chart visualizes data across three to four dimensions: two fields map to the X and Y axes, a third controls bubble size, and an optional fourth controls bubble color. This makes it ideal for showing relationships and distributions with an additional measure encoded visually (size/color). Bubble charts are frequently used in financial and portfolio analyses, risk vs. return comparisons, and multi-metric category comparisons.
Best use case:
When you need to compare three data series (X, Y, Size) and optionally a fourth (Color) in a single view.
Example: Plot Revenue (X) vs Profit (Y), with Market Cap (Size) and Sector (Color).
Default behavior:
The default Bubble chart renders bubbles at (X, Y) with a size proportional to the chosen size measure.
Color is optional; if assigned, each category/value receives a color per legend.
Apply Bubble Properties to a View
On the Design page (Design canvas), select the Bubble chart.
Map fields:
Category/Group (optional) – for color grouping and legend entries.
X – numeric/continuous axis.
Y – numeric/continuous axis.
Size – a numeric measure that controls bubble radius.
Color (optional) – dimension or measure to color bubbles.
Open Chart Properties to configure appearance and behavior.
Chart Properties
General Settings
Base Type – Bubble rendering style:
Plain
Gradient
Ring
Order – Sequence for displayed data:
None
Ascending
Descending
Manual Sort (manually sort dimensions with indicators)
When Ascending/Descending is selected, also configure:
Order By – Dimension or measure used for sorting.
Limit – Number of records (bubbles) to display.
Exclude Global Filter – Exclude this View from report-level filters.
Show Data Label – Display labels on bubbles.
Enable Base Zero – Force axes to start at zero (useful for consistent baselines).
Show Legend – Turn on/off legend.
Legend Style – Fixed or Floating
Legend Font Size (Fixed only)
Legend Orientation – Vertical / Horizontal (Fixed only)
Legend Checkbox – Allow toggling series/categories via checkboxes.
View Filter
Filter – Choose a condition to limit chart data (e.g., filter by Region or Sector).
Category Axis (X)
Title – Axis title (e.g., Revenue).
Axis Label – Show/hide labels.
Label Angle – Improve readability for dense category labels.
Value Axis (Y)
Title – Axis title (e.g., Profit).
Axis Label – Show/hide labels.
Format Type – None, Auto, Percent, Thousand, Lacs, Crore, Million, Billion, Trillion, Quadrillion
Currency Type – None, Rupees, Euro, Pound, USD, Yen, Cent
Precision – Decimal places (up to 5).
Insights
Text – Add commentary; wrap highlights in asterisks (e.g., 70%).
Font Size – Adjust text size.
Font Color – Choose text color.
Text Align – Left / Right / Centre
Position – Bottom / Right
Tips & Best Practices
Scale awareness: Bubble area encodes the size measure; ensure values are on a meaningful scale.
Avoid clutter: Apply limits or filters for large datasets; too many bubbles reduce readability.
Legend clarity: Use the Legend Checkbox so users can toggle categories for clearer comparisons.
Baseline choice: Use Enable Base Zero when comparing absolute magnitudes; disable if ranges are tight and context demands a zoomed view.
Labeling: Show Data Label selectively—labels on many bubbles can overlap; consider tooltips (if supported) instead.
Outliers: Very large bubbles can dominate; consider log scaling (if available) or cap/normalize size values upstream.
Common Workflow (Example)
Select the Bubble chart.
Map X = Revenue, Y = Profit, Size = Market_Cap, Color = Sector.
Order By = Market_Cap, Descending; Limit = 20.
Set Base Type = Gradient, Show Legend = Fixed, Horizontal.
On Y axis: Format Type = Million, Precision = 1.
Add Insights: “Top 20 companies by market cap; growth vs. profitability.”
Save the View.
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