Create a metric set and add a filter

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1. Overview

This walkthrough shows you how to create metric sets, add them to a dashboard, and apply filters.

Specifically, you will learn how to:

  • Create full screen metric sets based on a data cube.
  • Visualize and re-visualize a metric set.
  • Display metric sets on a dashboard.
  • Add a hierarchy range filter to a dashboard.
  • Add a hierarchy filter to a dashboard.

This walkthrough uses a data cube like the one from Using a data cube to join tables, but can be followed with any data source with similar data.

Tip
You can also create metric sets directly in a dashboard or other view, and these are saved as part of the view rather than in the Metric Sets folder. See View data with a chart and drill down for an example.

Related video: Introduction to Metric Set Designer

2. Create a new metric set

From the main menu, click New, and then click Metric Set.

Create a metric set
Create a metric set

The full-screen metric set editor is displayed.

2.1. Set up the metric set based on a data cube

From the Explore window, locate and expand the data cube you created previously (e.g., DataCube1).

Expand the data cube's Measures folder and drag the OrderQty measure to the canvas.

Drag measure to canvas
Drag measure to canvas

By default, the measure is displayed in a table visualization beside a Data Analysis Panel. The table visualization shows a single aggregated value because no hierarchies have been specified yet.

Next, go to the Explore window and expand your data cube's Dimensions folder. Drag the time dimension hierarchy Year > Month > Day under Rows in the Data Analysis Panel, or drag it onto the canvas and it will be added under Rows in the Data Analysis Panel for you.

Drag the Product hierarchy to Columns in the Data Analysis Panel.

Drag hierarchies
Drag hierarchies

The table visualization is automatically re-visualized to a line chart because this is usually the best choice for visualizing changes to measure values over time.

A line chart visualizes order quantities over time for each product category.
A line chart visualizes order quantities over time for each product category.

At any time, you can change to the visualization of your choice by going to the toolbar and clicking Re-Visualize, then choosing an option. Dundas BI will not re-visualize it automatically after you have chosen or customized your visualization.

Tip
Instead of dragging measures/hierarchies from the Explore window, use the click to add option to get a list of elements to add from the data source you're already using.

Use the click to add option as an alternative to drag-and-drop
Use the click to add option as an alternative to drag-and-drop

Note
If a relationship is defined or can be found, you can drag elements from another data cube or data source.

Drag hierarchies or measures from another data cube
Drag hierarchies or measures from another data cube

3. Complete the metric set

To complete the setup of this metric set, go to the toolbar, click Re-Visualize, and then click Bar under Change Chart Type.

Re-visualize as bar chart
Re-visualize as bar chart

The visualization is now changed to a bar chart where each series (i.e., bars of the same color) corresponds to a specific Product Category.

Bar chart showing multiple series
Bar chart showing multiple series

Finally, click Share in the toolbar and check in your metric set so others can use it too.

4. Add a second metric set

Using similar steps as before, create a second metric set as follows:

  • Expand the data cube's Measures folder and drag the OrderQty measure to the canvas.
  • Expand the data cube's Dimensions folder and drag the FirstName hierarchy to the Rows field of the Data Analysis Panel.
  • Drag the Product hierarchy to the Columns field of the Data Analysis Panel.

The resulting data bar table shows person names along the rows axis, and expandable product categories along the columns axis.

Table showing person names and product categories
Table showing person names and product categories

Go to the toolbar, click Re-Visualize, and then click Stacked Bar under Change Chart Type. The table visualization is changed to a stacked bar chart showing person names along the X axis and measure values on the Y axis. Each stacked bar series corresponds to a specific Product Category.

Stacked bar chart
Stacked bar chart

Click Share in the toolbar and check in your metric set.

5. Display the metric sets on a dashboard

To automatically create a new dashboard and put the current metric set on it, click the Add To New Dashboard button.

Click the Add To New Dashboard button to create a dashboard with this metric set
Click the Add To New Dashboard button to create a dashboard with this metric set

Or, create a new dashboard (use the Blank template) from the main menu.

Go to the Explore window and expand the Metric Sets folder.

Drag the two metric sets you just created to the dashboard canvas (e.g., Metric Set 1 and Metric Set 2). The two metric sets appear as a bar chart and a stacked bar chart, respectively. Observe that the chart types match the re-visualizations you selected when editing each metric set full screen.

Drag metric sets to dashboard canvas
Drag metric sets to dashboard canvas

Note
A single metric set can be visualized multiple times and in different ways. The visualizations above are now independent from the one set up in the metric set editor, and you can choose to customize or re-visualize the ones just on this dashboard.

6. Using filters on a dashboard

With the metric sets added to a dashboard, you can add dedicated filters that can be used to easily change the filtering while viewing.

6.1. Add a range filter

To automatically connect the new filter with the first chart (the bar chart), click to select it.

Click Filter in the toolbar, and under Hierarchy, choose the Range filter.

Hierarchy Range filter
Hierarchy Range filter

A hierarchy Range filter is added to the dashboard and its Filter Visualizations panel displays which data it's connected to. Observe that the filter is already configured to filter the data displayed along the X axis of the first chart.

You can set a default range for the filter by clicking the Default Value regions, which will take effect when anyone first views this dashboard. For example, set a range from 2012 to 2013.

Set start and end of range
Set start and end of range

The bar chart on the dashboard is filtered to display data from 2012 to 2013.

To use the range filter as a viewer of the dashboard, click View in the toolbar.

Using the hierarchy range filter
Using the hierarchy range filter

6.2. Add a hierarchy value filter

Switch back to Edit. On the dashboard canvas, select the second (stacked bar) chart. In the toolbar, click Filter, and then choose Value under Hierarchy.

A hierarchy value filter is added to the dashboard. The Filter Visualizations panel shows that the filter is already configured to filter on the FirstName hierarchy, which appears on the X axis of the second chart.

You can choose the default selection for this filter by setting the Default Value as shown in the figure below.

Hierarchy value filter
Hierarchy value filter

To use the filter directly, click View in the toolbar.

The stacked bar chart is updated according to the filter to show only the chosen members on the X axis.

Using the hierarchy filter
Using the hierarchy filter

7. See also

Dundas Data Visualization, Inc.
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Toronto, ON, Canada
M3C 1Y8

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International: 1.416.467.5100

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