Parallel Coordinates

Parallel coordinates charts offer a powerful way to visualize and explore high-dimensional datasets by representing each measure as a parallel axis.

Chart setup to build a parallel coordinates chart

1

Axis

Drag the dimension to plot on the axis (e.g., Country).

2

Values parameter

Drag the measures to analyze (e.g., COGS, Sales, Discounts, Gross Sales, Profit, Manufacturing Price, Sale Price).

3

Chart type

Select Parallel coordinates from the Special charts section of the Chart Type dropdown menu.

Parallel coordinate charts are used to plot multivariate data in data exploration, pattern recognition, and outlier detection.

Parallel coordinates - measure only

Chart setup to build a parallel coordinates chart with small multiples

1

Axis

Drag the dimension to plot on the axis (e.g., Country).

2

Values parameter

Drag the measure to analyze (e.g., COGS).

3

Small multiples parameter

Drag the dimension to plot on the parallel axes (e.g., Product).

4

Chart type

Select Parallel coordinates from the Special charts section of the Chart Type dropdown menu.

Parallel coordinates with a single measure and small multiples

1. Customization and formatting for parallel coordinate charts

1.1. Format Y axis

By default, each measure is plotted on a separate scale. You can plot all the measures on a single scale by selecting the Overall radio button.

Individual scaling for each measure

Uniform scaling for all measures

If you choose Individual scaling, you can customize the Y-axis for each measure by enabling respective toggle.

a) Tick line: Plot tick lines and specify a length between 1 and 5.

Tick mark

b) Scale type: Plot the chart on a linear scale or a logarithmic scale.

Logarithmic scale

Please refer to Y-axis settings for a comprehensive list of Y-axis options.

2. Data label settings for parallel coordinate charts

Individual data labels are disabled by default.

2.1. Category and Value

Only the first and last data points are displayed by default.

Data labels

The series labels and values will not be displayed if you uncheck the Category and Value check boxes.

Series labels not displayed

2.2. Separator

Change the separator between the series name and value. By default, they are separated by a comma.

Separator for series labels

Additional formatting options

Here are the other settings that help you refine your parallel coordinates chart.

Feature	Description	Link
Number	Configure number formatting (decimals, units)	Charts - number settings
Legend	Show/hide and customize the legends	Charts - legend settings
Data Label	Show exact values for each data point	3.6. Data label customizations
Trellis	Create small multiples using category split	6. Trellis customizations
Conditional Formatting	Apply color rules to highlight values	9. Conditional formatting
Sorting	Sort axis order	Sorting data
Ranking	Limit to top/bottom N categories	Ranking for charts