Multilevel Selection

The Multi-Level Selection feature in Play Axis allows filtering through all unique data point combinations when a multi-level hierarchy (more than one category) is added to the visual.

How to Configure

1. Add a multi-level hierarchy (e.g., Category > Subcategory > Product).

2. Enable Play Axis to filter through individual data points.

3. Toggle Multi-Level Selection to cycle through unique combinations instead of individual categories.

How It Works

Default Play Axis Behavior:

• Cycles through top-level categories one by one, replacing the previous selection.

• Example: Year - 2023 → 2024 → 2025 (only one category visible at a time).

With Multi-Level Selection Enabled:

• Filters cycle through all unique combinations in the hierarchy instead of just categories.

• Example:

  • Electronics > Mobile Phones > iPhone

  • Electronics > Mobile Phones > Samsung Galaxy

  • Apparel > Footwear > Sneakers

  • Apparel > Footwear > Sandals

• Category selection and Cumulative Selection are disabled when this feature is enabled.

• Filtering is done based on the unique combinations of values across those levels, rather than treating each level independently.

• For example, if the hierarchy includes Year and Month, the Play Axis will filter in the sequence of unique Year-Month pairs, such as: 2022 - August → 2022 - September → ... → 2022 - December → 2023 - January → 2023 - February, and so on.

• Category selection and Cumulative Selection are disabled when this feature is enabled.

GIF 1: Multi Level Selection in Play Axis

This ensures that the filtering follows the actual chronological order of available data points, allowing for smooth time-based storytelling across multiple levels of a category.

Cumulative Selection

It allows users to apply filters incrementally rather than replacing them. With each new value, the filter builds upon the previous one, preserving earlier selections. In Multi-Level Selection, this means that all unique data point combinations are added one by one—creating a cumulative view that reveals how the trend evolves across different levels of the hierarchy.

Example:

In the video below, a Date Hierarchy consisting of Year and Month is added to the category section. Both Multi-Level Selection and Cumulative Selection are enabled in the Play Axis format pane. As a result, the data builds up incrementally—starting with July 2022, then adding August 2022 to show a progressive trend

Video 1: Play axis with Date hierarchy in category and cumulative selection enabled.