Hexbin
Binned 2D density. What the hexbin is for, the data it needs and every option it has.
2 min read
On this page
Binned 2D density. It sits in the Correlation group of the widget library.
When to use it#
Use a hexbin to see where thousands of data points cluster when a scatter plot would turn into a solid blob. Plot two numbers against each other, such as transaction amount against day of the month. Darker hexagons hold more points.
When to pick something else#
- Only a few hundred points, where individual dots matter? Use a Scatter plot.
- A smooth outline of where points concentrate? Use a Contour.
- The spread of a single number? Use a Histogram.
- Counts across two categories, such as weekday against hour? Use a Heatmap or Punchcard.
The data it needs#
Pick these in the Data tab of the inspector. BankSync suggests a column for each when your source has an obvious match.
| Field | Needed | Pick | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| X axis | Yes | a number | |
| Y axis | Yes | a number | |
| Size | Optional | a number | |
| Color | Optional | a category |
Each row is drawn as it is, so shape the rows first if you need totals. See Shaping data.
Hexbin options#
This chart has no options of its own; everything on its Style tab is the shared chart styling below.
Shared chart styling#
Every chart also has the shared styling options. These apply to this one:
- Legend: position, layout and which series show.
- Axes: titles, tick labels and number format.
- Grid, title, padding and background.
- Value labels on the marks.
- Categories and labels: top N with "Other", sort order, readable labels, the handwritten callout.
- Style: corner radius, line width, opacity and animation.
- Tooltip on hover.
- Colours: follow the dashboard palette or pick one for this chart.
Messy data#
- Both fields must be numbers. Rows where either is blank or not a number, including dates and text, are skipped. If nothing is left you see "No numbers to show".
- Colour shows how many points fall in each hexagon, not their total value. Hover a hexagon to see its count and ranges.
- A single extreme value stretches the axes and squeezes everything else into a few hexagons. Filter outliers out first.
On a phone#
On a phone the hexagons scale with the card, so the pattern survives, but each hexagon covers a wider range. The "Less … More" colour key stays under the plot unless the card is very small.
Related charts#
- Bubble chart: Scatter sized by a field
- Contour: 2D density contours
- Parallel coordinates: Multi-dimensional comparison
Use this page with your AI assistant
Every BankSync doc is available as plain Markdown for agents and LLMs.