Layered chart
Overlaid marks on a shared x axis. What the layered chart is for, the data it needs and every option it has.
3 min read
On this page
Overlaid marks on a shared x axis. It sits in the Advanced group of the widget library.
When to use it#
Use a layered chart to put different measures on one time axis, each drawn its own way. For example, monthly spending as bars with the budget as a line. Layers can come from different sources, joined on the shared x field.
When to pick something else#
- One measure over time? Use a Line chart or Column chart.
- Several series of the same measure? Use a Grouped bar or a Line chart with a series field.
- Parts adding up to a total over time? Use a Stacked area or Stacked bar.
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 date or a category or a number | |
| Y (per layer) | Yes | a number | You can pick several. |
Each row is drawn as it is, so shape the rows first if you need totals. See Shaping data.
Layered chart options#
Set these on the Style tab of the inspector. "Automatic" means BankSync picks a value from the chart's size and data.
Needs history#
Show a note instead of the chart until the rows cover enough periods, so a first week never reads as a trend.
| Option | What it does | Values | New charts start with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date field | The date column whose distinct periods are counted. | Text | Automatic |
| Period | What counts as one period: a day, week, month, quarter or year. | Day, Week, Month, Quarter, Year | Automatic |
| Periods needed | How many distinct periods the rows must cover before the chart draws (2 to 60). | Whole number, 2 to 60 | Automatic |
| Waiting message | Shown until there is enough history. Leave empty for a message naming the periods. | Text, up to 120 characters | Automatic |
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.
- Click to filter: clicking a mark can filter the rest of the dashboard. See Filters and cross-filtering.
- Colours: follow the dashboard palette or pick one for this chart.
Messy data#
- Values are added together per x value. Layers are not bucketed for you, so group dates by month or week in each source first.
- A blank value leaves a gap in a line or area rather than dropping to zero.
- A layer split by a series field draws at most eight marks. The rest are combined into "Other".
- Bars always draw beneath lines, so a line is never hidden.
- Measures of very different sizes flatten each other. Put the smaller one on the second (right) axis.
On a phone#
On a phone the legend gets one or two rows, and entries that do not fit are cut off as "+N more". Two or three layers read well on a phone.
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