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Bullet Graph Documentation for Graph Builder

rabelardo

Hi everyone.

I can't seem to find the Bullet Graph Documentation for Graph Builder. I know there's an option to change the Bar Style to Bullet but I don't know how to achieve the desired end result - to have 8 bullet graphs arranged horizontally similar to Stephen Few's Bullet Graph Design Spec. Attached is the anonymized datasheet.

Here are the givens:

variables: X_2 to X_8
min = 0%
max = 100%
current = mean of each variable
target = 80%

Much appreciated.

- Randy, JMP newbie

sample bullet graph

had to repost. not displaying in the discussion panel.

question still not being posted in Home or in Discussions page as of Jul. 17, 12:19 PM (EDT).

datasheet Anonymized.jmp

Accepted answers

XanGregg

Great job in finding a work-around. Here's what you can do within the Bar element functionality if we first put the data in the right shape.

Using your original data set with 7 quantitative columns, the first step is to stack those columns into a single data column using Tables > Stack. The result looks like:

With that data arrangement we can create a single bar chart:

That's a start, but we need values to represent the background ranges. For that, we can add more columns. Just to illustrate that the ranges can be different for each bullet, I created a random value (Rand) for each of the seven levels of Label. From that, I computed Level1 and Level2 and fixed Level3 to 100%.

Now the steps in Graph Builder are:

Drag Label to Y.
Drag Data, Level1, Level2 and Level3 together into X.
Change the element to Bar.
Change the bar style to Bullet.

When the bullet style sees multiple variables, it draws the first as the thin bar and the others as cumulative stacked wide bars.

With styling changes (via right-clicks on the legend), we can get:

What about the comparative crossing line? For that we can make a new column (say, "Compare") and use the Float bar style. Here's the float style by itself.

The next step is to combine them into one graph. Going back to the previous bullet chart,

Drag Compare into the X merge zone.
Drag another Bar element into the graph from the element icons (or right-click on the graph > Add > Bar)
In the Properties area, there are now two Bar sections. The first one still has bullet style. Change the second one to float style.
Now you see 4 floating lines. Open the Variables section of the floating bar element and turn off the Y variables except Compare.
Open the Variables section of the bullet bar element and turn off the Compare element. You don't see it in the graph because it's obscured by the Level3 area, but it be in the legend until you complete this step.
Style the floating bar as desired (I made it a little thicker).

Here's the final product.

Sorry it wasn't obvious from the outset, but I hope this gives you enough to meet your needs for dynamic ranges and targets. Often, half the battle is figuring out what shape to get the data into.

All comments

KarenC

Randy,

The bullet option is under the "Bar Style". You can get to it either by right clicking on the bars or you will find it on the left side in the control panel area under the column list.

Karen

rabelardo

Hi Karen.

1.) Apologies for the confusion. What I meant to say was:

"I know there's an option to change the Bar Style to Bullet and have tried it, but couldn't figure out how to include these specifications in graph builder for each variable (X_2 to X_8):"

min = 0%
max = 100%
current = mean of each variable (X_2 to X_8)
target = 80% (the same target for all variables)

When I drag X_2 in the X drop zone and change the Bar Style to Bullet, X_2 looks like a regular bar graph (because i don't know how to add the min, max & target inside Graph Builder). And when I drag another variable, the graph is split in 2 panels (fig. 1), instead of the desired end-result of stacked bullet graphs in 1 panel (fig. 2).

How does Graph Builder know what the Target is? The Target in the Bullet Graph is the thick, black vertical line.
Do I specify it in the Spec Limits?
How does it know what the Ranges are (min - target, target - max. The partitioned grey scale background)?
Do I need to prepare my data in a certain way to achieve the Bullet Graph?

2.) Is there a Bullet Graph Documentation for Graph Builder?

Appreciate the help.

- Randy, JMP newbie

fig. 1 - could not achieve the horizontal stacked layout

fig. 2 - desired layout (sample only - screenshot then edited the variable names)

12020_muliple bullets per chart - JSFiddle.png

txnelson

JMP 12 does not support the complete configuration of your referenced bullet graph specification. Instead, it has incorporated the basic bullet chart into it's methodology, allowing you to display the various groupings, etc. using the groupings, and abilities to display summaries on the same chart.

rabelardo

Thanks for the clarification, Jim.

Would you be so kind to provide an example of using the groupings, and abilities to display summaries on the same chart?

A .jmp file would be great so I can learn more about it.

Thanks.

rabelardo

Hi everyone.

I finally found a bullet graph workaround and also achieved the same visual effect (fig. 1) using Graph Builder. I followed Stephen Few's specifications that a bullet graph features a single quantitative measure along with comparison of the featured measure to one or more related measures and relate the featured measure to defined quantitative ranges that declare its qualitative state (for example, good, satisfactory, and poor).

I've pulled (and lost) a lot of hair on this challenge and the solution is very simple, yet I've overlooked so many times - the Allow Ranges > Reference Lines section under the X axis settings (fig. 2).

Challenges using this method:

I still can't figure out how to add another variable and stack them horizontally &
when I put the thick-red target line on top (layering), some of the bars disappear (or they're placed below the categorical ranges)
The qualitative bands (ranges) & targets are static / fixed. I haven't found a solution to make them dynamic for scenarios with a category of age group (tenure, skill level, etc...) with different targets.

Maybe these will be addressed in JMP 13, xan@jmp?

- Randy, JMP newbie

fig. 1
(the monthly grouping is just for demo (and is not recommended) - since i don't have any other categories for my actual dataset.)

fig. 2