Documentation Vision Library+ Documentation

Radar Chart+

Radar Chart+ compares several values on spokes around a center. Each AF asset becomes a shape, so you see at a glance which production line is strong or weak on which KPI. Every KPI can have its own scale, because KPIs rarely share a unit.

Overview

Radar chart comparing four production lines on speed, OEE, pressure, and production amount

Watch the demo

See Radar Chart+ in a practical PI Vision workflow.

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When to use it

Use Radar Chart+ when you need to:

  • Compare several KPIs of a few assets in one shape, such as the speed, OEE, pressure, and production amount of each production line.
  • Spot the asset that deviates from its peers.
  • Check one measure of many assets against its target and limits.
  • Read the exact value of every point, with its unit.

Choose Asset Comparison Bar Chart+ when you must rank many assets on one attribute. Choose Asset Comparison Table+ when readers need the exact numbers of many attributes in rows. Choose Asset Time Series Chart+ when the values must be followed over time.

Before you begin

  • Prepare comparable AF assets built from one element template, so that every asset has the same attributes.
  • Use numeric attributes. Units come from AF.
  • Attributes with different units each need their own scale. See Give each KPI its own scale. Never read them on one shared scale: the distance from the center then means something different on every spoke.
  • Current shows the value at the display end time. The other value types summarize the display time range.

Add and set up the symbol

  1. Select Radar Chart+ in the PI Vision symbol gallery.
  2. Search for the assets, then drag the attributes you want to compare, such as Speed, OEE, and Production Amount, onto the display.
  3. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Radar Chart....
  4. Under Scales, open Category and set Type (1) to Attribute. Each attribute becomes a spoke and each asset a shape.
  5. Set Scale Type (2) to Multiple, the right icon. Each spoke now scales to its own values.
  6. Close the pane. The symbol shows one spoke for each attribute and one shape for each asset.
Category group with Type set to Attribute and Scale Type set to Multiple
Radar chart with four attribute spokes and one shape for each line

Common tasks

Add the KPIs to compare

Use this when the spokes should show other KPIs than the ones you started with.

  1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Radar Chart....
  2. Under Attributes, select Modify Attribute List (2). The link now reads Modify Attribute Properties and the Additional Attributes list (3) appears.
  3. Select an attribute in Additional Attributes and select Add (4), the upper arrow.
  4. To remove a KPI, select it in Current Attributes (1) and select Remove, the lower arrow. The arrows under the list change the order of the attributes.
  5. Select Modify Attribute Properties to return to the settings of the selected attribute.
Attributes section with the Current Attributes list, the Modify link, the Additional Attributes list, and the Add button marked

The chart gets one spoke for each attribute in Current Attributes. The pane keeps at least one attribute.

Give each KPI its own scale

Use this when the KPIs have different units, such as m/s, %, bar, and L. On one shared scale the largest numbers flatten all other spokes.

All lines squeezed onto the Production Amount spoke because of one shared scale

The image above shows a shared scale with mixed units. It is not a valid comparison.

  1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Radar Chart....
  2. Under Scales, open Category and set Scale Type to Multiple. This needs Type set to Attribute and more than one attribute. Every spoke now fits its own values.
  3. Under Attributes, select the KPI whose range you want to fix, for example OEE (1).
  4. Set Scale Range (2) to Custom.
  5. Clear Auto beside Minimum (3) and Maximum (4), then enter 0 and 100. Leave Auto selected to keep that side automatic.
Attributes section with OEE selected and a custom range from 0 to 100

The OEE spoke now runs from 0 to 100 %, and the other spokes still fit their own values.

Four lines on four spokes, each spoke with its own scale

Choose which lines to compare

Use this when the chart shows too many assets, or the wrong ones.

  1. Right-click the symbol and select Search Criteria.... On a symbol with a fixed list of assets, the command is Add Dynamic Search Criteria....
  2. Open Asset Name (1) and enter a name. Wildcards work, for example Line 1*.
  3. Open Number of Results (2) and enter the most assets you want.
  4. Select Refresh (3).
Search Criteria pane with the asset name Line 1 followed by a wildcard

The chart shows only the matching assets. You can also narrow the search with Search Root, Asset Type, and Asset Category.

Radar chart with the shapes of Line 1 and Line 10

Compare a measure with its target and limits

Use this when you want to see whether every line stays inside its limits.

  1. Right-click the symbol and select Configure Radar Chart....
  2. Under Scales, open Category and set Type (1) to Asset. Each asset becomes a spoke and each attribute a shape.
  3. Under Attributes, add Speed and its target and limits, for example Speed|Target, Speed|Lower Limit 1, and Speed|Upper Limit 1. See Add the KPIs to compare. Use only attributes with the same unit.
  4. Set Scale Range (2) to Custom, clear Auto beside Maximum (3), and enter 100.
Category group with Type set to Asset and a custom scale range

The limits and the target draw as rings, and the measure draws as a line. A point outside the outer ring is above the upper limit. A point inside the inner ring is below the lower limit.

Speed of six lines against the target and the lower and upper limits

Read the values on the chart

Use this when readers need the numbers, not only the shapes.

  1. In the configuration pane, open Data Labels.
  2. Set Show (1) to ON.
  3. Set Value (2) to ON. Set Name to ON to add the spoke name.
  4. Set Units (3) to ON to add the unit.
  5. Close the pane. To read fewer labels, click legend entries to hide shapes.
Data Labels group with Show, Value, and Units on

Each point shows its value with the unit from AF.

Two shapes with a value and unit at every point

Use the symbol

Radar chart with numbered callouts
What it shows
(1)The title.
(2)The name of a spoke: an attribute, or an asset when Type is Asset.
(3)A shape. The distance from the center is the value on that spoke's scale.
(4)The grid bands. They carry no numbers, so read values from labels or the tooltip.
(5)The legend, one entry for each shape. Hidden shapes are grayed out.
(6)A data label with the value and unit.
  • Hover a shape to see its name and the value of every spoke, with units.
  • Click a legend entry to hide or show that shape.
  • Double-click the chart to open a trend of every asset and attribute the radar shows.
  • Toolbar: when the designer turns it on, Fullscreen and Download appear at the top right. Download offers PNG, SVG, and PDF images, and CSV, JSON, and XLSX data with one row for each shape and spoke. Data formats are hidden when your administrator disables data exports.
  • Filters: the symbol follows the Master filters of the display. Clicking a shape does not filter other symbols. See Filtering dashboards.
  • The symbol only displays data. It does not write to the PI System.
Tooltip of Line 1 listing the four values with units
Radar chart with the Fullscreen and Download buttons

Configure the symbol

Right-click the symbol and select Configure Radar Chart.... The right-click menu also offers Search Criteria... and Configure Multi-State.... On a symbol with a fixed asset list, they read Add Dynamic Search Criteria... and Add Multi-State....

Title

SettingWhat it does
Title, Sub TitleShow or hide each heading and set its text, size, and position.

Style

SettingWhat it does
Theme, Surface, Container StyleSelect the color theme, the fill, and the frame around the symbol. Custom Theme adds Foreground and Background colors.
Apply to all symbolsCopies the theme, surface, container style, and display background to every other Vision Library+ symbol on the display.
Font SizeSets the size of all chart text except the title.
ShapePolygon joins the spokes with straight lines. Circle draws curved rings.

Grid

SettingWhat it does
ShowShows or hides the rings and bands behind the shapes.
LinesBoth draws the rings. None draws none.
BandsShades alternating bands between the rings.
BorderAxes draws the spokes. Frame draws the outer ring. None draws neither.

Legend

SettingWhat it does
EnabledShows or hides the legend.
Position, Alignment, SizePlace the legend on an edge and along it, and set its size.
ColorMarker shows a colored marker. Text colors the entry text.

Data Labels

SettingWhat it does
ShowShows or hides the labels. Used in Read the values on the chart.
Name, ValueSelect what each label shows.
Background, Font SizeAdd a badge behind each label and set the text size.
UnitsAdds the unit after the value. Available when Show is ON.

Tooltip, Toolbar

SettingWhat it does
Tooltip > ShowTurns the hover tooltip on or off.
Show ToolbarShows the Fullscreen and Download buttons.
RevealShows the toolbar on hover, or always. Always makes the radar slightly smaller to keep a band free. Available when Show Toolbar is ON.

Series

SettingWhat it does
Symbol, Size, Line Style, Width, OpacitySet the markers, lines, and fill of all shapes. Available when the symbol uses a dynamic search and Type is Attribute.

Filtering

SettingWhat it does
Filter IndicatorShows the number of remaining assets as Compact, Full, or Hidden.
Ignore MasterStops the symbol from reacting to Master filters.
Linked InputsMap a named channel to an asset property. See Filtering dashboards.

Category

SettingWhat it does
TypeAttribute puts the attributes on the spokes and draws one shape per asset. Asset puts the assets on the spokes and draws one shape per attribute.
Clockwise, StartSet the direction of the spokes and the start angle.
Scale TypeSingle gives all spokes one scale. Multiple gives each spoke its own. Used in Give each KPI its own scale. Available when Type is Attribute and there is more than one attribute.
ShowShows or hides the spoke names.
Scale RangeAuto fits the values. Custom adds Minimum and Maximum, each with an Auto option.
TicksCustom adds Count, the number of rings.

Assets

Available when the symbol does not use a dynamic search.

SettingWhat it does
Asset list, LabelLists the assets. Enter a custom name for the selected asset.
Color, Symbol, Size, Line Style, Width, OpacityStyle the shape of the selected asset. Available when Type is Attribute.

Attributes

SettingWhat it does
Current Attributes, Additional AttributesChoose and order the attributes. Used in Add the KPIs to compare.
ValueCurrent is the value at the display end time. The other choices summarize the display time range: Total, Average, Minimum, Maximum, Range, StdDev, PopulationStdDev, Count, PercentGood.
Basis, Boundary TypeChoose time-weighted or event-weighted summaries, and how the range boundaries count. Available when Value is not Current.
Hidden MeasureKeeps the attribute in the list without drawing it.
Color, Symbol, Size, Line Style, Width, OpacityStyle the shape of the attribute. Available when Type is Asset.
Show, Scale Range, TicksSet the scale of this attribute. Available when Scale Type is Multiple. Used in Give each KPI its own scale.

The Numbers section sets the number format of the values.

Troubleshooting and limitations

SymptomCauseWhat to do
The shapes are squeezed onto one spoke.Attributes with different units share one scale.Set Scale Type to Multiple, or use attributes with one unit.
Scale Type is missing.Type is Asset, or there is only one attribute.Set Type to Attribute and add attributes.
An asset is missing.Number of Results, another search criterion, or a Master filter leaves it out.Check Search Criteria.... Select Ignore Master to test the filters.
The Assets section is missing.The symbol uses a dynamic search.Use the Series group for all shapes.
The spokes have no names.Show under Category is off.Turn it on.
The toolbar is missing.Show Toolbar is off.Turn it on.

Limitation: With Type set to Asset, all spokes share one scale, so use attributes with one unit.

Limitation: The scale range offers Auto and Custom only. There is no log scale and no AF limits range.

Limitation: The data label position cannot be changed.