Pie Charts

Tim
Tim
edited 12/09/19 in Smartsheet Basics

I was eager to checkout the recently released Smartsheet Charts, I have produced a couple of Pie Charts based on some real time data but seem to have found that limited funtionality/formatability (e.g. Not able to re-position labels) restrict their actual use, please see screenshots below. I wondered if it's just me or have others discovered the same?

SS PIE Chart - example2.JPG

SS PIE Chart - example1.JPG

Comments

  • Sasan
    Sasan Employee

    Tim,

    Yes, in v1, there are basic formatting capabilities for pie charts.  There are certainly many more formatting enhancements that can be added in the future.  One enhancement can be the ability to call out data values outside of each slice.  In the mean time, we recommend couple of alternative options that may be even better for your viewers given best practices in charting and especially for mobile view:

    • Use Column or Bar charts, when slices are too small or very close in size.  This is also a best practice in charting.
    • Shorten your data values (from £9,221,183 to £9.2) and then add (£million) in your chart title.  Brevity is also a best practice in charting.
    • Given that your viewers can also see the data value as a tool tip by hovering over the slice, you can also turn off the slice labels.

    Hope these tips help.  We greatly appreciate your feedback.

    Thanks

    Sasan

     

  • Tim
    Tim
    edited 02/23/18

    Sasan, Thank you for the useful suggestions/workarounds.

    It's unfortunate that all involve a compromise from the customer's perspective, data would need to be input into my sheets in that format (9.2) which is not useful, again highlighting limited functionality (Excel charts, units can be selected, regardless of inputted units).

    The choice of chart is determined by an end users preference, small slices (in other charting tools can be exploded to show detail) 

    Although I'm an advocate of using SS as intended, e,g not on printed material, a tool cannot be designed so as to discount the need to present printed material and hence negating hover text.

    Perhaps the Community can be made aware of intended changes for v2.

    Thanks

    Tim.

  • Sasan
    Sasan Employee

    Tim,

    Completely understood and valid.  We will consider your feedback in future releases.

    Thanks

    Sasan

  • Stacey Carrasco
    Stacey Carrasco ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Sasan Any update to the Pie Chart features? I sure doesn't seem to be the case because I ran into this issue recently where our team wanted to see a pie chart rather then any other chart.

    Senior Program Coordinator

    De Anza College

  • Pam Dunn
    Pam Dunn ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Sasan Not sure if this it the right place to ask. Why does the system not allow the choice of a pie chart when I just created same chart as a pie chart with similar data? If I don't' have any values over 0 in my source data is this why? Weird I should be able to start out with a pie chart and it populate with data as work is being assigned and performed resulting in the status changes.

    This is my dilemma.

    In example on top a proofer is assigned, but none of the jobs have been approved check box not checked.

    Example on bottom. A person hasn't been assigned to the Priority 3 jobs and the check box is not checked. I don't have the choice to choose a pie chart when building the widget resulting in a line chart option instead.