Clarity

I want to build some nice complex bubble chart portlets - (I've built some simple-ish) ones before so I think I get the basics.  I have some (I think dumb) questions that I can't immediately see the answer for... (search for "bubble" in the KB - no results, search for "bubble" in CA forums - no results (until know that is!!))  So;  Q1 - How do I affect the BACKGROUND COLOUR of the chart?   (The example in the Studio Developer's Guide under "Graph Portlet Types" shows a bubble chart with a Green/Yello/Red background) - I can't see how I affect that?  Q2 - How   do I affect the colour of the indivdual bubbles (can I do even this?) - whenever I have built bubble charts in the past the bubbles all come out in an order of colours depending on the query. The (same) example in the manual has a seemingly consistant usage of colours for the bubbles?  Is either of the above something I CAN do in bubble charts, or is the example in the manual misleading me?  I am on 8.1 FP03, but my "bubble chart experience" is based on 7.5.3 usage, so if it has improved in 8.1 then please let me know!  (I still only get 3 metrics when I construct the chart; the x axis, the y axis and the bubble radius)  Thanks for any clues....  David MortonCapgemini    EDIT : this is the example image from the Clarity manual;     Message Edited by Dave on 22-09-2009 03:27 PM [left]

Q1 - This one eludes me right now (sorry) but there is a flag (in v12) that asks if you want a zoned background.   Q2 - there is a place where you specify this in the 'Entire Graph' options sheet.   I've just thrown some screenshots together - hope this helps some.    Idea for you on bubbles. If there is the  likelihood  of many overlapping bubbles I have sometimes resorted to adding a very small random amount to the metrics to force the  centres  to be offset. so perhaps the real metric is 1.0 but with randomizing it become 1.01234 (large enough to shift the centre, small enough not to affect analysis).  Downside to randomizing is that a screen refresh will alter the graph somewhat. I have wondered what would happen if I added id/50000000 (or similar logic) as the "randomizer' but have not tried is as yet.  Bubbles are great! I just don't get to play with them all that often.  

Thanks for that, really helpful...  What version are those screen shots from though?   I am on 8.1 FP03 and I don't see any of those options (Zoned Background nor Bubble Color Grouping) so maybe I can;t do this just at the moment?  Interesting (to me at least) that my original example screenshot comes from the 7.5.3 manual - which is what lead me to think I could do this in earlier versions.   Maybe there is a "hack the backend" solution pre v12???  Thanks anyway - kudos granted (you've almost caught me up now!!!)

oops, clue was in the document filename:   V12.0.0.5029 I'm sure these features exist in 8x (as I have used them) I just don't recall how right now, sorry. No hack was involved. (well aside from my sql hacks :-)

You are right!  Just tried building that portlet (based on the Portfolio data provider) in my 8.1 environment and I do get those options!!!!  BUT I don't get the options for portlets I have built based on an NSQL query though..... I think that is going to be my problem!  --  So I think the upshot is that it works for data providers but not for NSQL queries?.......boo!   :-(  Dave.    EDIT - wonder if my original question is now becoming "can I build my own data provider"?   (Unless there is something clever I can add to the NSQL that I am missing) Message Edited by Dave on 22-09-2009 04:41 PM [left]

Dave,  The secret to zoned backgrounds is to define a 3 banded "display map" within the NSQL query for either or both of the X Y axis metrics.  Once you have these available in the query you can achieve zoned backgrounds of: curved (display maps for both X & Y), horizontal (use display map of Y), vertical (use display map of X)  You can achieve horizontal zoning if the X axis is timescaled (display map not available on timescale)  The details you provide in the display map are then used in the legend of the bubble chart (Description, From, To)  Enjoy!      

sorry for the re-post: didn't want to leave the imprssion that only 3 background zones can be used. To over do it - see 'bubble_fun" below.  This silly chart is based on the even more silly query (where I started with cmn_colors but had to then use cmn_languages:
select
@select:dim:user_def:implied:bubbles:id:id@
, @select:dim_prop:user_def:implied:bubbles:rgb:rgb@
, @select:metric:user_def:implied:position:position@
, @select:metric:user_def:implied:xaxis_rand:xaxis_rand@
, @select:metric:user_def:implied:yaxis_rand:yaxis_rand@
, @select:metric:user_def:implied:radius_rand:radius_rand@
from (
select
id
, language_code as rgb
, id as position
, dbms_random.value(1,100) xaxis_rand
, dbms_random.value(1,100) yaxis_rand
, dbms_random.value(1,100) radius_rand
from cmn_languages -- CMN_COLORS
) sql_wrapper
where @filter@
/*
query id = ut_bubble_fun
*/
 

Paul - I feel I am nearly there!  If you could post the NSQL of even one of those portlets that would be fantastic - I am guessing that they are from an accelerator product or something so I understand if you can't!  The bit I am lacking is how to define in the NSQL the "hooks" that the portlet pick up to give me the "zoned background" options and the "bubble colors" options - however I define my METRICS and DIMENSIONS in my NSQL I can't seem to get those options to appear in the portlet and I have no idea if I am trying to do the right thing in the NSQL and failing or I'm just trying to do the wrong thing (and thus doomed to enternal failure!).  So in fact If I just knew which bit of the NSQL* created the "display map" / "zoned background" thingy and which bit in the NSQL generates the "bubble colour" options I think I'm done.  * - and I'm assuming its a bit of the NSQL, rather than something else we do in teh query settings??  So near and yet so far!    Dave.

I think we crossed posts there!  That NSQL might well be what I'm after - Thanks!

What I should have posted was the xog file - darn it.  The secret is the display mappings - these are created in the query - not the portlet  Once you have the nsql squared away, go to the attribute list, then click on one of the metrics, this will show the display mapping screen.  Enter the display mapping as color, pick a color for each row - you must provide a description, then a lower and upper (to/from ) boundary  save as you go, it can get tedious  repeat this for each metric that will form part of your zoned background  Also note that the display mappings must agree if you intend to the the X & Y together. Thst is both will have the same number of zones, and the color of each will match - otherwise I have no idea what will happen (probably just won't work).  So - all done in the query, via the attribute list. Hope this is clear/accurate (it's by memory).

Ahh OK - that does make some sense.   I'll have a quick play later today but I think I might have it now....!  Many thanks!

here's the ut_bubble_fun query & portlet to play with - then trash it :-) you should be able to see the display mappings in the query.  xog file has not been write tested - oracle query only, see <a href="http://caforums.ca.com/ca/attachments/ca/CAClarityGeneralDiscussion/3948/1/bubble-fun.png"></a>bubble-fun.png (66 kb)

BEWARE OF THE ABOVE UT_BUBBLE_FUN.XOG.ZIP - it contains a partition model !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

"Bubble Fun (No Partition)" rocks!  I am now a master of bubbles and fit to impress all and sundry with a plethora of colourful portlets.  Excellent stuff Paul, many thanks.  Dave.

Hi Max,

I was searching for some help on bubble chart and found this link. I then xogged in the NON PARTITION BUBBLE FUN portlet , created the page and gave necessary rights.
But somehow the portlet is not getting displayed. The bottom toolbar shows - (1 item remanining) Waiting for https://........and it never comes.

Can you please tell me if I am doing anything wrong here...

Its a bit hard to say what might be going wrong for you; when I used these files (a long time ago!) I don't recall having problems (and that would have been on an 8.1 system at the time).

--

What version of Clarity are you using / did you get any messages when you XOGged in that portlet / what other symptoms can you see?

Have you tried extracting the QUERY from that XML file, and building the query (and the portlet) "by hand" in studio?

--

Dave.

Hi Dave,

I am currently using version 12.0.5 and have one hotfix applied on that..
The XOG was successfull and there were no errors reported. Everything is configured correctly but the portlet is not appearing in the portlet page. This is just waiting.
May be the Hotfix is causing some problem I am not sure though.

I have NOT tried building the portlet 'in-hand' with the help of that xml.

Will try doing that and see the results.