Create a Gauge

To create a gauge:

1. Click on the green plus sign on the top right-hand corner of the screen and select Gauge.

   

2. Select a datasource and a dataset. Information about the dataset—including a description, the sync frequency, and its data fields—is displayed.
3. Click Continue. The blank gauge opens in the gauge builder.
4. Select a gauge type.

   

5. Drag and drop fields from the Data column on the left to add Measures, Dimensions, and Filters to the gauge.

   

6. Click the Design tab to format the data fields.

   

7. Click Save after you're finished configuring the gauge.

 

Copy a Gauge

Copying a gauge is a simpler and faster way to create a new gauge.

To copy a gauge, save an existing gauge as a new gauge:

1. Click Gauges from the top menu bar.
2. Select the gauge from the list to open it in the Gauge Builder.
3. Click Save.

   

4. Select Create a new copy of this gauge.

   

5. Enter a name for the new gauge.
6. Enter a description, if desired.
7. Click Save. The new gauge is created as a copy of the original gauge.

Select a Dataset

Each gauge is built with data stored in a dataset(s) pulled in with your connected datasource(s).

Different datasets pull in different data and fields, such as ticketing information, time entry information, and machine information. With custom datasources and datasets, the possibilities are endless. Apart from the data itself, datasets also have different configurations such as how far back in time the data is pulled from and how often they refresh.

After opening up the gauge builder, use the dropdown menu to choose a Datasource and the desired Dataset. When clicking on the datasets, you are given a brief description of each including its configurations and a preview of each field it pulls in. (For more information on datasets, please feel free to refer to these articles.)

Once the desired dataset has been chosen, click on the blue "Continue" button on the bottom right hand corner to move on.  

If you're working with an already built gauge, you may change the dataset by clicking the tab for the gauge layer you'd like to update. 

Data Settings

The first section of the Gauge Builder is the Data settings page. Here you can configure what makes the gauge actually function, the data components. 

 

Chart Types

Under the Data Settings, choose the chart type or style to be represented in the gauge. By default the gauge is set to "Table Gauge", but you can easily change this by clicking on the desired type icon. (Hovering over the icons provides the names of each for reference.)

Depending on the chart type, there are different components that make up the inner workings and configuration of the gauges. When first selecting a chart type for a new gauge, a brief explanation is illustrated on where the key components( measure, dimensions, and filters) appear on the chosen gauge type. These different components are explained in further detail below.

Snapshot Gauges

Available to our Enterprise users, snapshots allow you to capture a datapoint and track it over a line chart for your preferred period of time: daily, weekly, or monthly. You cannot use drilldown or filter snapshot gauges. For more information on Snapshots, read this article. 

Measures, Dimensions, Filters

Each gauge is made up of three key parts: 

Measures are the mathematical portion of a gauge. (Count, Count Distinct, Min, Max, Sum, Average). For more detailed information on measures, please feel free to refer to this article. 

Dimensions are what group, or dice up, the data being measured. This is commonly known as a pivot. For more detailed information on dimensions, please feel free to refer to this article.

Filters are what allow you to refine the data to only show what you need. For more detailed information on gauge filters, please feel free to refer to this article.

To configure each of the three parts mentioned above, in the Gauge Builder simply drag and drop a field from the list on the left-hand side, to the desired slots on the top of the page: measure, dimensions, and/or filter.

After fields are dropped into either of the three slots, a pop-over will appear for further configurations corresponding to the slot. (Ex. The measure slot will prompt you to choose which operation to use once you've added a field, for instance, Count. The dimension slot might prompt you to specify how you would like to group your dates if using a date field, such as by Week or Month. Filters will prompt you to select and/or enter the desired condition you would like to filter for.)

Please feel free to refer to this short video. 

 

Note that each field has a symbol that identifies what kind of field it is (Text, Number, Date, or Boolean). 

 

When configuring a Progress Gauge, there are three main parts:
Funnel, Number, and Progress Gauges only require a Measure and a Filter because they display only one number or value, so there is no function for Dimensions, which are what group (or pivot) the data in gauges with axis.

When configuring a Progress Gauge, there are three main parts:

-The actual value being measured/calculated which is displayed in the center of the gauge (and by the actual bar or fill of the gauge.)

-The minimum and the maximum values (or goals), displayed on the ends of the gauge. (The Min and Max values must be manually configured under the Design Settings for gauge. More information can be found in this section of the article below.)

In creating a funnel gauge, you will need to create multiple layers filtering for the data you wish to measure for. The order of layers dictates how your gauge will show from top to bottom.

Display Columns

List Gauge

Sometimes viewing the raw data is just what you need. This is possible using the List Gauge chart type, which allows you to simply choose the fields you need and list them exactly as they appear in the database.

To configure the "Display Columns" for a list gauge, drag and drop the fields in the desired order of appearance. Once the columns are set, use filters to view the exact data that you want to see. (Formatting the column headers for a List gauge, is described in the Formatting section below under "Design Settings".)

Design Settings

Once you have configured the Data Settings for your gauge, you can give it a more personalized feel by configuring its Design Settings. 

 

On the Design Settings page, you will see the following sections on the left-hand side bar:

Formatting

In this section, you see a list of all the fields being used in the gauge under their original names (or labels) as they appear in the database, along with the kind of field they are (number, text, date, or boolean). Here, you may rename or reformat these for display.

Table and List Gauges use these fields as column headers.

Layered gauges create series that are also displayed in these fields. The names of these fields can then appear in the gauge's Legend and/or Tool Tip.

The labels for these fields can all be edited by simply clicking on them.

Apart from changing the labels for Number fields, the number formatting itself can also be edited.

Unless it's a percentage, more often than not you'll need to apply two decimal points. Whether if it is to include decimals, computer notations, or percentages, we have multiple number formats to fit your needs. 

For more detailed information on how to configure number formatting, please refer to Gauge Formatting - Number Fields. 

Trend Lines and Thresholds

Thresholds allow you to track critical values and see or hear visible indicators when that threshold is approached or breached. Trend lines let you easily view trends in your data.

For example, you might want to assign colors to a number gauge that shows percent utilization rate. You select green for values greater than or equal to 80%, yellow for values greater than or equal to 60%, and red for values less than 60%. You can also assign an alert sound to play when the value reaches less than 60%.

Review the table below for the threshold types supported on each gauge type.

Gauge Type	Supported Threshold Types
Bar graph	Number, text
Column graph	Number, text
Line graph	Number, text
List	Number, text
Number	Number, text
Pie chart	Text
Progress gauge	Number
Table	Number, text

 

Color and Sound Thresholds

Highlight a gauge with color thresholds to clearly show when you are within or out of reach of a goal range. Apply a sound threshold to play when you hit a certain value.

Note: Sound thresholds are only available on Number gauges. 

How to Set Color and Sound Thresholds

To set a color or sound threshold:

1. Navigate to Gauges and select the gauge you want to edit to open the Gauge Builder.
2. Click the Design tab.
3. Click on the desired field in the Sound & Colors Thresholds/Colors & Thresholds section.
4. Configure the threshold. Text fields are case-sensitive.
5. Use the color picker to select a threshold color.
6. (Optional) Select the Play Dashboard Alert checkbox and select a sound from the Notification Sounds drop-down.
7. (Optional) Click +Add and repeat steps 4 through 6 to add any additional thresholds to the gauge. Multiple thresholds with different conditions, colors, and sounds can be added for the same field.
8. Click Apply.
9. When a threshold is met, the color on the gauge changes to reflect the threshold status based on your configurations.
   
   In the example below, the default color for for query1_bgs_id_count is red. However, the bar chart displays blue because it met the threshold condition to show blue when the value is over 100.
   

To remove a threshold configuration, click the trash can (delete) button on the right.

Date Thresholds

Thresholds can also be set for date fields. Multiple thresholds can be set on the same field.

For a full listing of date fields, please refer to Date Filters.

Trend Lines

Multiple trend lines can be added to gauges with multiple layers. Add a trend line to each layer of the gauge.

Note: Trend lines are available only on bar chart, column chart, and line graph gauges.

 

How to Add Trend Lines

To apply a trend line to a gauge:

1. Navigate to Gauges and select the gauge you want to edit to open the Gauge Builder.
2. Click the Design tab.
3. Under Trendline Settings, click Trendline to open Trendline Configuration.
4. Switch the toggle(s) to enable the trend line(s) that you want to see.
5. Click Apply.
6. For gauges with multiple layers, repeat Step #3 through 5 for each layer.

Global Settings

In this section, you will see a list of further features that can be configured for the design of the gauge. Depending on the chart type, different Global Settings are available to be customized: 

Tooltip Display - Available for Column, Line, and Bar charts, this is a label, or "tip", that is available to help view and interpret specific values on graphs easier.

By default the Tooltip will show the X and Y values for a specific category/section, but this can be edited using the text box in the popover. There are available tokens that can be used to format the Tooltip.

A neat formatting command that can be used in this text box is the "bolding" feature, to outline certain parts of the tooltip. To bold text or tokens, simply wrap them with 4 asterisks, two before it and two after it.
( Ex.  **{x_val}**: {y_val}  -->  Admin: 207 )

The Tooltip feature can be toggled to be visible Always or On Hover. 

An example of editing the tooltip, including changing the tokens, is shown below. In this dual dimension gauge we might want to view each section of a bar (or series name) broken down individually, rather than the information for the bar as a whole. 

Label Format - Available for Pie charts, this serves the same function as the "Tooltip Display" explained above, but with slight differences.

Show Legend - Available for Column, Line, Bar, and Pie charts, a legend is available to help view and interpret sections/groups on graphs easier. By default this feature is turned off, but can be toggled on with a simple click.

Sort - To sort the data in a gauge, click on the "Sort" option, select the field you would like to sort by and whether you'd like to sort in Ascending or Descending order.

Description - Customizable for all gauges, this section is designed to include a brief description about the purpose/configuration of the gauge. To include a description for a gauge, click on the description option, enter the desired text into the text box, and click "Apply". The description can be viewed on dashboards or the gauge list, by clicking on the "i" icon next to the gauge titles and also by hovering over the gauges list when editing a dashboard or report.

Limit - When representing data in any of our gauges (with the exception of number gauges), it is sometimes useful to limit the data in a certain manner. Selecting a limit, determines the numbers of results that a gauge will show. For example, combining this limit setting along with the sort option, we can create a metrics such as "25 Most Installed Applications" or "Top 10 Active Clients". 

 

Min, Max - When Using a "Progress Gauge", the Minimum and Maximum values for the gauge must be entered manually here in this section. (Minimum being the smallest value possible and maximum being the "goal".)

Axis Configuration

Configurable for Column, Line, and Bar Charts, this section allows you to edit the axes settings including the labels and scale.

Clicking on the "X Axis" option, brings up a popover with the following options:

-A text box that allows you to edit the main label of the axis. (By default this will be the name of the field used as the dimension of the gauge.)

-A checkbox to select the option to "Angle Labels". This option toggles whether the individual labels for the sections of the graph will be vertically oriented or angled. This option is normally used to make the labels a bit easier to read, along with accommodating them to prevent them from taking up too much space on the graph. Using this option usually depends on the lengths of the labels and/or the number of groups being shown in the graph. (By default this will be checked on.)

-A checkbox to select the option to "Show Labels". This option toggles whether or not to show the X Axis labels on the graph. Depending on the size of the graph along with where and how it is being used, some might opt to not show these labels on the X Axis itself, but better on the "Tooltip Display". (Information on "Tooltip Display" can be found in the previous section, "Global Settings".)

Clicking on the "Y Axis" option, brings up a popover with the following options:

-A text box that allows you to edit the main label of the axis. This title is used to give a better understanding on what the axis is displaying. (By default this will be the name of the field used as the dimension of the gauge.)

-A text box that allows you to edit the "Minimum" number displayed on the scale. This number is initially determined automatically depending on the values being displayed on the graph, but you are given the option to edit this to best fit your needs. 

-A text box that allows you to edit the "Maximum" number displayed on the scale. This number is initially not configured (meaning there is no limit on the scale), but you are given the option to edit this to best fit your needs. 

-A text box that allows you to edit the "Interval" in which the scale is counting by. This number is initially determined automatically depending on the values being displayed on the graph, but you are given the option to edit this to best fit your needs.

 

Embeddable Gauges

Available to our Enterprise users, embeddable gauges allow you to take any gauge, mark it as publicly viewable, and insert on a webpage with a short snippet of code. If you disable an embedded gauge it'll show an error where it's embedded.

To set a gauge to public, go to the Gauge Builder for that gauge. Under the Design section, select where it says "Public", toggle it to on, and "Copy" and " Paste and Match Style" into the body section of whichever part of the page you'd like to add it on.

 

Drilldown

When viewing a gauge, you can view a breakdown of the data that makes up the metric through the drilldown. 

The Drilldown allows you to configure a "list" that pops up when clicking a value on a gauge. By default, this feature is not activated on gauges, but can easily be configured for all gauge types (with the exception of List gauges).

To access the Drilldown settings page, in the gauge builder, click on the "Drilldown" option under the BrightGauge logo on the top left of the screen.

To configure the "Columns" to be displayed in the Drilldown, simply drag and drop the desired fields from the list on the left hand side, to the "Columns" bar on the top of page. As the fields are dropped in the "Columns" sections, you are prompted with a popover that allows you to edit the field name as to how you would like it to appear on the column header.

Usage

Curious to know if a gauge is being used somewhere? The "Usage" tab highlights where exactly in the app a gauge is being used. If you click on one of the links, it will take you to that section of the app where the gauge is being used in a new tab.

Moveable Gauge Layers

This is for the multitaskers! If you want to rearrange the order of your gauge layers, quickly sort via the layer dropdown. 

 

Gauge Folders

Create a Folder

To create a gauge folder:

1. Click Gauges in the top menu bar.
2. Select the checkbox for the desired gauge(s).
3. Click the folder icon.

   

4. Click Create Folder.
5. Enter a Folder Name.
6. Click Save Folder.
7. Click Save.

Move a Gauge to a Folder

To move a gauge into a folder:

1. Click Gauges in the top menu bar.
2. Select the checkbox for the desired gauge(s).
3. Click the folder icon.

   

4. Select the folder from the drop-down.
5. Click Save.