Colors in data visualizations

Depending on the data visualization, you can select different colors: a fixed color for each Group by element, a predefined color palette, a spectrum spanning high and low values, or a single color.

By default, the data visualization uses the colors that are set in the UX Theme [sys_ux_theme] used by the instance. These colors in turn are defined in the UX theme properties [sys_ux_theme_properties] table. Themes include the following colors:

• A default single color
• A default color palette
• A default spectrum of shades for a color range

You can create a theme and select it either for a specific user or set it as the default theme for an instance. For more information, see Working with themes in Next Experience.

In a specific visualization, you can override the colors set in the UX theme. Set colors in the Colors subsection of the Presentation section in the visualization's configuration panel. The available options are described in the "Create a..." topic for each visualization type.

Selecting a single value color or a color per metric

You can select a single value color for any visualizations except gauge and pie/donut. When you select a single color, you are at first offered the default color. You can choose a color instead in the Set value color field. Interacting with that field opens a selector where you can choose a color by color icon or from a list. The list also shows you an icon for each entry. The selector also has a search field. Entering a value into that search field shows you a list of colors filtered by the search term, which can be plain language or part of a hexadecimal code.

If the data visualization shows more than one metric, you can select a single color for each metric.

Figure 1. Color selector in icon and list modes

Color rules for pivot table, dial, and single score visualizations

Single score, dial, and pivot table visualizations can use a single color that is set dynamically when the data meets certain conditions. For example, you can create a rule to show the score in green for values under 25. For more information, see Create coloring rules for data visualizations.

Color options for Group by values from table data sources

If you group by a value in a visualization based on a Table data source, you have the following two color range options:

Color palette

A sequence of colors applied to the Group by elements. The colors repeat in order from highest value to lowest. Use color palettes in data visualizations when you want the colors to denote order. Visualizations that use the same palette use the same colors regardless of what data they’re showing.

Color palettes are the default coloring pattern in a data visualization where a Group by value is defined. If you don’t specify a color palette, the color palette from the UX theme is used.

Non-default color palettes are defined in the Chart color scheme [pa_chart_color_schemes] table. The admin or pa_admin role is required to create a color palette. For more information, see Create a color scheme.

In the following example, you see two data visualizations that show incidents. One visualization shows incidents grouped by Priority, and the other visualization shows incidents grouped by Category. Both visualizations use the Blues dark to light (6) color palette, which uses six shades of blue. Both visualizations show the same colors for the same ranking of values, although the values are different.

Figure 2. Color palette: Blues light to dark

Fixed element colors

Fixed element colors always apply the same color to the same grouping or stacking value. Different grouping and stacking values in different visualizations have different colors. Use fixed element colors if, for example, you always want an element like Priority > 1 - Critical to have the same color.

Important:

Fixed element colors are only available for visualizations of Table data sources.

When an element appears for the first time in a data visualization that is using fixed element colors, a color is defined for that element. Thereafter that element has the same color in any data visualization that shows it. The colors are stored for each element in the Chart Colors [sys_report_chart_color] table. To change the color assigned to an element, you need the admin or report_admin role. For more information, see Define colors for data categories.

In the following example, you see two data visualizations that show incidents that are grouped by the same field, Priority. Both visualizations use fixed element colors. The same values of Priority have the same color despite being in a different order.

Figure 3. Fixed element colors: Same elements, different order

In the following example, the data visualizations are grouped by different fields and use fixed element colors. The bars are in different colors, because each element has a unique color.

Figure 4. Fixed element colors: Different elements

Related topics

• Working with themes in Next Experience

Create coloring rules for data visualizations

Configure rules for how numerical values are displayed, to easily highlight why a value is important.

Before you begin

Role required: Any role, and editing rights to the visualization

This task is part of configuring the display settings of some data visualizations.

Procedure

1. Open the data visualization for editing, either in the dashboard in-line editor or the Visualization Designer.
   For more information, see Edit a data visualization in an inline dashboard or Edit a data visualization in the Visualization Designer.
2. In the Presentation area of the configuration panel, open the Colors section.
3. Choose the Single Color type and select Add rule.
   
   
   
4. Fill in the fields on the form.

   Table 1. Color Rule fields

   Field	Description
   Operator	The operator used when evaluating values, such as greater than or between. For example, to style values of less than 5, select lower than and specify a Value 1 value of 5.
   Value 1	The number to evaluate cell values against. When the Operator value is between, enter the lower value in the Value 1 field. Note: The color rule is applied to the aggregated values. When creating rules based on a duration value, specify the duration in seconds.
   Value 2	The maximum value to match this rule. This field only appears when the Operator value is between.
   Font color	The font color to apply to values that match this rule.
   Rule order (Optional)	A numerical value that determines the order in which rules apply. Rules are evaluated from lowest value to highest. For example, you have one rule applies the color blue to the value 7, and a second rule that applies the color red to values between 1 and 10. If you want the 7 to appear blue, the Rule order value for the first rule should be higher so that the second rule does not override it. If you do not specify a rule order, coloring rules are applied in the order in which they were created.

5. Select Apply to save the rule.
   Create a new rule or return to the Visualization Designer.