Chart Composer

Create and analyze time-series charts with powerful visualization tools

Chart Composer

Chart Composer is DataForeman’s powerful charting tool for visualizing and analyzing historical time-series data. Create custom charts, compare multiple data points, and save your configurations for reuse.

Chart Composer

Overview

Chart Composer provides:

  • Time-Series Visualization: Plot data over time with zoom and pan
  • Multiple Tags: Display up to 20 tags on a single chart
  • Real-Time Updates: Live mode for streaming data
  • Interactive Analysis: Crosshair, zoom, and data point inspection
  • Saved Charts: Create chart templates for reuse in dashboards
  • Folder Organization: Organize charts into logical groups
  • Export Options: Download chart data as CSV

Interface Components

Chart Area

The main visualization area where your data is displayed:

  • Time Axis (X): Horizontal axis showing time range
  • Value Axis (Y): Vertical axis showing data values (auto-scaling or manual)
  • Legend: Shows all plotted tags with colors and current values
  • Crosshair: Interactive tool for precise value reading

Toolbar

Located above the chart:

  • Compact Mode: Minimalist view with chart only
  • Chart Preferences: Configure display options
  • Crosshair Toggle: Enable/disable precision cursor
  • Live Mode: Stream real-time data
  • Zoom Controls: Zoom in, zoom out, reset view

Points Panel

Collapsible panel below the chart:

  • Add tags to the chart
  • Configure tag display properties
  • Set data collection intervals
  • Remove tags from the chart

Saved Charts Panel

Right sidebar showing your saved charts:

  • Browse existing charts
  • Create new charts
  • Organize into folders
  • Filter and search charts
  • Quick load to composer

Creating a Chart

Step 1: Add Tags

  1. Expand the Points panel at the bottom
  2. Click the + button to add tags
  3. Select tags from your connected devices
  4. Choose data type (e.g., Process Value, Setpoint)

Step 2: Configure Time Range

Use the time selector to choose:

  • Preset Ranges: Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last Week
  • Custom Range: Specify exact start and end times
  • Relative Range: “Last X hours” that updates automatically

Step 3: Query Data

  1. Click Query or press Enter after adding tags
  2. Data loads and displays on the chart
  3. Use zoom controls to focus on specific periods

Step 4: Save Chart

  1. Click New Chart in the Saved Charts panel
  2. Enter a chart name and description
  3. Optionally select a folder
  4. Click Save

Chart Features

Interactive Analysis

Zoom and Pan:

  • Mouse Wheel: Zoom in/out on time axis
  • Click and Drag: Pan left/right through time
  • Box Zoom: Click and drag on chart area to zoom to selection
  • Reset: Click reset button to restore original view

Crosshair Mode:

  • Enable crosshair for precise value reading
  • Hover over chart to see exact time and values
  • Values appear in legend for all tags at cursor time
  • Useful for comparing multiple tags at specific moments

Data Point Inspection:

  • Click any data point to see details
  • View exact timestamp and value
  • See data quality indicator
  • Access tag metadata

Live Mode

Real-time data streaming:

  1. Enable Live toggle in toolbar
  2. Chart automatically updates as new data arrives
  3. Time window moves forward continuously
  4. Disable to stop streaming and analyze historical data

Chart Preferences

Click the preferences icon to configure:

  • Line Style: Solid, dashed, dotted
  • Line Width: Thickness of plot lines
  • Point Markers: Show/hide data points
  • Grid Lines: Horizontal and vertical guides
  • Legend Position: Top, bottom, left, right
  • Color Scheme: Choose tag colors

Y-Axis Scaling

Choose how values are scaled:

  • Auto Scale: Automatic range based on data
  • Fixed Scale: Manual min/max values
  • Multiple Axes: Separate axes for tags with different units
  • Logarithmic: Log scale for wide value ranges

Organizing Charts

Folders

Keep charts organized:

  1. Click Create new folder in Saved Charts panel
  2. Name your folder (e.g., “Production”, “Quality”, “Maintenance”)
  3. Drag charts into folders
  4. Create subfolders for deeper organization

Filtering

Find charts quickly:

  • Use the All Charts dropdown to filter by folder
  • Type in search box to find by name
  • Filter by tags used in chart
  • Sort by creation date or name

Advanced Features

Min/Max Envelope

For high-frequency data:

  • Automatically compresses data while preserving extremes
  • Shows min/max range as shaded area or error bars
  • Reduces chart clutter for long time ranges
  • Maintains visibility of peaks and valleys

Write-on-Change Visualization

For sparse data:

  • Extends last known value as horizontal line
  • Shows when data point changes vs when sampled
  • Ideal for setpoints and status values
  • Configurable per tag

Data Aggregation

For long time periods:

  • Automatic bucketing into time intervals
  • Choose aggregation method:
    • Average: Mean value per bucket
    • Min: Minimum value per bucket
    • Max: Maximum value per bucket
    • Last: Most recent value per bucket

Comparing Time Periods

Overlay different time periods:

  1. Query data for base period
  2. Click Add Comparison
  3. Select comparison period (e.g., previous week)
  4. Charts overlay with different colors
  5. Useful for shift-to-shift or day-to-day analysis

Exporting Data

CSV Export

Download raw data:

  1. Query the data you want
  2. Click Export button
  3. Choose date format and delimiter
  4. Save CSV file
  5. Open in Excel or analysis tools

Chart Image Export

Save chart as image:

  1. Right-click on chart area
  2. Select Save as Image
  3. Choose PNG or SVG format
  4. Use in reports or presentations

Performance Tips

Optimizing Chart Performance

  1. Limit Time Range:

    • Query only the time period you need
    • Use zoom for detailed analysis of subsets

  2. Reduce Tag Count:

    • Keep to 10 or fewer tags per chart for best performance
    • Use multiple charts for large datasets

  3. Appropriate Aggregation:

    • For wide time ranges, use hourly or daily buckets
    • Raw data works well for short periods (< 24 hours)

  4. Browser Performance:

    • Close unused charts
    • Use hardware acceleration in browser
    • Consider using Compact Mode for smoother rendering

Troubleshooting

No Data Displayed

  1. Check Time Range: Verify data exists for selected period
  2. Verify Tags: Ensure tags are actively collecting data
  3. Connection Status: Check device connectivity
  4. Query Errors: Look for error messages in browser console

Chart Performance Issues

  1. Reduce Data Points: Use aggregation for long periods
  2. Limit Tags: Remove unnecessary tags from chart
  3. Close Other Charts: Free up browser memory
  4. Update Browser: Use latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or Edge

Data Quality Issues

  1. Check Source: Verify device is sending good data
  2. Quality Indicators: Look for “Bad” or “Uncertain” markers
  3. Connection Logs: Review connectivity logs in Diagnostics
  4. PLC Status: Ensure PLC is in RUN mode

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Ctrl+Z: Zoom in
  • Ctrl+X: Zoom out
  • Ctrl+R: Reset zoom
  • Ctrl+H: Toggle crosshair
  • Ctrl+L: Toggle live mode
  • Ctrl+S: Save chart
  • Ctrl+E: Export data

Best Practices

Chart Design

  1. Use Meaningful Names: “Line 1 Temperature Trend” vs “Chart 1”
  2. Color Coding: Consistent colors for similar tag types
  3. Tag Grouping: Related tags on same chart
  4. Time Ranges: Match analysis goals (hour for troubleshooting, week for trends)

Analysis Workflows

  1. Wide to Narrow: Start with broad time range, zoom to details
  2. Comparison: Use multiple Y-axes for different units
  3. Annotation: Document findings in chart descriptions
  4. Sharing: Save charts to folders accessible to your team

Data Quality

  1. Regular Review: Check charts daily for anomalies
  2. Validation: Compare with other data sources
  3. Calibration: Note when sensors are calibrated
  4. Maintenance: Document equipment maintenance in chart notes

Next Steps