5 Replies Latest reply on Jan 23, 2019 5:04 PM by Sarah Battersby

    Visualisation Graphics Change

    Technology Team
    Technology Team Jan 17, 2019 7:33 AM

      Hi there,

       

      I'm hoping somebody might be able to advise on how I can achieve something I used to do, but is no longer possible since a recent update.

       

      Using the Map graph type, and making the data points transparent, I used to be able to make these really great and informative visuals:

       

      1.png

       

      However, since the recent update, the transparent data points are no longer cumulative. So it basically just picks the top layer of data points, then makes them transparent. So I get the following result:

       

      2.png

       

      Does anyone know how I might be able to get the graphic I used to be able to achieve?

       

      Thank you in advance! Any advice is greatly appreciated.

      • 178 Views
      • Categories: Formatting & Display, Maps & Geocoding
      • Tags:
        • 1. Re: Visualisation Graphics Change
          Sarah Battersby
          Sarah Battersby Employee Jan 17, 2019 10:46 AM (in response to Technology Team)

          What version of Tableau are you using? Were you just using the opacity option on the Color shelf? When I did a quick check with 2018.3, I see the expected behavior with individual point transparency being adjusted.

           

          Zoomed in on some points to see the overlap and transparency / overlap for example - I assume this is the type of behavior that you were expecting?

           

          -Sarah

          Tableau Research

          • 2. Re: Visualisation Graphics Change
            Technology Team
            Technology Team Jan 18, 2019 3:12 AM (in response to Sarah Battersby)

            Hi Sarah,

             

            Thanks for your reply!

             

            Yes that is the type of overlap / transparency I expect to see. You are correct in suggesting I was using the opacity option on the colour shelf. Is there an option I might have accidentally checked that changes the behaviour of the opacity?

             

            Version number is: 2018.3.2 (20183.18.1219.1533) 64-bit (mac)

            • 3. Re: Visualisation Graphics Change
              Sarah Battersby
              Sarah Battersby Employee Jan 18, 2019 10:34 AM (in response to Technology Team)

              That is the same version that I'm using.  I've tried various ways of aggregating and disaggregating and can't make my visualization show the same effect.  The only thing that gives me an all-around shift in opacity is when I have marks selected and the rest of the marks on the viz are adjusted as a group to put the focus on the selected marks.

               

              Is there any chance you could share your workbook with me so that I could try to recreate the problem and see if I can debug that way?

               

              -Sarah.

              • 4. Re: Visualisation Graphics Change
                Technology Team
                Technology Team Jan 21, 2019 11:20 AM (in response to Sarah Battersby)

                Hi Sarah,

                 

                Thanks for your help.

                 

                Do you mean you weren't able to make it create the affect of the first image? Or the second one?

                 

                I've attached some test data I put together so you can take a look. Although I'm pretty confident my Tableau must have just updated to a more recent version that made the method I was using before obsolete...

                 

                Let me know if you spot anything!

                • 5. Re: Visualisation Graphics Change
                  Sarah Battersby
                  Sarah Battersby Employee Jan 23, 2019 5:04 PM (in response to Technology Team)

                  I think I have figured out what is going on... it looks like all of your data is being rendered as a single line string.  When the opacity is applied it is applied uniformly to the line string as a single graphic (so it fades as one).  If you had multiple objects (whether line strings, polygons, or points), they will be faded individually.


                  I tested this out by adding some random 'line numbers' to your dataset and can get what I think is your expected result... but it only works when you can disambiguate the lines and can apply the opacity across multiples.  Image below and a workbook attached so you can try this out.  Look at the difference with the LineNo field on as detail and without.

                   

                  -Sarah

                  Tableau Research

                  1 of 1 people found this helpful