How to Build a Custom Chart in PowerApps
Power BI gets all the buzz... and while Power BI creates some slick-looking visuals, Dynamics 365 Charts gets you closer to the structures holding your data so you can work with visual representations of your data on the fly. This makes for a useful tool to engage staff, segment your work visually, and center your data across your foundation.
These visuals/charts are interactive and let you quickly segment your data to drill into analysis, cleaning projects, or work purviews. Charts are designed to be a flexible visual tool to help you understand and engage in your data.
Navigate to the Table You Want to Visualize
Your chart needs to be built off of a system view and will respond to the criteria you specify once your data is visualized.
1. Choose which system view you would like to visualize.
2. Click Show Chart.
3. Click on the header to open existing system charts. These charts are a reflection of existing options in your table. Some tables do not have any available.
4. Click on the ellipses to see more commands.
5. To create a new Personal chart, select "New". This will launch make.powerapps.com. A personal chart is only visible to your user unless shared.
Important: make.powerapps requires specific user permissions.
Another method to launch make.powerapps:
1. Navigate to the waffle in the upper left-hand corner of your window and select PowerApps.
2. Select the appropriate table.
3. Select "Charts" under Data experiences.
Building Your Chart
Now that you're behind the scenes, here's where you will create a new chart or select an existing chart to edit. For creating a new chart:
1. Click on "+ New Chart". This will make a System Chart visible to anyone with permission to view this table's data.
2. Select the system view containing the data you want to reference/visualize. Again, this data can have criteria applied to it later.
3. Select the chart type you want to use.
4. If you want to show a subcategory within the total opportunity count, select the stacked feature.
5. Select your initial series or vertical axis, and your count specifics. Your options for axes are the columns on the table.
6. Click on Add a series if you want to add a second field to the axis.
6. If so, add a second field from the drop down.
7. Select the field you want for the opposing access or horizontal axis.
8. This field will auto-update based on your axes or you can type your name: "Opportunity & Stage by Opportunity Type".
9. Click on Save & Close.
Visualizing Your New Chart
1. Navigate to the entity and system view you want to visualize with your new chart.
2. Click on Show Chart.
3. Click on the name of your chart.
4. If you have multiple charts built off the same system view, you will see the additional charts.
5. To further specify your chart, use the "Edit Filters" in the view to narrow your data set. These criteria will be visualized in your chart.
6. Click on Apply.
Additional Chart Features
1. Click on More Commands.
2. Click on Expand Chart.
3. Click on a segment of your chart. This will also segment the view.
4. Click on More Commands.
5. Click on Close Fullscreen Control.
5. Click on the column chart for DONOR/PROSPECT BY OPPORTUNITY TYPE AND STAGE.
This is a great way to identify gaps in data standards. Click on the first record and Open Record set navigator. From here, you can isolate the segments represented in your visuals. This is a helpful tool for guiding staff to the records that need attention. You can change your criteria and you can adjust the order of columns.
1. Click on New.
2. Click on Dynamics 365 Dashboard.
3. Click on Choose Layout.
4. Click on Create.
5. Click on button.
6. Select Donor Opportunity from Record Type.
7. Click on Add.
8. Type "Visuals Dashboard".
9. Click on Save.
10. Click on Close.
