Scalar visualization (SmartViz)

Important

This feature is in beta and subject to change. Reach out to support with any issues.

The Scalar visualization displays one or more values as large numbers, for KPIs where the number itself is the message. Each value is drawn in its own box, and you can map a comparison column to show the change against a previous value.

When to use a scalar

A scalar is for the number someone needs to read from across the room. Use it where the value is the message and its context can live elsewhere on the dashboard.

Counts and totals are the usual candidates: open incidents from PagerDuty Incidents / Active, month-to-date spend from Azure Cost, or failed builds from Azure DevOps Task Failures.

Map a comparison column to show movement against a previous period, which is usually what turns a bare number into something actionable.

Where the number only means something against a target or a limit, use a Gauge or Bullet.

Try it out

Change the settings below and see how the chart updates. Select a dataset from the dropdown to see different use cases.

Interactive example
Showing

Revenue this month against last month, where a rise is the good outcome. The arrow points up and turns green as the number grows.

$118,000
Revenue this month
▲ 13.5% vs. last period
Scalar: Revenue this month: up from last period, which is an improvement

Scalar settings

Data mapping

Setting
Description
Values
Required. Select the numeric columns to display. Select as many as you need; each becomes its own box.
Label
Select the column providing the text shown alongside each value.
Comparison
Select a numeric column holding the previous value, used to calculate and display a delta.

Scalar

Setting
Description
Box Width (px)
Enter a fixed width for each box, from 50 to 800. Leave empty to fit the boxes to the tile.
Box Height (px)
Enter a fixed height for each box, from 30 to 600. Leave empty to fit the boxes to the tile.
Label Position
Select where the label sits relative to the value. Choose from: Top, Bottom, Left, Right, or None.
Show Row Count
Enable to show the number of rows in the data instead of the mapped values.
Label Text
Enter custom text for the label, used when no Label column is mapped.
Value Color
Choose the text color for the value.
Delta Positive Color
Choose the color to use when the comparison delta is positive.
Delta Negative Color
Choose the color to use when the comparison delta is negative.
Font Size (px)
Enter a fixed font size for the value, from 8 to 400. When set, every box uses the same size instead of auto-fitting to the tile.

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