Charts

Charts visualize data from your model. Use them two ways: as a reference while you build, and as finished visuals in dashboards and reports. A chart is generated from the rows, groups, or calculations you point it at, and updates as the underlying model changes.

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Where to use charts

There are two places to work with charts, each for a different intent. While modeling. Open Charts from the top-right corner of the model view to open a side drawer. Charts here stay in view as you build, so you can watch a trend or sanity-check a driver without leaving the model. Use them for analysis and reference, kept in close proximity to the numbers you’re editing. In dashboards. Add charts to a dashboard to present them, on their own or as part of a report. This is the path for anything you share with banks, investors, or the board.

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Chart types

Francis supports six chart types, split by what sits on the x-axis. The type you pick determines which settings apply. In every chart you visualize rows, groups, or calculations from your model. In time-series charts these inputs are called series; in categorical charts they’re called columns. Time-series charts plot values over time, with periods on the x-axis:

• Line: connected lines for trends and comparing trajectories across sources.
• Column: vertical bars per period for period-over-period magnitude.
• Stacked column: segmented columns showing composition and total per period.
• Stacked area: filled areas showing how composition flows over time.
• Combo: mixes columns and a line to compare measures of different scale.

Categorical charts use a fixed date range and compare values across units rather than over time:

• Waterfall: sequential movements bridging a start value to an end value.

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See in action