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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Actuals and forecast styling

Within a series, periods sourced from actuals render in the full series color and periods sourced from budget or forecast render semi-transparent. Lines are solid for actuals and dashed for budget or forecast. The split follows the last close date. This is automatic and can’t be turned off. Color sets the base color and the styling is applied on top, so fixing a color won’t make every period render identically. For one uniform color across the range, point the series at a single source.

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See in action