# Chord Plume: every field and setting explained

> Every field well and every Format pane setting of Chord Plume: what it does, its possible values and its default value, premium features included.

- Language: English
- Web page: https://plumevisuals.com/en/tutorials/chord-plume-champs-et-reglages
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Visual: Chord Plume, technical reference: https://plumevisuals.com/ai/visuals/chord.md
- If an option name in this tutorial differs from the technical reference, the reference is right (it is generated from the visual's code).

This page describes everything Chord Plume offers: the field wells, then each card of the Format pane, in the order they appear. The default value of each setting is in **bold**, premium features carry a ★. For a first guided visual, see the [getting started](/en/tutorials/chord-plume-prise-en-main) page.

## The fields of the visual

| Field | Required? | How many | What you drop | What it is for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | Yes | 1 | A column | The origin of each flow: one arc per value | `Origin region` |
| To | Yes, except for a matrix | 1 | A column | The destination of each flow | `Destination region` |
| Value (or one measure per destination) | No | 1 to 30 | One or more measures | The ribbon width; without To, each measure is a destination | `People moving` |
| Play axis ★ | No | 1 | A column (year, month…) | One diagram per period, played with transitions | `Year` |
| From group ★ | No | 1 | A column | The group of each origin (hierarchy) | `Exporter continent` |
| To group ★ | No | 1 | A column | The group of each destination | `Importer continent` |
| Tooltips | No | 5 | Measures | Added to the ribbon tooltip | `Average age` |
| Dynamic format | No | several | Measures named card.setting | Drives a setting with DAX ([common page](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume)) | `title.text` |

**From and To.** A name found in both columns forms a single arc (with the *Circle* shape). Blank values become "(Blank)".

**Value.** The rows of a pair are added up; several measures with **To** are added up too. Without a measure, each row counts as 1. Negative values are left out with a warning.

**Matrix.** Without **To**, drop at least two measures into **Value**: each measure is a destination named after the measure. Name your measures like the values of **From** so that a name forms a single arc.

**Play axis ★.** Dates and numbers are sorted; text keeps the data order ("Sort by column"). The period shown first is the most recent.

## The Format pane settings

The cards shared by every Plume visual (Plume Studio License, Style, Tooltips, Title, Source note, Frame, Language and numbers) and the two basic settings of the Interactions card are described in [the common basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume). Here are the cards specific to Chord Plume, in the order of the pane. Color and text settings have the **fx** button: a measure or a rule can drive them.

### Layout

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | A circle or two half circles | **Circle (one arc per name)** · Two half circles (From on the left, To on the right) ★ |
| Flow direction | How a ribbon shows both directions | **Automatic** · Both ways in one ribbon (each end = what it sends) · One ribbon per direction, with an arrow · Undirected (both ways added up) |
| Arc order | Order, clockwise | **Largest first** · Fewer crossings (partners side by side) ★ · Alphabetical · Data order (Sort by column) · Custom (list) · Net balance (gainers first) ★ |
| Custom order (separated by ;) | Names in this order, the others after them (shown when Arc order = *Custom (list)*) | text; **empty** |
| Start angle (degrees, 0 = top) | Where the first arc starts | **0** (0 to 359) |
| Clockwise | Reading direction of the arcs | **on** |
| Space between arcs (degrees) | White space between two arcs | **2** (0 to 20) |
| Arc thickness (px) | Width of the ring of arcs | **12** (2 to 60) |
| Circle size (%) | Shrinks the circle in the frame | **100** (40 to 100) |
| Names shown at most (the rest in « Others ») | The names that exchange the most keep their arc | **20** (2 to 60) |
| Flows to itself (A → A) | Moves inside the same name | **Show (loop on the arc)** · Hide |

With *Automatic*, the visual takes *Both ways in one ribbon* when every name sends something, otherwise *One ribbon per direction*. The value of an arc is what it sends (both ways in one ribbon), what it sends and receives (one ribbon per direction), or both directions without counting internal flows twice (undirected).

### Data colors

One color per name, the same in every period.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Coloring | Style palette or a single color | **Palette (one color per name)** · Single color |
| Color | The single color (appears with *Single color*) | color; **empty** |
| One color per name | Overrides the color of a name (fx button available) | palette color |

### Ribbons

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Ribbon color | Color of each ribbon | **Origin** · Destination · The stronger direction ★ · Gradient origin → destination ★ · Neutral (gray) |
| Opacity (%) | Ribbon transparency | **68** (5 to 100) |
| Ribbon outline | Thin darker edge | **on** |
| Outline color (empty = ribbon color) | (shown when Ribbon outline = on) | color; **empty** |
| Outline width | (shown when Ribbon outline = on) | **0.6** (0.2 to 4) |
| Arrow length (px) | With *One ribbon per direction* | **10** (0 to 40) |
| Hide ribbons below (% of total) ★ | Removes small flows (arcs keep their size) | **0** (0 to 20) |
| Highlight ★ | Names whose ribbons keep their color (separated by ;) | text; **empty** |
| Dimmed ribbons: opacity (% of opacity) | Ribbons set back by a highlight | **30** (5 to 100) |

### Indicator ring

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Ring around the arcs | Indicator drawn around each arc | **None** · Sent and received (share of each way) ★ · Net balance (received − sent) ★ · Change since the reference period ★ |
| Reference period | With *Change* (shown when Ring around the arcs = *Change since the reference period*) | **The previous period** · The first period |
| Thickness (px) | Maximum height of the bars | **10** (3 to 40) |
| Write the values (▲ ▼) | Value written along each bar when it fits | **on** |

*Change* needs a **Play axis ★** field: without it, nothing is drawn and a message says so.

### Groups (hierarchy) ★

Appears with a **From group** or **To group** field.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Outer group arcs | Arc carrying the group name | **on** |
| Space between groups (degrees) | Extra white space between two groups | **6** (0 to 30) |
| Group color, shades for its names | The names of a group in shades of one color | **on** |
| Text size | Group names | **9** (6 to 20) |

### Category labels

The names written around the circle, with their total (formerly the "Labels" card: existing reports keep their settings).

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Names around the circle | **on** |
| Placement | Where names are written | **Automatic (along the arc, otherwise radial)** · Along the arcs · Radial · Horizontal, with a leader line |
| Content | What is written | Name · Name and value · **Name and % of total** · Name, value and % |
| Text size | — | **10** (6 to 24) |
| Color (empty = text) | — | color; **empty** |
| Maximum label room (% of the visual) | Beyond it, text is shortened | **25** (10 to 45) |
| Text halo | Outline in the background color | **on** |
| Bold (name) | — | **on** |
| Italic | — | **off** |
| Display units | — | **Auto** · None · Thousands · Millions · Billions |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | — | **-1** (-1 to 6) |
| Prefix | — | text; **empty** |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | — | text; **empty** |

With *Automatic*, a name that does not fit along its arc goes horizontal with a leader line on a visual wider than tall, otherwise it is radial; labels never overlap (largest arcs first).

### Ticks

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Scale along the arcs | **off** |
| Scale in | Values or share of the total | **Values** · % of total ★ |
| Step (0 = automatic) | Gap between two written values | **0** (min. 0) |
| Text size | — | **8** (6 to 16) |
| Color (empty = secondary) | — | color; **empty** |
| Bold | — | **off** |
| Italic | — | **off** |
| Rotate values along the circle | Off: the tick values stay horizontal. | **on** |

### Playback ★

Appears with a **Play axis ★** field; card shared by the animated Plume visuals. The chosen period, playback and speed are never saved in the report.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Frame shown on opening | Period shown first | **The last one (most recent)** · The first one |
| Duration of a frame (ms) | At speed ×1 (the ×0.5 to ×4 button multiplies it for the session) | **1000** (100 to 10000) |
| Loop | Starts again at the end | **off** |
| Play automatically on opening | Once, never when animations are reduced | **off** |
| Animated transitions | Arcs and ribbons glide from one period to the next | **on** |
| Play bar | Play / pause, slider, start / end, speed | **on** |
| Bar position | (shown when Play bar = on) | **Bottom** · Top |
| Tick marks | (shown when Play bar = on) | **Automatic** · Every frame · None |
| Tick labels | (shown when Play bar = on) | **on** |
| Start and end buttons | (shown when Play bar = on) | **on** |
| Speed button | (shown when Play bar = on) | **on** |
| Current value in large type | Period written large, faintly | **on** |
| Large value size | (shown when Current value in large type = on) | **44** (12 to 160) |
| Large value position | (shown when Current value in large type = on) | **Bottom right** · Top right · Top left · Bottom left · Center |

### Interactions

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Highlight on hover | Dims the other ribbons on hover | **on** |
| Dimmed items opacity (%) | — | **25** (5 to 80) |
| Hovering an arc: ribbons shown | Direction of the ribbons kept when hovering an arc | **Sent and received** · Sent only · Received only |

## Premium features ★

| Feature | Where to set it |
|---|---|
| Play axis (animated transitions between periods) | Play axis ★ field, Playback ★ card |
| Two half circles | Format › Layout › Shape |
| Fewer crossings, net balance (order) | Format › Layout › Arc order |
| The stronger direction, gradient origin → destination | Format › Ribbons › Ribbon color |
| Hide small ribbons | Format › Ribbons › Hide ribbons below (% of total) |
| Ticks in % of total | Format › Ticks › Scale in |
| Highlight | Format › Ribbons › Highlight |
| Sent and received, net balance, change ring | Format › Indicator ring |
| Groups (hierarchy) | From group and To group fields, Groups card |
| 17 styles, palettes, JSON theme | Format › Style (shared card) |