# Stream Plume: every field and setting explained

> Every field well and every setting of the Format and Analytics panes of Stream Plume: what it does, its possible values and its default value.

- Language: English
- Web page: https://plumevisuals.com/en/tutorials/stream-plume-champs-et-reglages
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Visual: Stream Plume, technical reference: https://plumevisuals.com/ai/visuals/stream-graph.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 Stream Plume offers: the field wells, then each card of the Format and Analytics panes, in the order they appear. Each setting's default value is in **bold**, premium features carry a ★. For a first guided visual, see the [getting started guide](/en/tutorials/stream-plume-prise-en-main). This page describes version 1.1 (reorganized Format pane: new **Gridlines** card, **Annotations ★** card replacing Events, shared player, time axis drill-down, free reference lines).

## The visual's fields

| Field | Required? | How many | What to drop | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time axis | Yes | 1 to 4 (hierarchy) | A date, year (number) or text column | The positions along which the streams flow; several fields form a hierarchy you can drill into | `Sales[Month]` |
| Streams (legend) | No | 1 | A text column | One stream per value | `Sales[Channel]` |
| Values | Yes | 1 with a legend, several without | Measures | The thickness of the streams | `Revenue` |
| Small multiples | No | 1 | A text column | One panel per value | `Sales[Region]` |
| Annotations (text) ★ | No | 1 | A text measure | A vertical marker with its text wherever it is not empty (formerly "Events (text) ★") | `Event` |
| Tooltips | No | Several | Measures | Added to the tooltip of the hovered stream | `Margin` |

**Time axis.** A date gives a continuous axis with calendar ticks (months, quarters, years); an integer between 1000 and 3000 is read as a year (no thousands separator); text gives a category axis in data order. **Format › Time axis › Axis type** = *Categorical* forces the latter.

**Drill-down.** Drag for example `Year` then `Month` into **Time axis**: the drill buttons in the visual header go down one level, back up, or expand everything, as in the native area chart.

**Streams (legend) or several measures.** With a legend, a single measure in **Values**; without a legend, each measure in **Values** is a stream (for example `Subscriptions`, `Services`, `Hardware`). Negative values count as zero, with a warning in edit mode.

**Large volumes.** The visual receives 30,000 rows, then asks Power BI for the next ones (up to 100,000). Beyond one point per pixel and a half, neighboring dates are grouped (average) and the tooltip shows the period "start – end".

Tooltips and Dynamic format: see [the common basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume).

## The Format pane settings

The cards are described in the order of the **Format** pane, followed by those of the **Analytics** pane.

The cards shared by all Plume visuals (**Plume Studio License**, **Style**, **Interactions** (shared settings), **Tooltips**, **Title**, **Source note**, **Frame**, **Language and numbers**) are described once in [the shared basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume): they are not repeated here. The background and rounded corners are set in the **Frame** card, and the **fx** button (conditional formatting from a measure) is available on every color and every text.

### Data colors

Chooses the color of each stream.

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Coloring | Color mode | ***Palette (one color per stream)*** · *Style gradient (largest to smallest) ★* · *Highlight streams ★* |
| Color | Shared color, when a single color is used | **empty** |
| Color (one row per stream) | Color of each stream, saved with it; **fx** button for a rule | **empty** |
| Highlighted streams | Which streams keep their color | ***Biggest risers*** · *Biggest fallers* · *Largest* · *Named streams* |
| Number of streams | How many streams are highlighted | 1 to 20, **2** |
| Stream names (separated by ;) | Streams to highlight | **empty** |
| Highlight color (empty = stream color) | One color shared by the highlighted streams | **empty** |
| Other streams color (empty = style gray) | Color of the other streams | **empty** |

Risers and fallers are measured between the first and the last point shown, or since the reference period when it is shown.

### Streams

The main card: layout and order of the streams, shape, fill, Top N.

**Layout group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Where the streams sit | ***Flowing streams (streamgraph)*** · *Centered on the axis* · *100% (shares of the total)* · *Stacked areas (from zero)* |
| Stream order | Bottom-to-top order | ***Largest in the middle*** · *By total (largest at the bottom)* · *By peak date ★* · *By name (A → Z, bottom to top)* · *Data order* · *Custom order* |
| Bottom-to-top order (names separated by ;) (appears if Stream order = *Custom order*) | Streams placed first; the others follow | **empty** |
| Reverse the order | Flips the stack | On / **Off** |
| Edge shape | How edges are drawn | ***Smooth*** · *Straight* · *Step ★* |

**Look group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Fill | Stream fill | ***Solid*** · *Gradient toward the present ★* · *Hatching (print, color blindness)* |
| Opacity (%) | Opacity of the solid fill | 10 to 100, **92** |
| Separator between streams | Thin line of the background color between two streams | **On** / Off |
| Separator width (appears if Separator between streams is on) | Width of the line between streams | 0.2 to 4, **0.8** |
| Left-to-right reveal | Animation when shown and when the data changes | **On** / Off |

**Top N and "Others" ★ group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Keeps the N largest streams and groups the rest | On / **Off** |
| N | Number of streams kept; the others are grouped | 1 to 50, **8** |
| "Others" label | Name of the stream that groups the others; empty = "Others" | **empty** |
| "Others" color (empty = gray) | Color of that stream | **empty** |

### Stream labels

Each stream's name, written inside the stream.

**Labels group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Writes each stream's name inside the stream, where it is thickest, without overlap; a stream that is too thin stays unlabeled (its name is in the legend and the tooltip) | **On** / Off |
| Content | Label text | ***Name*** · *Name and value at that point* · *Name and total* · *Name and share of the total ★* · *Name and change vs. the reference period ★* |
| Position | Where to place the label | ***Where the stream is thickest*** · *Near the end* · *Near the start* |
| Size follows stream thickness | The thicker the stream, the bigger the text | **On** / Off |
| Size (minimum when automatic) | Text size (minimum size when it follows the thickness) | 6 to 24, **10** |
| Maximum size (appears if Size follows stream thickness is on) | Text size in the thickest stream | 6 to 40, **15** |
| Color (empty = automatic) | Automatic: white or dark depending on the stream | **empty** |
| Bold | Bold labels | **On** / Off |
| Text halo | Thin outline that sets the text off the stream | On / **Off** |
| Hide the legend | Streams are named in the chart | On / **Off** |

**Numbers group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Display units | Shortens large numbers (values, totals) | ***Auto*** · *None* · *Thousands* · *Millions* · *Billions* |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Number of digits after the decimal point | -1 to 6, **-1** |
| Prefix | Text before the number | **empty** |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text after the number | **empty** |

A label is placed only if its text fits between the two edges of the stream over its whole width: never any overlap, and a stream that is too thin stays unlabeled.

### Edge values ★

This card writes each stream's value next to it, at the start and end of the chart. It is turned on by the toggle in its header.

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Value of each stream facing it, at the start and the end | On / **Off** |
| Sides | Where the values are written | ***Start and end*** · *End* · *Start* |
| Content | What is written next to each stream | *Value* · *Share of the total at that date* · ***Value, and change at the end*** · *Name and value* |
| Text size | Text size | 6 to 20, **9** |
| Color | Stream color, or text color | ***Stream color*** · *Text* |
| Display units | Shortens large numbers | ***Auto*** · *None* · *Thousands* · *Millions* · *Billions* |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Number of digits after the decimal point | -1 to 6, **-1** |
| Prefix | Text before the number | **empty** |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text after the number | **empty** |

### Time axis

This card sets the time axis. It is turned on by the toggle in its header.

**Values group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the ticks | **On** / Off |
| Size | Tick size | 6 to 24, **9** |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | Tick color | **empty** |
| Long labels | What to do with labels that are too long | ***Automatic*** · *Two lines* · *Tilted (45°)* · *Vertical* · *Truncated (…)* |
| Maximum room (% of the visual) | Maximum height reserved for the labels | 10 to 60, **30** |
| Axis line | Draws the axis line | **On** / Off |
| Axis type | Continuous: dates and numbers are spaced by their real gap | ***Automatic*** · *Continuous* · *Categorical* |
| Date format | E.g. `MMM yyyy`, `MM/yy` | **empty** |

**Axis title group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows an axis title | On / **Off** |
| Text (appears if Axis title › Show is on) | Title text; empty = measure name | **empty** |

### Y axis

This card sets the value axis, useful for stacked and 100% areas (a centered stream has no fixed zero). It is turned on by the toggle in its header.

**Values group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the ticks | **On** / Off |
| Size scale (flowing and centered streams) | Vertical marker "↕ 200K": the thickness of a round value | **On** / Off |
| Position | Axis location | ***Left*** · *Right* |
| Size | Tick size | 6 to 24, **9** |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | Tick color | **empty** |
| Display units | Shortens large numbers | ***Auto*** · *None* · *Thousands* · *Millions* · *Billions* |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Digits after the decimal point | -1 to 6, **-1** |
| Prefix | Text before the number | **empty** |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text after the number | **empty** |
| Axis line | Draws the axis line | On / **Off** |

**Range group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Start of the axis; empty = automatic | **empty** |
| Maximum | End of the axis; empty = automatic | **empty** |
| Number of ticks (approx.) | Approximate number of ticks | 2 to 20, **5** |

**Axis title group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows an axis title | On / **Off** |
| Text (appears if Axis title › Show is on) | Title text | **empty** |

### Gridlines

This card groups the guide lines (they used to be in the **Time axis** and **Y axis** cards), like the gridlines of the native area chart: **Vertical** at the time ticks, **Horizontal** at the Y axis ticks (stacked and 100% areas).

**Horizontal group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Horizontal guide lines, at the Y axis ticks | **On** / Off |
| Color (empty = style grid) | Line color | **empty** |
| Width | Line width (px) | 0.5 to 6, **1** |
| Line style | Look of the lines | ***Solid*** · *Dashed* · *Dotted* |
| Zero line | Stronger line at zero | **On** / Off |

**Vertical group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Vertical guide lines, at the X axis ticks | **On** / Off |
| Color (empty = style grid) | Line color | **empty** |
| Width | Line width (px) | 0.5 to 6, **1** |
| Line style | Look of the lines | ***Solid*** · *Dashed* · *Dotted* |

### Legend

This card sets the legend. It is turned on by the toggle in its header; it can be hidden when streams are named in the chart (**Stream labels › Hide the legend**).

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the legend | **On** / Off |
| Position | Location | ***Top*** · *Bottom* · *Right* · *Left* |
| Alignment (appears if Position = *Top* or *Bottom*) | Horizontal alignment | ***Start*** · *Center* · *End* |
| Legend title | Shows a title before the legend | On / **Off** |
| Title text (appears if Legend title is on) | Title text | **empty** |
| Size | Size of the series names | 6 to 24, **9** |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | Text color | **empty** |
| Click = select the series | Clicking a legend name selects the whole series and filters the report | **On** / Off |

### Annotations ★

This card (formerly "Events ★", in the Analytics pane) pins notes: a vertical marker on a date, a shaded period, or a note pinned to a stream's layer. Notes come from the list typed here and from the **Annotations ★** field; in edit mode, they can be dragged, edited with a double-click and removed with ×. It works like the annotations in Line Plume and Bump Plume.

**Content group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the annotations (also via the switch in the header) | **On** / Off |
| Annotations (one per line) | One line per annotation: `x | text` (vertical marker on the date), `x | stream | text` (note pinned to the stream's layer) or `x1..x2 | text` (shaded period). x = date (`2024-03-15`, `2024-03`, `2024`), number or category as displayed. Optional `#RRGGBB` color last; `\n` starts a new line | **empty** |
| Displayed content | What the bubble shows | ***Text*** · *Text and date* · *Text and value (stream)* |
| Edit on the chart (edit mode) | In edit mode, an "Annotate" button appears when you hover over the chart. Turn it off before publishing if you don't want to see it while editing; the annotations stay displayed | **On** / Off |

**Look group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Look of the annotation | *Bubble* · *Filled label* · ***Text only*** |
| Color (empty = secondary text or stream) | Annotation color | **empty** |
| Size | Size in points | 6 to 24, **9** |
| Bold | Bold text | **On** / Off |
| Maximum width (px) | Beyond this, the text wraps (4 lines at most) | 60 to 400, **160** |

**Marker and connector group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical marker text | Where the text of vertical markers is written | ***Top*** · *Bottom* · *None (line only)* |
| Line style | Look of the vertical markers | *Solid* · ***Dashed*** · *Dotted* |
| Width | Marker width | 0.5 to 6, **1** |
| Periods opacity (%) | Transparency of the shaded periods | 2 to 60, **10** |
| Marker on the stream | Small marker on the stream, where the note is pinned | **On** / Off |
| Connector | Line from the note to the stream | ***Line*** · *None* |
| Default position | Where to place annotations you haven't moved with the mouse. *Automatic* avoids lines, labels and axes | ***Automatic (no overlap)*** · *Above* · *Below* · *Right* · *Left* |
| Distance from the point (px) | Moves the bubble away from its point | 6 to 160, **18** |

### Navigator ★

This card adds a mini chart below the streams, with a movable window: wheel to zoom, double-click to see everything again. It is turned on by the toggle in its header.

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Mini chart under the streams, draggable window; wheel to zoom, double-click to see everything | On / **Off** |
| Height (px) | Height of the mini chart | 20 to 120, **38** |
| Window start when opened | Date, year, number or category (e.g. `2024-01`); empty = from the start | **empty** |
| Window end when opened | Same idea; empty = to the end | **empty** |

### Small multiples

This card sets the grid when a field is placed in **Small multiples**: one small stream chart per value.

**Grid group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Columns (0 = automatic) | Number of panels per row | 0 to 12, **0** |
| Spacing (px) | Space between panels | 0 to 60, **14** |
| Stream scale | Shared: the same value has the same thickness everywhere | ***Shared by all panels*** · *Independent per panel ★* |
| Panel border | Draws a border around each panel | On / **Off** |

**Titles group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Title of each panel | Writes the panel's value as its title | **On** / Off |
| Text size (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Title size | 6 to 24, **10** |
| Color (empty = text) (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Title color | **empty** |
| Total in the title (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Adds the panel's total to its title | On / **Off** |

### Playback ★

This card is now the shared Plume player (bar, speed, keyboard, autoplay): a cursor travels through time. The left-to-right reveal when the visual is shown (**Streams** card) stays free; guided playback is ★ (watermark without a key, never blocked). The former "Duration of a run" is gone: set the **Duration of a frame (ms)**.

**Playback group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Frame shown on opening | Frame shown when the report opens | ***The last one (most recent)*** · *The first one* |
| Duration of a frame (ms) | Duration of one frame at ×1 speed; the speed button multiplies it (×0.5 to ×4) for the session | 100 to 10000, **400** |
| Loop | Starts over after the last frame | On / **Off** |
| Play automatically on opening | Starts playing once when the report opens; never when animations are reduced (Style › Animations or system setting) or on a dashboard tile | On / **Off** |
| Animated transitions | Values, positions and colors glide from one frame to the next | **On** / Off |

**Play bar group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Play bar | Play button, slider and buttons of the play bar | On / **Off** |
| Bar position (appears if Play bar is on) | Location of the play bar | ***Bottom*** · *Top* |
| Tick marks (appears if Play bar is on) | Slider tick marks | ***Automatic*** · *Every frame* · *None* |
| Tick labels (appears if Play bar is on) | Values written under the slider tick marks | **On** / Off |
| Start and end buttons (appears if Play bar is on) | "Go to start" and "go to end" buttons | **On** / Off |
| Speed button (appears if Play bar is on) | ×0.5 / ×1 / ×2 / ×4 button (for the session) | **On** / Off |

**Large value group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Current value in large type | Writes the current play axis value in large type, as a watermark | On / **Off** |
| Large value size (appears if Current value in large type is on) | Size of the large value | 12 to 160, **44** |
| Large value position (appears if Current value in large type is on) | Corner where the large value is written | ***Bottom right*** · *Top right* · *Top left* · *Bottom left* · *Center* |

**More settings group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking at the cursor date ★ | Box with the top streams (value and share) at the cursor date, updated during playback | On / **Off** |
| Streams in the ranking (appears if Ranking at the cursor date ★ is on) | Number of streams in that box | 1 to 20, **5** |

### Interactions

The **Interactions** card has the settings shared by all visuals (**Highlight on hover**, **Dimmed items opacity (%)**, see [the shared basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume)) and adds these:

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical guide on hover | A vertical line follows the mouse and a single tooltip gives all series at the hovered date | **On** / Off |

### Tooltips

The **Tooltips** card is shared (**Show** toggle, see [the shared basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume)). Here it has these extra settings:

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Every stream at that date | One tooltip with every stream at that date; otherwise the tooltip details the hovered stream (value, share, rank, change, total of the date) | On / **Off** |

### Reference period ★

**Analytics** pane: shades a period (for example 2019, or 2020-01..2020-06) and compares each stream to its average over that period; the change shows in the tooltip, in the labels and for highlighted streams. The card had the same name in version 1.0, but its internal name changed (`refPeriod`).

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Compares each stream to its average over the period | On / **Off** |
| Start (date, year, number or category) | E.g. `2019`, `2020-01` | **empty** |
| End (empty = same period) | E.g. `2020-06` | **empty** |
| Label | Name of the period; empty = "Reference" | **empty** |
| Shade the period | Shades the period on the chart | **On** / Off |
| Color (empty = accent) | Shade color | **empty** |
| Opacity (%) | Shade transparency | 2 to 60, **10** |
| Change in the tooltip | Adds the change versus the reference period to the tooltip | **On** / Off |

### Reference lines

**Analytics** pane, a free feature (parity with the native area chart): three lines and one band on the Y axis, for stacked and 100% areas. The **Line 1**, **Line 2** and **Line 3** groups have the same settings; only the default for **Value** changes.

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Draws the line | On / **Off** |
| Value | How the line is computed, on the values of the chosen axis | *Constant* · *Average* · *Median* · *Minimum* · *Maximum* · *Percentile*; default: **Average** (line 1), **Constant** (line 2), **Median** (line 3) |
| Constant value (appears if Value = *Constant*) | Line value, in the unit of the measure | **0** |
| Percentile (appears if Value = *Percentile*) | Wanted percentile (90 = 90% of points below) | 1 to 99, **90** |
| Label | Text written on the line | **empty** |
| Show the value | Adds the value to the label | **On** / Off |
| Color (empty = accent) | Line color | **empty** |
| Line style | How the line is drawn | *Solid* · ***Dashed*** · *Dotted* |
| Width | Width | 0.5 to 6, **1.5** |
| Label position | Label location | ***End*** · *Start* · *None* |

**Reference band group**

| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Draws a colored band between two values (target zone) | On / **Off** |
| From | Low value of the band | **0** |
| To | High value of the band | **0** |
| Label | Band text | **empty** |
| Color (empty = accent) | Color | **empty** |
| Opacity (%) | Transparency | 2 to 60, **12** |

## Premium ★ features of this visual

| Feature | Where to set it |
|---|---|
| Style gradient, highlight (risers, fallers, largest, names) | Format › Data colors › Coloring |
| Gradient toward the present | Format › Streams › Fill |
| Top N and "Others" | Format › Streams › Top N and "Others" |
| "Change vs. the reference period" labels | Format › Stream labels › Content |
| Edge values | Format › Edge values |
| Independent scale per panel | Format › Small multiples › Stream scale |
| Navigator | Format › Navigator |
| Playback (play bar, autoplay) and ranking during playback | Format › Playback ★ › Play bar, Ranking at the cursor date ★ |
| Order by peak date, step edges | Format › Streams › Stream order, Edge shape |
| "Name and share of the total" labels | Format › Stream labels › Content |
| Reference period | Analytics › Reference period |
| Annotations (list, measure, notes pinned to a stream) | Format › Annotations ★, Annotations (text) ★ field |

## Going further

- [Getting started with Stream Plume](/en/tutorials/stream-plume-prise-en-main): the data to prepare and a first visual step by step.
- [Stream Plume how-to recipes](/en/tutorials/stream-plume-cas-pratiques): recipes for common needs.
- [Getting started with Plume visuals](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume): installation, license, styles and common settings.
- The visual's page: [Stream Plume](/en/visuals/stream-graph). A question: [support](/en/support).