# Waterfall Plume: every field and setting of the waterfall chart

> Every field and setting of Waterfall Plume, waterfall and price-volume-mix bridge: start, subtotals, grouping, effects, axes, with possible values and defaults.

- Language: English
- Web page: https://plumevisuals.com/en/tutorials/waterfall-plume-champs-et-reglages
- Published: 2026-10-18
- Visual: Waterfall Plume, technical reference: https://plumevisuals.com/ai/visuals/waterfall.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 Waterfall Plume offers: the field wells, then each card of the Format pane, in the order they appear. Each setting's default value is in **bold**, premium features carry a ★. For a first guided visual, see [getting started](/en/tutorials/pont-prix-volume-mix).

## The visual's fields

| Field (exact name) | Required? | How many | What goes in | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category (or Product) | No (without a category: one bar per measure) | 1 | Column | One step per value; the product of the price-volume-mix bridge | `Account` |
| Breakdown | No | 1 | Column | Explains the change from one category to the next (or splits each category) | `Channel` |
| Period (comparison) | No | 1 | Date, number or text column | Waterfall: change from one period to the next by category; price-volume-mix: the two periods compared | `Year` |
| Values (amount) | Yes | 1 (up to 30 without a category) | Measure | The amount of each step | `Total amount` |
| Reference value (budget, last year…) | No | 1 | Measure | Start = reference, one step per category = change to the reference | `Revenue budget` |
| Start value | No | 1 | Measure | Start bar (opening balance) | `Opening cash` |
| End value (check) | No | 1 | Measure | Measured end bar; a "Gap" bar shows what the steps do not explain | `Closing cash` |
| Quantity (price-volume-mix) | No (yes for the price-volume-mix bridge) | 1 | Measure | Turns on the price-volume-mix bridge | `Items sold` |
| Reference quantity (price-volume-mix) | Price-volume-mix without Period only | 1 | Measure | Quantities of the reference period | `Items sold LY` |
| Tooltips | No | Several | Measures | Added to each step's tooltip | `Invoice count` |
| Dynamic format | No | Several | Measures | Drives settings with DAX | see [the shared basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume) |

### Category (or Product)

One column, no hierarchy. In a waterfall, each value is a step, in model order ("Sort by column") as long as **Step order** is *Data order (model)*. In the price-volume-mix bridge, it is the level where price and mix are measured: at product level, a customer buying a more expensive item creates a mix effect; at category level, the same shift becomes a price effect.

### Breakdown

Like in Power BI's waterfall chart: with `Year` in Category and `Channel` in Breakdown, each year becomes a total, and the channels explain the change from one year to the next. **Waterfall › Steps › Maximum breakdowns** (5 by default) keeps the largest changes; the others go to "Others (n)". With **With a Breakdown** = *Split of each category*, each category is split into its items, one after the other. Without a Category, the Breakdown acts as the category.

### Period (comparison)

Without a quantity, the period gives totals (one bar per period) and the categories explain the change from one to the next. With a quantity, it gives the two periods of the price-volume-mix bridge (**Effects (price-volume-mix) › With a Period field, compare**). Dates and numbers are sorted; text keeps the data order. A date (in Category, Breakdown or Period) is written with the column's format, or readably when it is generic ("April 2025", "2025").

### Values (amount)

A single measure with a category. Without a category, each measure becomes a step, up to 30 (an income statement made of measures: Sales, Discounts, Purchases, Expenses). In the price-volume-mix bridge, it is revenue or margin; with a margin, the "price" becomes the unit margin.

### Reference value (budget, last year…)

With a category and no period: the waterfall starts from the reference total, each category goes up or down by its change (Values − Reference), and the end is the total of Values. This is the "budget to actual" or "last year to this year" bridge. In the price-volume-mix bridge without a Period, it is the amount of the reference period, together with **Reference quantity (price-volume-mix)**.

### Start value and End value (check)

One value each: if the measure returns the same value for every category (an opening balance), that value is used; otherwise, the sum over the categories. With an end value, if the start plus the steps does not land exactly, a **Gap** bar appears before the end bar, which carries the name of the end measure.

### Quantity (price-volume-mix) and Reference quantity (price-volume-mix)

A quantity measure (units sold) turns the visual into a price-volume-mix bridge as long as **Waterfall › Chart type** is *Automatic (from the fields)*. Each product's price is computed by the visual: amount ÷ quantity. Without a Period field, also add the **Reference quantity** and the **Reference value**: both are required.

### Tooltips and Dynamic format

See [the shared basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume). **Tooltips** measures are added to the tooltip of each step that matches a data row (not to "Others" or the totals).

## 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 Waterfall Plume, in the order of the pane. Color and text settings have the **fx** button: a measure or a rule can drive them.

### Data colors

Color means "favorable" or "unfavorable", not the category.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Increase (favorable) | Color of increases (formerly "Favorable effect") | color; **#2E7D4F** |
| Decrease (unfavorable) | Color of decreases (formerly "Unfavorable effect") | color; **#C0392B** |
| Total (empty = palette) | Color of the start, totals and end; empty: the style's main color if it clearly differs from increases and decreases, otherwise a neutral tint of the style | color; **empty** |
| Subtotals (empty = total) | Waterfall: subtotal bars and intermediate category totals. | color; **empty** |
| Other (empty = by direction) | The « Others (n) » bar of grouped steps or breakdowns, like the « Other » color of the native waterfall. | color; **empty** |
| A decrease is favorable (costs) | For costs or discounts: a decrease turns green and an increase red | **off** |

### Waterfall

Three groups: **Chart type**, **Steps**, **Start, subtotals and total**. In a price-volume-mix bridge, only **Chart type** appears. Settings appear depending on the fields in use.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Chart type | Waterfall or price-volume-mix bridge; automatic: price-volume-mix bridge when a Quantity is set | **Automatic (from the fields)** · Waterfall · Price-volume-mix bridge |
| Step order | Order of the step bars | **Data order (Sort axis)** · Value, descending · Value, ascending · Largest changes first · Name A → Z · Name Z → A · Custom list |
| Custom order | Step names separated by semicolons; steps not listed follow in data order; case does not matter (shown when Step order = *Custom list*) | text; **empty** |
| With a Breakdown | Change from one category to the next, or split of each category | **Change between categories (like Power BI)** · Split of each category |
| Totals compared | Which totals to connect | **All, one after the other** · The first and the last · The previous and the last |
| Maximum breakdowns | Number of items shown between two totals; the rest goes to "Others (n)" | **5** (1 to 50) |
| Group small steps | Groups small steps into "Others (n)" | **No** · Keep the N largest ★ · Below a % of the total ★ |
| Steps kept | Number of steps kept (shown when Group small steps = *Keep the N largest*) | **8** (1 to 50) |
| Threshold (% of changes) | Steps smaller than this share of the sum of all changes (in absolute value) are grouped (shown when Group small steps = *Below a % of the total*) | **2** (0 to 50) |
| Grouped steps label | Name of the "Others" bar; `{n}` = number of grouped steps | text; **empty** |
| Start label | Name of the start bar | text; **empty** |
| Show total | Computed end bar | **on** |
| Total label | Name of the end bar (shown when Show total = on) | text; **empty** |
| Subtotals ★ | "Step = Name": a subtotal named Name after the step; a step name alone: this step becomes a subtotal (running total); entries separated by semicolons | text; **empty** |
| Subtotal after each category ★ | A subtotal at the end of each category | **off** |
| Label of the gap to the end value | Name of the check gap bar | text; **empty** |

The start, total and subtotal settings are hidden when the Breakdown explains the change between categories, or with a Period: the totals are then the categories or periods themselves.

### Effects (price-volume-mix)

Shown only for a price-volume-mix bridge. Two groups: **Calculation** and **Labels**.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Break down by | One bridge by effect, or the change of each product | **Effect (volume, mix, price…)** · Product (change of each product) ★ |
| Effects shown | Mix separate or included in volume (shown when Break down by = *Effect (volume, mix, price…)*) | **Volume, mix and price** · Volume (mix included) and price |
| New and discontinued products | Separate bars, or added to volume (shown when Break down by = *Effect (volume, mix, price…)*) | **Separate effects** · Included in volume |
| With a Period field, compare | The two periods compared | **The first and the last period** · The previous and the last period |
| Products shown (bridge by product) | Products shown; the others go to "Others" (shown when Break down by = *Product (change of each product)*) | **8** (2 to 30) |
| Reference period | Names of the start and end bars | text; **empty** |
| Compared period | Names of the start and end bars | text; **empty** |
| Volume effect | Names of the effect bars | text; **empty** |
| Mix effect | Names of the effect bars | text; **empty** |
| Price effect | Names of the effect bars | text; **empty** |
| New products | Names of the effect bars | text; **empty** |
| Discontinued products | Names of the effect bars | text; **empty** |

### Bars

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Columns or horizontal bars (long names, many accounts), waterfall and price-volume-mix | **Columns (vertical)** · Bars (horizontal) ★ |
| Bar width (%) | Width of each bar in its slot | **62** (10 to 95) |
| Connector lines | Connect the end of a bar to the start of the next one | **on** |
| Connector style | Look of the lines (shown when Connector lines = on) | **Dotted** · Dashed · Solid |
| Connector color (empty = secondary) | Color of the lines (shown when Connector lines = on) | color; **empty** |
| ▲▼ arrows in labels | The direction is never shown by color alone | **on** |

### Data labels

Two groups: **Labels** and **Numbers**. Labels do not overlap: a label that gets in the way of another one is shifted, otherwise hidden (its value stays in the tooltip, written in full in the measure's format).

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Value above (or next to) each bar | **on** |
| Content | What is written; the percentage only appears with a start bar (start, reference, first total) | **Value and % of reference** · Value · % of reference |
| Position | Inside: the label moves outside the bar when it does not fit. | **Outside end** · Inside end · Inside center · Inside base |
| Size | — | **10** (6 to 24) |
| Color (empty = automatic) | Automatic: readable color depending on the background | color; **empty** |
| Bold | Bold labels | **off** |
| Italic | — | **off** |
| Text halo | Sets the text apart from the background | **on** |
| Display units | Thousands, millions…; *Auto*: each value gets its own unit ("−€31.4K" next to "€1.43M"), always with at least 2 significant digits | **Auto** · None · Thousands · Millions · Billions |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Number of decimals | **-1** (-1 to 6) |
| Prefix | Text before the value | text; **empty** |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text after the value | text; **empty** |

### Category axis

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Bar names; with many steps, every second or third name… (totals stay written) | **on** |
| Text size | Name size | **9** (6 to 24) |
| Color (empty = secondary) | Name color | color; **empty** |
| Axis line | Line under the bars | **on** |
| Axis title | Shows a title | **off** |
| Title text | Title text (shown when Axis title = on) | text; **empty** |

### Value axis

Three groups: **Values**, **Range**, **Axis title**. Gridlines now have their own card, **Gridlines**.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | **Values** group: Axis ticks | **on** |
| Position | Side of the axis | **Left** · Right |
| Size | — | **9** (6 to 24) |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | — | color; **empty** |
| Display units | Thousands, millions… | **Auto** · None · Thousands · Millions · Billions |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Number of decimals | **-1** (-1 to 6) |
| Prefix | Text before and after the numbers | text; **empty** |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text before and after the numbers | text; **empty** |
| Axis line | Axis line | **off** |
| Minimum | Empty = automatic. To keep the same scale when filtering: « Dynamic format » field, measure yAxis.min = CALCULATE ( [Measure], REMOVEFILTERS () ) (or ALL ( Table )). | text; **empty** |
| Maximum | Empty = automatic. To keep the same scale when filtering: « Dynamic format » field, measure yAxis.max = CALCULATE ( [Measure], REMOVEFILTERS () ) (or ALL ( Table )). | text; **empty** |
| Start at zero (otherwise: broken axis) | Off: the axis starts near the smallest bar so that small effects stay visible, and total bars show a break mark | **off** |
| Number of ticks (approx.) | Tick density | **5** (2 to 20) |
| Show | **Axis title** group. | **off** |
| Text | (shown when Show = on) | text; **empty** |

### Gridlines

The guide lines, like the gridlines of the native waterfall chart: value gridlines (horizontal with columns) and, in addition, lines between categories. These settings were in the **Value axis** card before version 1.4; existing reports keep them.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | **Value gridlines** group: Horizontal with columns, vertical with horizontal bars (the gridlines turn with the chart). | **on** |
| Color (empty = style grid) | **Value gridlines** group: Line color (shown when Show = on) | color; **empty** |
| Line style | **Value gridlines** group: Look of the lines (shown when Show = on) | **Solid** · Dashed · Dotted |
| Width | **Value gridlines** group. (shown when Show = on) | **1** (1 to 6) |
| Zero line | — | **on** |
| Show | **Category gridlines** group. | **off** |
| Color (empty = style grid) | **Category gridlines** group. (shown when Show = on) | color; **empty** |
| Line style | **Category gridlines** group. (shown when Show = on) | Solid · Dashed · **Dotted** |
| Width | **Category gridlines** group. (shown when Show = on) | **1** (1 to 6) |

### Legend

Hidden by default: colors read on the bars. When on, it names the colors (increase, decrease, total, and subtotal or other when they exist).

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Increase, decrease, total (and subtotal, other): like the legend of the native waterfall chart. | **off** |
| Position | — | **Top** · Bottom · Right · Left |
| Alignment | (shown when Position = *Top* or *Bottom*) | **Start** · Center · End |
| Legend title | — | **off** |
| Title text | (shown when Legend title = on) | text; **empty** |
| Size | — | **9** (6 to 24) |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | — | color; **empty** |

### Summary strip

Waterfall: "start → end" with ▲▼ and %, when there is a start. Price-volume-mix bridge: amount, quantities and average price, from the reference to the compared period.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Strip above the chart | **on** |
| Text size | Strip size | **12** (8 to 20) |

### Breakdown by product ★

Shown only for a price-volume-mix bridge: clicking (or pressing Enter on) an effect opens its split by product, as diverging bars; a product in the breakdown can be clicked (cross-filtering).

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Open on bar click | Offers the breakdown; when off, it is never offered | **on** |
| Position | Where the breakdown goes | **Automatic** · Right · Bottom |
| Products shown | Products shown; the others go to "Others" | **8** (3 to 30) |

### Tooltips

The common **Tooltips** card, with two settings specific to Waterfall Plume. Turn them off for a shorter tooltip.

| Setting | What it does | Options (default in **bold**) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Tooltip on hover (with the fields of the "Tooltips" well and report page tooltips). | **on** |
| Explanation sentence | A sentence that explains the step (change, volume, mix or price effect…), on several short lines. | **on** |
| Main contributor | For a step that groups several rows: the one that weighs the most, with its value | **on** |

## Premium ★ features of this visual

| Feature | Where to set it |
|---|---|
| Subtotals at chosen positions, "set as total" | **Format › Waterfall › Start, subtotals and total › Subtotals ★** |
| Subtotal after each category | **Format › Waterfall › Start, subtotals and total › Subtotal after each category ★** |
| Grouping of small steps into "Others" | **Format › Waterfall › Steps › Group small steps** |
| Horizontal bars (waterfall and price-volume-mix) | **Format › Bars › Orientation** |
| Breakdown of an effect by product on click (price-volume-mix) | **Format › Breakdown by product ★** |
| Bridge by product (price-volume-mix) | **Format › Effects (price-volume-mix) › Break down by** |
| Styles ★, palettes ★, JSON theme ★ | **Format › Style** (see the shared basics) |

Nothing is blocked: without a key, a ★ feature works and shows a watermark (a badge in edit mode, "Plume Visuals · Premium preview" over the visual in reading mode).

## Learn more

- [Getting started with Waterfall Plume](/en/tutorials/pont-prix-volume-mix): the data to prepare and a first visual, step by step.
- [Waterfall Plume how-to guides](/en/tutorials/waterfall-plume-cas-pratiques): recipes for common needs.
- [Getting started with Plume visuals](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume): installation, license, styles and shared settings.
- The visual's page: [Waterfall Plume](/en/visuals/waterfall). A question? [Support](/en/support).