Bar Plume: every field and Format pane setting explained
Every field well and every setting in the Bar Plume Format and Analytics panes: what each one does, its possible values, its default value and premium features.
Lire en françaisThis page describes everything Bar 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, and premium features carry a ★. For a guided first visual, see getting started. This page describes version 1.4 (reorganized Format pane: new Layout and Gridlines cards, zoom slider, bar chart race ★).
The visual's fields
| Field (exact name) | Required? | How many fields | What to drag in | What it's for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Yes, in practice | 1 to 6 (hierarchy) | Column (text, date, code) | One bar per value; several fields form a hierarchy you can drill into | Region |
| Legend (series) | No | 1 | Column | Splits each bar into colored series (side by side or stacked) | Channel |
| Values | Yes | 1 or more | Measures | The number that is drawn; each additional measure becomes a series | Revenue or Revenue 2024 + Revenue 2025 |
| Small multiples | No | 1 | Column | Repeats the chart, one panel per value | Year |
| Target | No | 1 | Measure | A target marker per bar or per stack | Target |
| Label detail | No | 1 | Measure | A second number in the label of each bar | Growth 2025 |
| Lower bound (error bars) | No | 1 | Measure | Bottom of the error bar interval ★ | Revenue min |
| Upper bound (error bars) | No | 1 | Measure | Top of the error bar interval ★ | Revenue max |
| Play axis ★ | No | 1 | Column (year, date, ordered category) | Plays the chart frame by frame: the bar chart race | Year |
| Image (base64) ★ | No | 1 | Text measure (image as a data URI or base64) | One image per category in the bar chart race (flag, logo) | Flag |
| Tooltips | No | 1 or more | Measures | Numbers added to the tooltip | Target |
| Dynamic format | No | 1 or more | Measures renamed card.setting | Drives a Format pane setting with DAX | sort.n |
Category, Legend or several measures: the difference at a glance
This is the most frequent question. The three wells don't do the same thing:
- Category says where the bars are. One value = one slot on the axis. Three regions = three slots.
- Legend (series) says how to split each bar by a column. Each value of the column (Store, Web) becomes a series: a colored piece in each bar. A series is a group of bars of the same color, named in the legend.
- Several measures in Values draw several different numbers for each category. Each measure also becomes a series, named after the measure.
The same data, three ways to drag it in:
| You drag | What you see | The legend shows |
|---|---|---|
Category = Region, Values = Revenue | 3 bars, one per region | nothing (a single series) |
Category = Region, Legend = Channel, Values = Revenue | 3 groups of 2 bars: Store and Web in each region | Store, Web |
Category = Region, Values = Revenue 2024, Revenue 2025 | 3 groups of 2 bars: 2024 and 2025 in each region | Revenue 2024, Revenue 2025 |
Category = Region, Legend = Year, Values = Revenue | the same chart as the previous row | 2024, 2025 |
How do you choose between Legend and several measures?
- If what you compare is the values of a column (channels, years, product lines): use Legend. The chart follows the data: a new year or a new channel is added on its own.
- If what you compare is different calculations (revenue and margin, actual and plan, this year and last year computed in DAX): use several measures. You choose exactly which series appear and their names.
- A target doesn't go into Values: put it in Target. It becomes a marker on each bar, not one more bar.
Can you combine Legend and several measures? Yes, since version 1.3. With Legend = Channel and Values = Revenue 2024, Revenue 2025, each channel keeps its color, and each measure takes a shade of it. The layout designed for this case is Layout › Series = Stacked and clustered ★: one stack per measure (2024, 2025), split by channel (see the how-to guide "How do I stack by channel and cluster by year?"). In the other layouts, each channel × measure pair becomes a series: bars follow the legend order, each channel with its measures side by side (Store · Revenue 2024, Store · Revenue 2025, Web · Revenue 2024…).
How many series? Bar Plume reads up to 60 series. Beyond 6 to 8 colors, a chart becomes hard to read: prefer small multiples or a Top N.
Category: a hierarchy to explore
You can drag up to 6 fields into Category, for example Region then Channel. They form a hierarchy: a set of levels from the most general to the most detailed (see the glossary).
- At first, the visual shows the first level (the regions).
- The Power BI drill buttons, in the visual header, drill down one level (the channels of a clicked region), drill back up, or expand all down one level (each region with its channels).
- When the hierarchy is expanded, Category axis › Concatenate labels chooses how the labels are written: on, each column carries both levels together; off, the upper level (the region) is written only once under its columns.
- When sorting, the categories of the same group stay together.
Small multiples: the same chart, repeated
Drag a column into Small multiples: Bar Plume draws a small chart for each value of that column, in a grid. With Category = Region, Values = Revenue and Small multiples = Channel, you get two panels, "Store" and "Web", each with its three regions.
- By default, all panels share the same value axis: a bar twice as tall is worth twice as much, from one panel to the next. That's the right choice for comparing.
- Small multiples › Value axis = Independent per panel ★ gives each panel its own scale: useful when orders of magnitude are very different, but heights can no longer be compared across panels.
- Unlike native visuals, totals, Top N (computed within each panel), targets, variances and analytics stay displayed in each panel.
- Clicking a bar selects the category in that panel (category + panel value).
- Beyond Minimum panel height (px), the grid scrolls vertically.
Values
- One measure: one series, one color (or one color per category, depending on Data colors).
- Several measures: one series per measure, in the order of the field well (can be changed in Sort › Series order).
- Blank measure for a category: no bar. Negative value: the bar goes from zero downward (or to the left).
Target
One measure. Bar Plume draws a marker (line, dot or ghost bar) on each bar. With a Legend, the target is computed for each series; in Stacked, the target of the stack is the sum of the targets of its series. The tooltip adds the target and the variance in %.
Label detail
One measure, shown in the label of each bar, on a second line, next to the value or instead of it (Data labels › "Label detail" field). Example: revenue in large type and growth in % below. Labels must be shown (Data labels › Show). Use a numeric measure formatted in the model: the measure's format is reused ("+5.2%"), and a text measure is shown as is.
Lower bound and Upper bound (error bars)
Two measures that give the interval around each bar (uncertainty, forecast range). They are used when Analytics › Error bars ★ is turned on. Depending on Bounds, they hold the lower and upper values themselves, or deltas (±) to add to the value. With a single delta field, it is used on both sides.
Play axis ★ and Image (base64) ★: the bar chart race
Drag an ordered column (a year, a date) into Play axis ★: each value becomes a frame, and the Playback ★ card adds a play bar (▶, slider, speed). At each frame, bars glide, overtake each other and values count up to the new figure (Bar chart race ★ card). A text measure in Image (base64) ★ adds one image per category, for example a flag: the measure returns an image as a data URI ("data:image/svg+xml;base64," & …); web addresses are not accepted (Microsoft certification rule). Without a key, the race works and shows the ★ watermark.
Tooltips and Dynamic format
Tooltips: the added measures show on hover, after the category, the series, the value, the target and the detail. Dynamic format: a measure renamed card.setting drives any setting (example: sort.n). See the shared basics for both fields.
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, Tooltips, Title, Source note, Frame, Language and numbers) are described once in the shared basics: 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.
Layout
This card, the third in the pane, sets the overall shape of the chart: bar direction, series layout and the shape of each bar (these settings used to be at the top of the Bars card).
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | Direction of the bars | Automatic (based on room): horizontal bars when names are long or numerous, columns otherwise · Columns (vertical) · Bars (horizontal) |
| Series | How the series of the same category are laid out | Clustered (side by side) · Stacked: series sit on top of each other · 100% stacked: each stack takes the full height, the segments show the share · Overlapped: series are drawn in the same place, one in front of the other · Stacked and clustered ★: several stacks side by side per category · Diverging (centered on zero) ★: for agreement scales (Likert), negative answers go to the left, positive ones to the right |
| As % of the category (appears if Series = Diverging (centered on zero)) | On: each segment is a share of its category; off: in values | On / Off |
| Shape | How each bar is drawn | Bar · Lollipop (stem and dot) ★: a thin stem ending with a dot · Pill (rounded ends) ★ |
Data colors
This card decides how the bars are colored. It is dynamic: it shows one Color row per series (or per category), each with the Power BI fx button.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Coloring | General color rule | Palette (one color per series): each series takes the next color of the style · Single color: all bars in the same color · One color per category: each bar has its own color, set one by one · Gradient by value ★: the higher the value, the further the color moves along the gradient palette · Highlight one bar ★: one bar in color, the others in gray |
| Color (single color) | Color of all bars with Single color | empty (style accent) |
| Color (one row per series or per category) | Color of each series, or of each category with One color per category; fx button for a rule | empty (palette color) |
| Negative values (empty = same color) | Color of negative bars | empty |
| Highlighted bar | Which bar to color | Largest · Smallest · First · Last · Named category |
| Category name | Exact name of the category to highlight | empty |
| Highlight color (empty = accent) | Color of the highlighted bar | empty |
| Other bars color (empty = style gray) | Color of the bars that are not highlighted | empty |
With a Legend and several measures, each measure takes a shade of its series' color.
Per-series settings
This card sets each series separately. At the top of the card, the Power BI Apply settings to list lets you choose All series or a specific series.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Data labels | Shows or hides the labels of this series only | Same as the Labels card · Shown · Hidden |
| Label position | Position of the labels of this series | Same as the Labels card · Automatic · Outside end · Inside end · Center · Inside base |
| Label color (empty = Labels card) | Text color of the labels of this series | empty |
| Opacity (%, 0 = Bars card) | Transparency of this series | 0 to 100, 0 (uses Bars › Opacity (%)) |
| Relative width (%, 0 = automatic) | In Overlapped: width of the series relative to the room (a thin bar in front of a wide one) | 0 to 100, 0 |
| Stack (stacked and clustered) | Stack this series goes into, in Stacked and clustered ★ | Automatic (one per measure) · Stack 1 to Stack 6 |
| Side (diverging) | Side of this series, in Diverging ★ | Automatic (first half on the left) · Negative (left / bottom) · Positive (right / top) · Neutral (across zero) |
Bars
This card sets the width, spacing and look of the bars.
Width and spacing group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Bar width | Width relative to the available room, or fixed in pixels | Relative to the room · Fixed (px) |
| Bar thickness (%) (appears if Bar width = Relative to the room) | Share of the room taken by the bar; the rest is the space between categories | 10 to 100, 70 |
| Maximum width (px, 0 = no limit) (appears if Bar width = Relative to the room) | Keeps bars from becoming huge when there are few categories | 0 to 400, 0 |
| Width (px) (appears if Bar width = Fixed (px)) | Exact width of each bar | 2 to 300, 24 |
| Gap between series (%) (appears if Layout › Series = Clustered (side by side) or Stacked and clustered) | Space between the bars of the same group; a negative value makes them partly overlap | -50 to 50, 6 |
| Gap between segments (px) (appears if Layout › Series = Stacked, 100% stacked, Stacked and clustered or Diverging (centered on zero)) | Thin separation between the segments of a stack | 0 to 12, 0 |
| Outer padding (% of a category) | Space before the first and after the last category | 0 to 100, 0 |
| End rounding | Rounds the end of the bars | 0 to 20, 2 |
| Dot size (appears if Layout › Shape = Lollipop (stem and dot)) | Diameter of the lollipop dot | 4 to 30, 10 |
| Minimum thickness before scrolling (px) | Below this thickness, the bar area scrolls instead of making the bars thinner; the value axis stays fixed | 6 to 80, 16 |
| Initial scroll position | Starting position when the bars scroll | Start · End (last categories): useful to see the latest months first |
| Opacity (%) | Transparency of all bars | 10 to 100, 100 |
| Outline | Draws an outline around each bar | On / Off |
| Outline color (empty = style stroke) (appears if Outline is on) | Outline color | empty |
Overlap group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing order | Which series is in front | Largest behind: no bar hides another · Series order |
| Following series narrower | Each series is narrower than the previous one: actual inside plan, this year inside last year | On / Off |
Track and ribbons group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Track behind bars | A light bar up to the maximum, behind each bar ("gauge" effect) | On / Off |
| Ribbons between stacks (appears if Layout › Series = Stacked or 100% stacked) | Links each series from one stack to the next, like Power BI ribbons | On / Off |
| Ribbon opacity (%) (appears if Layout › Series = Stacked or 100% stacked) | Transparency of the ribbons | 5 to 90, 25 |
Data labels
This card writes the numbers on the bars. It is turned on with the toggle in its header or with Show.
Labels group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the labels | On / Off |
| Content | What is written | Value · Share (of the stack, else of the total) · Share of the category · Share of the grand total · Value and share · Value and share of the category · Category · Series · Category and value · Series and value |
| Position | Location relative to the bar | Automatic · Outside end · Inside end · Center · Inside base |
| Hide below (% of the category) | Hides the labels of segments smaller than this share of their category (0 = all shown) | 0 to 50, 0 |
| Overflow text | In stacked layouts: the label of a segment that is too short is shown anyway (otherwise it is hidden) | On / Off |
| "Label detail" field | Placement of the number from the Label detail field | On a second line · Next to the value · Instead of the value |
| Text orientation | Direction of the text | Horizontal · Vertical (columns) |
| Label background | Puts a background behind each label | On / Off |
| Background color (empty = visual background) (appears if Label background is on) | Color of that background | empty |
| Background opacity (%) (appears if Label background is on) | Transparency of that background | 5 to 100, 85 |
| Size | Size of the labels | 6 to 24, 10 |
| Color (empty = automatic) | Text color; automatic = readable depending on the background (white or dark inside bars) | empty |
| Bold | Makes the labels bold | On / Off |
| Text halo | Thin outline that sets the text apart from the background | On / Off |
| Hide overlapping labels | Removes labels that overlap | On / Off |
Totals group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Total at the end of stacks (appears if Layout › Series = Stacked or Stacked and clustered) | Writes the total of each stack (one total per stack in stacked and clustered) | On / Off |
| Positive and negative apart (appears if Layout › Series = Stacked or Stacked and clustered) | With negative values: one total at each end of the stack, rather than the net total | On / Off |
| Total at the end of 100% bars ★ (appears if Layout › Series = 100% stacked) | Writes the actual total of each category, as a value, at the end of the 100% bar | On / Off |
| Bold totals | Makes the totals bold | On / Off |
| Totals color (empty = text) | Color of the totals | empty |
Numbers group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 (type a space before "€" if you want one) | empty |
Category axis
This card sets the axis that carries the category names. It is turned on with the toggle in its header.
Values group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the category names | On / Off |
| Size | Size of the names | 6 to 24, 9 |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | Color of the names | empty |
| Long labels | What to do with names that are too long | Automatic · Two lines · Tilted (45°) · Vertical · Truncated (…) |
| Maximum room (% of the visual) | Maximum room reserved for the names | 10 to 60, 30 |
| Axis line | Draws the axis line | On / Off |
| Show every label | Skips none, even when categories are tight | On / Off |
| Concatenate labels | Expanded hierarchy: on, the levels are written together on each bar; off, the upper level is written under its columns, once per group | On / Off |
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 = field name | empty |
Value axis
This card sets the axis graduated in numbers. It is turned on with the toggle in its header.
Values group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows the ticks | On / Off |
| Size | Size of the ticks | 6 to 24, 9 |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | Color of the ticks | empty |
| Display units | Shortens large numbers | Auto · None · Thousands · Millions · Billions |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Digits after the decimal point (auto: based on the tick interval) | -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) |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | How the ticks are spread | Linear · Logarithmic (each tick multiplies by 10: for values that span a very wide range) |
| Minimum | Start of the axis; empty = automatic | empty |
| Maximum | End of the axis; empty = automatic | empty |
| Always include zero (appears if Scale = Linear) | Starts the axis at zero, so that lengths stay honest | On / Off |
| Number of ticks (approx.) | Approximate number of ticks | 2 to 20, 5 |
| Invert axis | The bars go the other way | On / Off |
| Round range | Rounds the computed bounds to a round tick; when off, the axis stops at the extreme values | On / Off |
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 |
Gridlines
This card groups the guide lines of both axes (they used to be in the Value axis and Category axis cards), like the gridlines of the native visuals.
Value axis group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Guide lines along the value axis | 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 |
Category axis group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Guide lines between categories | 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, shown when the chart has several series. It is turned on with the toggle in its header.
| 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 in front of 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 name in the legend selects the whole series and filters the report | On / Off |
Sort
This card orders the categories (the order of the bars) and the series (the order in stacks, groups and the legend).
Categories group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Sort by | Order of the bars | Value, descending · Value, ascending · Category A → Z · Category Z → A · One series' value, descending · One series' value, ascending · Model order: keeps the order of the field (dates, months, sort-by column) |
| Series name (appears if Sort by = One series' value, descending or One series' value, ascending) | Series whose value is used for sorting (e.g. "Web") | empty |
| Natural sort (2 before 10) | Sorts numbers inside text as numbers ("M2" before "M10") | On / Off |
| Top N ★ | Keeps only the N largest categories | On / Off |
| N (appears if Top N ★ is on) | Number of categories kept | 1 to 500, 10 |
| Group the rest into "Others" (appears if Top N ★ is on) | Adds an "Others" bar that is the sum of the remaining categories; clicking it selects them | On / Off |
| "Others" label (appears if Top N ★ is on) | Text of that bar (e.g. "Other products") | empty ("Others") |
Series group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Series order | Order of the series in stacks, groups and the legend; colors stay with their series | Model order · Name A → Z · Name Z → A · Total, descending · Total, ascending · Custom |
| Names in order (separated by ;) (appears if Series order = Custom) | List of series in the desired order, e.g. Web; Store; series missing from the list follow in model order | empty |
| Reverse order | Reverses the resulting order | On / Off |
| Legend in the visual order of stacks | In stacked columns: the legend follows the top-to-bottom order of the segments | On / Off |
Target
This card sets the marker drawn when a measure is placed in Target.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Marker | Shape of the marker | Line · Dot · Ghost bar: the dotted outline of the bar to reach |
| Color (empty = text) | Marker color | empty |
| Width | Line width | 1 to 6, 2 |
| Variance to target | Shows the variance at the end of each bar (e.g. "+4.2%") | None · In % ★ · In value ★ |
| Color when reached (appears if Variance to target = In % or In value) | Color of the variance when the target is reached | #2E7D4F (green) |
| Color when missed (appears if Variance to target = In % or In value) | Color when it isn't | #C0392B (red) |
| Lower is better (appears if Variance to target = In % or In value) | For costs or lead times: being below the target becomes the good news (the colors are swapped, the sign stays) | On / Off |
Variance arrows ★
This card draws variance arrows between columns, for example from one month to the next or from last year to this year. It is turned on with the toggle in its header. The compared values are the total of each category (the value itself with a single series).
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show ★ | Shows the variance arrows | On / Off |
| Compare | What is compared | Each category to the previous one · The last category to the first one · 2nd series to the 1st, within each group (this year vs. last year, actual vs. plan) |
| Show the variance | Form of the number | In % · In value · In value and % |
| Increase color | Color of positive variances | #2E7D4F |
| Decrease color | Color of negative variances | #C0392B |
| Decrease is good | Swaps the meaning of the colors (costs, lead times) | On / Off |
| Text size | Size of the variance number | 6 to 20, 9 |
Zoom
This card adds a zoom slider below the category axis, like in the native visuals: drag its two handles to show only a range of categories (mouse or keyboard; double-click the band to see everything again). It is turned on by the toggle in its header.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom slider | Shows the two-handle slider below the category axis; its position is not saved in the report | On / Off |
| Slider labels | Writes the first and last categories of the visible range | On / Off |
| Height (px) | Height of the slider | 14 to 48, 22 |
Small multiples
This card sets the grid when a field is placed in Small multiples.
Grid group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Columns (0 = automatic) | Number of panels per row | 0 to 12, 0 |
| Minimum panel height (px) | Below that, the grid scrolls vertically | 40 to 600, 80 |
| Spacing (px) | Space between panels | 0 to 60, 14 |
| Value axis | Scale of the panels | Shared by all panels · Independent per panel ★ |
| Axes on outer panels only (appears if Value axis = Shared by all panels) | Writes the axes only on the outer panels, to save room | On / Off |
| 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 value ("Store") | On / Off |
| Text size (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Size of the titles | 6 to 24, 10 |
| Color (empty = text) (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Color of the titles | empty |
| Alignment (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Alignment of the titles | Start · Center |
| Total in the title (appears if Title of each panel is on) | Adds the panel total to its title | On / Off |
Playback ★
The shared Plume player. It appears when a field is placed in Play axis ★ (a year, a date, an ordered category): each value of this field becomes a frame, and the visual plays them in turn. That field is what shows the ★ watermark without a key, not the settings of this card.
| 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, 900 |
| 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 | 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 |
| 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 |
Bar chart race ★
This card turns the chart into a bar chart race when a field is placed in Play axis ★: at each frame, bars glide, overtake each other and values count up to the new figure. Each category keeps its color from one frame to the next.
Ranking group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Bar order | Ranking: bars swap places when a category overtakes another; fixed order: the Sort card order is kept | Ranking at each frame (re-sort) · Fixed order (Sort card) |
| Bars shown (Top N of each frame) | Number of bars shown at each frame (the top N of that frame) | 1 to 60, 10 |
| Value scale | Fitted: the largest bar of each frame takes all the room; shared: the same scale for every frame, to see growth | Fitted to each frame · Shared by all frames |
| In-between values during the transition | Bars and labels count from one value to the next (otherwise they jump to the new value) | On / Off |
Look group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Values at the end of bars | Writes the value at the end of each bar; number format: Data labels card (units, decimals, prefix, suffix) | On / Off |
| Category names | Where each category name is written | On the axis · Inside the bar · At the end of the bar |
| Category images | Shows the image from the Image (base64) ★ field next to each bar (data URI or base64; web addresses are refused) | On / Off |
| Image shape (appears if Category images is on) | Crop of the image | Circle · Rounded square |
| Frame total under the large value | Writes the total of all the frame's bars under the large value | On / Off |
Reference lines ★
Analytics pane (the magnifying glass icon in the Visualizations pane): up to three lines and one band. They work with every layout (Power BI only offers them for clustered bars). The Line 1, Line 2 and Line 3 groups have the same 10 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 | Constant · Average · Median · Minimum · Maximum · Percentile · "Target" field (average); default: Average (line 1), Constant (line 2), Median (line 3) |
| Constant value (appears if Value = Constant) | Value of the line | 0 |
| Percentile (appears if Value = Percentile) | Desired percentile (90 = 90% of the bars are 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 | Look of the line | Solid · Dashed · Dotted |
| Width | Line width | 0.5 to 6, 1.5 |
| Label position | Location of the label | End · Start · None |
Reference band group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Draws a colored band between two values (tolerance zone) | On / Off |
| From | Lower value of the band | 0 |
| To | Upper value of the band | 0 |
| Label | Text of the band | empty |
| Color (empty = accent) | Color | empty |
| Opacity (%) | Transparency | 2 to 60, 12 |
Error bars ★
Analytics pane (toggle in the header): a whisker with caps, or a band, around each bar. In stacked layouts, on the stack total.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show ★ | Draws the error bars | On / Off |
| Bounds | Where the bounds come from | Lower / Upper bound fields (values): the measures give the bottom and the top · Lower / Upper bound fields (± deltas): they give the delta to subtract and to add · Percentage of the value |
| Percentage (±) (appears if Bounds = Percentage of the value) | Width of the interval | 0 to 100, 10 |
| Color (empty = text) | Color | empty |
| Width | Line width | 0.5 to 6, 1.5 |
| Cap width (px) | Width of the small lines at the ends | 0 to 40, 8 |
| Shaded band instead of whiskers | Replaces the whiskers with a shaded area | On / Off |
Trend ★
Analytics pane (toggle in the header): a linear trend line.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show ★ | Draws the trend line | On / Off |
| Computed on | Data used | Category totals · Each series (clustered, overlapped) |
| Color (empty = text or series) | Color | empty |
| Line style | Look of the line | Solid · Dashed · Dotted |
| Width | Line width | 0.5 to 6, 1.5 |
| Slope at the end of the line | Writes the slope (change per category) at the end of the line | On / Off |
Premium ★ features of this visual
| Feature | Where to set it |
|---|---|
| Stacked and clustered, diverging | Layout › Series: Stacked and clustered ★, Diverging (centered on zero) ★ |
| Lollipops and pills | Layout › Shape: Lollipop (stem and dot) ★, Pill (rounded ends) ★ |
| Gradient by value, highlighting one bar | Data colors › Coloring: Gradient by value ★, Highlight one bar ★ |
| Top N with "Others" | Sort › Top N ★ |
| Variance to target | Target › Variance to target: In % ★, In value ★ |
| Variance arrows between columns | Variance arrows ★ › Show ★ |
| Actual total of 100% bars | Data labels › Total at the end of 100% bars ★ |
| Independent axis per small multiple | Small multiples › Value axis: Independent per panel ★ |
| Reference lines and band | Analytics pane › Reference lines ★ |
| Error bars | Analytics pane › Error bars ★ |
| Trend line | Analytics pane › Trend ★ |
| Animated bar chart race | Play axis ★ field, Playback ★ and Bar chart race ★ cards; Image (base64) ★ field |
| 17 styles (out of 20), advanced gradient palettes, Theme JSON | Style |
Nothing is blocked: without a key, a ★ feature works normally and displays a discreet watermark; see the shared basics for the license and the pricing.
Learn more
- Getting started with Bar Plume: the data to prepare and a first visual, step by step.
- Bar Plume how-to guides: recipes for common needs.
- Getting started with Plume visuals: installation, license, styles and shared settings.
- The visual's page: Bar Plume. A question? Support.