Chord Plume: every field and setting explained

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 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)	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. 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)