Period Plume: every field and setting explained
Every field well and every Format pane setting of Period Plume: what it does, the values you can choose and its default value, card by card, in pane order.
Lire en françaisThis page describes everything Period 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, and premium features carry a ★. For a guided first visual, see getting started.
The visual's fields
| Field (exact name) | Required? | How many fields | What to drag in (column or measure, type) | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Yes | 1 | A date column (Date or Date/time), or a column of years (whole number) | The filtered column; it forms the axis of the timeline | Calendar[Date] |
| Measure (trend) | No | 1 | A measure | Draws the timeline and feeds the comparison ★ | Revenue |
| Tooltips | No | Several | Measures | Added to the timeline's tooltip | Order Count |
| Preselection | No | 1 | A measure that returns a date or a range as text | Period selected when the report opens ★ | Preselected Period |
| Dynamic format | No | Several | Measures named card.setting | Drive a Format pane setting with DAX | — |
Date. The best choice is the Date column of a marked date table, used as Date and not as Date Hierarchy. Date/time columns are grouped by day (the time is ignored). The visual detects the pattern of your dates on its own:
| Your dates | The visual treats them as… |
|---|---|
| Any days | Daily data |
| All on the 1st of the month | Monthly data (boxes show "March 2024") |
| All on January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1 | Quarterly data |
| All on January 1, a column of years (2001, 2002…) or the Year level of a hierarchy | Yearly data (boxes show "2016") |
With yearly data, the presets become "Latest year," "5 years," "10 years" and "20 years," and the calendar is hidden. With monthly or quarterly data, presets shorter than one period are hidden and the others snap to whole months or quarters.
Measure (trend). A single measure. Can you put several series in it? No: the timeline draws one measure. To show others on hover, use Tooltips. The comparison ★ computed in the visual is for display; for the rest of the report, create measures such as Revenue LY.
Tooltips. The measures are added to the tooltip of each point on the timeline; the Tooltips card turns it on or off (formerly Trend timeline › Tooltip on hover).
Preselection. A measure that returns the period to select when the report opens, in ISO dates: "2026-01-01;2026-03-31". Computed example (the current quarter): Preselected Period = FORMAT ( DATE ( YEAR ( TODAY () ), 3 * QUARTER ( TODAY () ) - 2, 1 ), "yyyy-mm-dd" ) & ";" & FORMAT ( TODAY (), "yyyy-mm-dd" ). Premium feature ★; for common cases (last 30 days, this month, YTD), a free Shortcut in the Preselection card is enough, with no measure. Details in the shared basics.
Dynamic format: see the shared basics.
The Format pane settings
Header
The Header card sets the slicer's title line and its button to clear the period. When a rolling preset is active, a "Rolling" badge appears in it.
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows or hides the header line | On / Off |
| Text | Header text; left empty, it uses the field name | Free text (empty) |
| Size | Title size, in points | 7 to 36 (14) |
| Bold | Makes the title bold | On / Off |
| Italic | Makes the title italic. | On / Off |
| Underline | Underlines the title. | On / Off |
| Color (empty = text) | Title color; empty = the style's text color | Color (empty) |
| Background color | Fills the header row's background, like the native title background. | Color (empty) |
| Horizontal alignment | Puts the title on the left, in the center or on the right. When centered, the title stays in the middle even with the counter and the Clear button. | Left / Center / Right |
| Text wrap | A long title goes on two lines (breaking between words) instead of being cut with "…". | On / Off |
| Show divider | Draws a line under the header. | On / Off |
| Color (empty = lines) (appears if Show divider is on) | Line color. Empty: the style's line color. | Color (empty) |
| Line style (appears if Show divider is on) | Line pattern. | Solid / Dashed / Dotted |
| Width (appears if Show divider is on) | Line thickness, in pixels. | 1 to 6 (1) |
| Show value / selection count | Shows the filtered period in the header, for example "Jan 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025," as soon as a filter is active | On / Off |
| "Clear" button | Button that removes the date filter | On / Off |
| Clear button label (appears if "Clear" button is on) | Replaces the word "Clear" | Free text (empty = "Clear") |
Presets
The buttons for common periods. Each button has its own toggle.
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows or hides the row of buttons | On / Off |
| Standard presets | Master switch for the standard buttons that follow. Off: only the custom periods are shown. | On / Off |
| Last 7 days (appears if Standard presets is on) | Button for the last 7 days | On / Off |
| Last 30 days (appears if Standard presets is on) | Button for the last 30 days | On / Off |
| Last 90 days (appears if Standard presets is on) | Button for the last 90 days | On / Off |
| This month (appears if Standard presets is on) | From the 1st of the month to the reference date | On / Off |
| Last month (appears if Standard presets is on) | The whole previous month | On / Off |
| This quarter (appears if Standard presets is on) | The quarter of the reference date | On / Off |
| Last quarter (appears if Standard presets is on) | The whole previous quarter | On / Off |
| Last 6 months (appears if Standard presets is on) | The last six months | On / Off |
| Year to date (appears if Standard presets is on) | From January 1 to the reference date | On / Off |
| Last year (appears if Standard presets is on) | The whole previous year | On / Off |
| Last 12 months (appears if Standard presets is on) | The last 12 months | On / Off |
| All time (appears if Standard presets is on) | All dates (removes the filter) | On / Off |
| Custom periods ★ | Your named periods, one per line or separated by ;, in the format Label: start - end (yyyy-mm-dd or dd/mm/yyyy) | Free text (empty) |
| Reference date | Starting point of the presets: today, or the last date found in the data | Today / Last date in the data |
| Rolling preset (moves with each refresh) (appears if Reference date = Today) | Saves the preset as a relative date filter: "Last 30 days" is still the last 30 days tomorrow | On / Off |
| Position | Where the buttons go | Top / Bottom |
Tip: only presets counted from Today with Rolling preset (moves with each refresh) turned on move forward on their own. "This quarter," "Last quarter," custom periods ★ and any preset counted from the Last date in the data are sent as fixed periods.
Trend timeline
The small chart of the measure on which you draw the period.
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows or hides the timeline | On / Off |
| Granularity | Time step of the timeline (never finer than the data). Automatic: day up to 4 months of data, week up to 2.5 years, month up to 10 years, quarter up to 25 years, otherwise year | Automatic / Day / Week / Month / Quarter / Year |
| Granularity toggle in the visual | Shows buttons to change the granularity in the report (only relevant granularities are offered) | On / Off |
| Chart type | Shape of the timeline | Area / Line / Bars |
| Period color (empty = accent) | Color of the chosen part | Color (empty = the style's accent) |
| Outside color (empty = auto) | Color of the rest of the timeline | Color (empty = automatic) |
| Date axis | Shows the dates under the timeline | On / Off |
| Draw the period with the mouse | Lets you draw the period on the timeline | On / Off |
| Drag the period | Lets you shift the period as a block, keeping its length | On / Off |
| Snap to | Unit the handles snap to (never finer than the data) | Displayed granularity / Day / Week / Month |
Start and end dates
The From and To boxes, where you can type a date (15/03/2025, 2025-03-15, 15.03.25; the day/month order follows the language).
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shows or hides both boxes | On / Off |
| Format | How dates are written | Short (04/07/2025) / Medium (Apr 7, 2025) / Long (Mon, April 7, 2025) |
| Calendar on click | Clicking a box opens a calendar | On / Off |
| First day of the week | First day of the weeks in the calendar and of the Week granularity | Monday / Sunday |
| Show duration | Shows the length of the period ("30 days," "10 years") | On / Off |
| "From" label | Replaces the word "From" | Free text (empty) |
| "To" label | Replaces the word "To" | Free text (empty) |
Comparison ★
Compares the chosen period with a reference period, shown inside the visual. This card is off by default and needs a measure in Measure (trend).
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show ★ | Turns the comparison on | On / Off |
| Compare with ★ | The reference period: the same period one year earlier, or the period of the same length just before | Same period last year / Previous period |
| Comparison period on the timeline | Hatches the reference period on the timeline | On / Off |
| Numeric difference | Shows both totals and the difference in % (e.g. "401K vs 292K ▲ +37.2%") | On / Off |
| Last year / previous toggle in the visual | Adds a button to switch between the two references in the report | On / Off |
| An increase is good | Increase shown in the "favorable" color; turn it off when going down is good news (delivery times, returns): the colors swap | On / Off |
Number format
The format of the measure values written by the visual (comparison difference, tooltips).
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Display units | Shortens large numbers ("34.1K") | Auto / None / Thousands / Millions / Billions |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Digits after the decimal point | -1 to 6 (-1) |
| Prefix | Text before each number (for example "$") | Free text (empty) |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text after each number; add a space before "€" if you want one | Free text (empty) |
Behavior
The shape of the filter (Between, Before, After), when it is sent and the minimum length. The period on opening has moved to the Preselection card.
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Like the native date slicer styles. Between: a period with two handles. Before: everything up to a date. After: everything from a date (a single handle in both cases). | Between / Before / After |
| Apply the filter | Filter as soon as you release the mouse, or wait for a click on Apply (with Cancel) | On mouse release / With an "Apply" button |
| Minimum length (days) | Minimum length of a period | 1 to 366 (1) |
Preselection
Selects a date or a period when the report opens, in two ways: a built-in shortcut, with no DAX and free, or a measure dropped into the Preselection field that returns a date or a range in ISO dates ("2026-01-01;2026-03-31", premium feature ★, watermark without a key). If both are set, the measure wins. The details (measure format, bookmarks, persistent filters) are in the shared basics.
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Shortcut (no DAX) | Period selected at opening without writing any DAX (free). Rolling shortcuts stay relative date filters: the report reopened the next day moves forward one day. None: only the measure in the Preselection field counts. A report from an earlier version finds its Default period here. | None (measure only) / Today / Latest date in the data / Last 7 days / Last 30 days / Last N days / This week / This month / Previous month / Year to date (YTD) / Last 12 months |
| N (days) (appears if Shortcut (no DAX) = Last N days) | Number of days for the Last N days shortcut. | 1 to 3660 (30) |
| Apply | Once per session: the preselection applies the first time the slicer is displayed, then the reader is in control (if they change the selection, it doesn't come back when they switch pages). Reapply on every display: it comes back every time the page is displayed and whenever the measure's value changes. | Once per session / Reapply on every display |
| Force | Replaces an existing selection: saved in the report, recalled by a bookmark or by persistent filters. When off, that selection is kept and the preselection doesn't apply. | On / Off |
| Value separator | Character that separates the start and end of the range in the text returned by the measure ("2026-01-01;2026-03-31"). | Free text (;) |
| Report values not found (edit mode) | In edit mode, flags in the visual a measure whose text isn't a readable date. Readers never see this message. | On / Off |
Frame (extra option)
Here the Frame card has one more option than the standard version.
| Setting | What it does | Options (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent background | Removes the visual's background: you can see what's underneath (page background, shape). | On / Off |
Shared cards (Plume Studio License, Style, Frame, Language and numbers): see the shared basics.
Premium ★ features of this visual
| Feature | Where to set it |
|---|---|
| Comparison with last year or the previous period ★ | Format › Comparison ★ › Show ★ and Compare with ★ |
| Custom periods ★ | Format › Presets › Custom periods ★ |
| Preselection with a measure | Preselection field (the Preselection card's shortcuts are free) |
| Styles ★, palettes ★ and Theme JSON ★ | Format › Style (see the shared basics) |
Nothing is locked: without a key, these features work and show a discreet "Plume Visuals · Premium preview" watermark. Since the comparison is off by default, a freshly inserted visual shows no watermark. See the shared basics for the license.
Learn more
- Getting started with Period Plume: the data to prepare and a first visual, step by step.
- Period Plume: 8 how-to guides (last 30 days, year over year, seasons…): recipes for everyday needs.
- Getting started with Plume visuals: installation, license, styles and settings shared by every visual.
- The visual's page: Period Plume. A question? Support.