Waffle Plume: every field and setting of the Format pane
Complete reference of Waffle Plume: the eight fields, every setting of the Data colors, Layout, Cells, Headline value, Target, Legend, Playback and Interactions cards.
Lire en françaisThis page describes every field and every setting specific to Waffle Plume, with its exact labels and its default value (in bold). The cards shared by all Plume visuals (Plume Studio License, Style, Tooltips, Title, Source note, Frame, Language and numbers) are explained in Getting started with Plume visuals. This page describes version 1.1 (Layout card placed before the colors, new Category labels card, headline value in Parts mode).
The fields of the visual
| Field | Required? | How many | What goes in | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | No | 1 | A column (text, number, date) | The parts of the waffle (or one waffle per value in Percentage mode) | Channel |
| Value | No (without it: rows are counted) | 1 to 6 | Measures | What the waffle shows; without Category, each measure is a part | Revenue, Success rate |
| Total (100%) | No | 1 | A measure | What fills the whole waffle: the percentage is value ÷ total | Answers received |
| Target ★ | No | 1 | A measure | Target cell circled, missing cells dashed | Coverage goal |
| Small multiples ★ | No | 1 | A column | One waffle per value, each with the parts of the Category | Region |
| SVG icon ★ | No | 1 | A text measure | The shape of the cells of each category | Channel icon |
| Play axis ★ | No | 1 | A column (year, date, ordered text) | One value at a time, with a play bar: cells fill or empty from one frame to the next | Year |
| Tooltips | No | 5 | Measures | Extra lines in the tooltip | Margin |
| Dynamic format | No | several | Measures named card.setting | Drive a setting with DAX | layout.mode |
Category. Beyond Categories at most (10 by default), the smallest categories are grouped in "Others". Colors and shapes are picked category by category in Data colors.
Value. Only positive values fill cells: a negative value counts as zero (warning icon), a blank value is ignored. With a Category and several measures, each measure gets its own waffle (titled with the measure name).
Total (100%). Read on each row; in Parts of a whole mode, the largest total value is the common denominator, and the cells beyond the sum of the parts stay empty.
Target ★. In the same unit as the value (a rate for a rate, an amount for an amount); in Units mode, it is converted to cells.
SVG icon ★. A measure that returns, for each category, the code of an SVG (<svg …>…</svg>), a data URI or a d attribute. The SVG is cleaned (scripts, links, images removed); a web address is never loaded. A shape picked in Data colors wins over the icon.
Play axis ★. Each value of the column is a frame: the visual only shows the rows of that value. Dates and numbers are in ascending order, texts in Power BI's order (Sort by column included). The grid and the colors are computed over every frame, so they do not move during playback. A ★ feature since 10/22/2026: watermark without a key as soon as the field holds data.
Tooltips and Dynamic format: see the shared page and Dynamic formatting (DAX).
The settings of the Format pane
The cards are described in the order of the Format 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
The mode, the grid, the fill order and multiple waffles.
Waffle group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Percentage: 43% = 43 cells out of 100. Parts: each category colors its share of the cells. Units ★: one row of cells per category, each cell is worth N units (isotype style). | Automatic (parts with a category, else percentage) · Percentage: one waffle per category · Parts of a whole: every category in one waffle · Units: 1 cell = N units (pictograms) ★ |
| Percentage computed (appears if Waffle › Mode = Automatic (parts with a category, else percentage), Percentage: one waffle per category or Parts of a whole: every category in one waffle) | Automatic: with the Total field, value ÷ total; a % formatted measure or values between 0 and 1 are ratios; several categories: share of their sum; else the value in points when it does not exceed 100. | Automatic · Share of the sum of the categories · Value is a ratio (0.43 = 43%) · Value in points (43 = 43%) · The largest value = 100% |
| Rows (appears if Waffle › Mode = Automatic (parts with a category, else percentage), Percentage: one waffle per category or Parts of a whole: every category in one waffle) | Number of rows of the grid | 1 to 50, 10 |
| Columns (cells per row) | Number of columns (Units mode: cells per row before wrapping) | 1 to 50, 10 |
| Fill order (appears if Waffle › Mode = Automatic (parts with a category, else percentage), Percentage: one waffle per category or Parts of a whole: every category in one waffle) | Order in which cells fill (and empty during playback) | Row by row, from the top · Row by row, from the bottom · Column by column, from the top · Column by column, from the bottom · Snake, from the top ★ · Snake, from the bottom ★ |
| Value of one cell (0 = automatic) (appears if Waffle › Mode = Units: 1 cell = N units (pictograms)) | Units: each cell is worth this number (e.g. 1,000 people). Automatic: a round number giving at most 20 cells to the largest category. | 0 |
| Show « 1 cell = … » (appears if Waffle › Mode = Units: 1 cell = N units (pictograms)) | Key under the rows, with the shape and the value of one cell | On / Off |
| Space between cells (%) | Space between two cells, in % of their size | 0 to 60, 16 |
Categories and waffles group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Category order | Order of the parts in the waffle and in the legend | Largest first · Smallest first · Alphabetical · Data order (Sort by column) |
| Categories at most (the next ones: « Others ») | Beyond it, the smallest categories are grouped | 2 to 30, 10 |
| Grouping label | Name of the grouping (empty = « Others ») | empty |
| Waffles per row (0 = automatic) | Several waffles (one per category, per measure or per value of the Small multiples field): number of waffles side by side. | 0 to 12, 0 |
| Title of each waffle | Name of the panel (or category) above each waffle | On / Off |
| Waffle title size | Size of these titles | 6 to 24, 11 |
Data colors
The color and the shape of each category (or of each measure).
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Coloring | One palette color per category, or a single color in shades | One color per category · Single color (shades by category) |
| Color (single color) | The starting color of the shades, in Single color (shades by category) | empty (style color) |
| Color (one row per category) | The color of each category; fx button for a rule | empty (style palette color) |
Under each category's color, a Shape row picks its shape: the 153 shapes and the pasted SVG ★; by default, Same as the Cells card.
Cells
The shape of the filled cells and the look of the empty cells.
Filled cells group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Cell shape | ★ shapes work with a watermark until a key is entered. A different shape per category: « Data colors » card. | Basic · Circle · Basic · Square · Basic · Rounded square · Basic · Rectangle · Basic · Triangle · Basic · Diamond · Basic · Hexagon · Basic · Star · Basic · Heart · Basic · Ellipse ★ · Basic · Pentagon ★ · Basic · Octagon ★ · Basic · Right triangle ★ · Basic · Parallelogram ★ · Basic · Trapezoid ★ · Basic · Ring ★ · Basic · Semicircle ★ · Basic · Arch ★ · Basic · Pill ★ · Basic · Six-pointed star ★ · Basic · Seal ★ · Basic · Cross ★ · Arrows and symbols · Arrow · Arrows and symbols · Arrow up ★ · Arrows and symbols · Arrow down ★ · Arrows and symbols · Arrow left ★ · Arrows and symbols · Double arrow ★ · Arrows and symbols · Chevron ★ · Arrows and symbols · Check mark ★ · Arrows and symbols · Close (X) ★ · Arrows and symbols · Plus ★ · Arrows and symbols · Minus ★ · Arrows and symbols · Warning ★ · Arrows and symbols · Information ★ · Arrows and symbols · Play button ★ · Arrows and symbols · Speech bubble · Arrows and symbols · Thought bubble ★ · Arrows and symbols · Flag ★ · Arrows and symbols · Bookmark ★ · Arrows and symbols · Tag ★ · Arrows and symbols · Lightning bolt ★ · Arrows and symbols · Shield ★ · Arrows and symbols · Award ★ · Arrows and symbols · Puzzle piece ★ · Arrows and symbols · Gear ★ · Arrows and symbols · Lock ★ · Arrows and symbols · Key ★ · Arrows and symbols · Bell ★ · Arrows and symbols · Eye ★ · Nature and weather · Cloud · Nature and weather · Drop · Nature and weather · Sun ★ · Nature and weather · Moon ★ · Nature and weather · Snowflake ★ · Nature and weather · Leaf ★ · Nature and weather · Pine tree ★ · Nature and weather · Tree ★ · Nature and weather · Flower ★ · Nature and weather · Mountain ★ · Nature and weather · Wave ★ · Nature and weather · Flame ★ · Nature and weather · Umbrella ★ · Nature and weather · Apple ★ · Nature and weather · Fish ★ · Nature and weather · Paw print ★ · Nature and weather · Rain ★ · Nature and weather · Sprout ★ · People · Person · People · Man ★ · People · Woman ★ · People · Child ★ · People · Group of people ★ · People · User bust ★ · Objects and buildings · House · Objects and buildings · Office building ★ · Objects and buildings · Factory ★ · Objects and buildings · Castle ★ · Objects and buildings · Shop ★ · Objects and buildings · Bank ★ · Objects and buildings · Hospital ★ · Objects and buildings · Book ★ · Objects and buildings · Envelope ★ · Objects and buildings · Phone ★ · Objects and buildings · Laptop ★ · Objects and buildings · Monitor ★ · Objects and buildings · Gift ★ · Objects and buildings · Clock ★ · Objects and buildings · Calendar ★ · Objects and buildings · Pencil ★ · Objects and buildings · Light bulb ★ · Objects and buildings · Trophy ★ · Objects and buildings · Crown ★ · Objects and buildings · Trash can ★ · Containers and gauges · Barrel · Containers and gauges · Bottle · Containers and gauges · Wine glass · Containers and gauges · Glass · Containers and gauges · Mug ★ · Containers and gauges · Jar ★ · Containers and gauges · Bucket ★ · Containers and gauges · Battery · Containers and gauges · Vertical battery · Containers and gauges · Thermometer · Containers and gauges · Test tube ★ · Containers and gauges · Tank ★ · Containers and gauges · Funnel ★ · Containers and gauges · Hourglass ★ · Containers and gauges · Bag ★ · Containers and gauges · Piggy bank ★ · Containers and gauges · Flask ★ · Containers and gauges · Beaker ★ · Containers and gauges · Can ★ · Containers and gauges · Coffee cup ★ · Containers and gauges · Vase ★ · Containers and gauges · Milk carton ★ · Maps and places · Metropolitan France ★ · Maps and places · Africa ★ · Maps and places · Australia ★ · Maps and places · South America ★ · Maps and places · Map pin ★ · Maps and places · Globe ★ · Maps and places · Folded map ★ · Maps and places · Compass ★ · Maps and places · City skyline ★ · Business · Target ★ · Business · Bar chart ★ · Business · Pie chart ★ · Business · Trend up ★ · Business · Coin ★ · Business · Banknote ★ · Business · Wallet ★ · Business · Credit card ★ · Business · Shopping cart ★ · Business · Briefcase ★ · Business · Percent ★ · Business · Podium ★ · Business · Megaphone ★ · Business · Gem ★ · Business · Medal ★ · Business · Clipboard ★ · Business · Handshake ★ · Transport · Car ★ · Transport · Truck ★ · Transport · Bus ★ · Transport · Bicycle ★ · Transport · Plane ★ · Transport · Sailboat ★ · Transport · Train ★ · Transport · Rocket ★ · Transport · Helicopter ★ · Transport · Cargo ship ★ · Transport · Fuel pump ★ · Transport · Scooter ★ · Pasted SVG (below) ★ |
| Pasted SVG ★ (appears if Cell shape = Pasted SVG (below)) | Paste the code of an SVG icon (or a data URI, or a d attribute), then colored by category. The SVG is cleaned: scripts, links and images are removed; no web address is ever loaded. | empty |
| Square corner radius (px) (appears if Cell shape = Basic · Square) | Corner radius of the squares | 0 to 50, 2 |
| Last cell | Rounded: shares are rounded without changing the total (largest remainder). Partly filled: 43.6% fills 43 cells and 60% of the 44th; a cell can be shared by two categories. | Rounded to the nearest cell · Whole cells only · Partly filled (exact fraction) ★ |
| Reveal | Only when the data changes; never when animations are reduced (Style › Animations or the system). | Cell by cell, in fill order · Fade · None |
Empty cells group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Empty cells | Look of the cells that are not filled | Automatic (hidden in Units mode) · Light tint · Outline only · Hidden |
| Color (empty = style grid) | Color of the empty cells | empty |
| Opacity (%) | Opacity of the empty cells | 5 to 100, 100 |
"Cell shape" offers the 153 shapes of the Plume library, sorted by category (Basic, Arrows and symbols, Nature and weather, People, Objects and buildings, Containers and gauges, Maps and places, Business, Transport), then Pasted SVG (below) ★. The 22 free shapes: Circle, Square, Rounded square, Rectangle, Triangle, Diamond, Hexagon, Star, Heart, Cloud, Drop, Bubble, Arrow, Person, House, Barrel, Bottle, Glass, Wine glass, Thermometer, Battery, Vertical battery. "Pasted SVG ★" is shown with Pasted SVG; "Square corner radius (px)" with Square.
Headline value
The percentage (Percentage mode) or the value (Units mode) written next to the cells. Card hidden in Parts of a whole mode (the legend gives the parts).
Headline value group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Percentage mode: the percentage of each waffle in large type. Units mode: the value at the end of each row. | On / Off |
| Content | What is written in large type (Percentage mode). « Percentage and value » ★ and « Value of total » ★ work with a watermark until a key is entered. | Percentage · Value · Percentage and value ★ · Value of total ★ |
| Position | Place of the value relative to the waffle | Automatic (left when there is room) · Left of the waffle · Above · Below |
| Value size | Shrinks automatically when room is short. | 8 to 96, 26 |
| Color (empty = category color) | Color of the headline value | empty |
| Single waffle (Parts mode) | Parts mode (every category in one waffle): the share of the first category (sort order) in large type, with its name, like a percentage waffle; or no headline value | Percentage of the first category · No headline value |
| Category name | Name of the category (or measure) under the value | On / Off |
| Name size | Size of this name | 6 to 30, 11 |
Numbers group
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Display units | Thousands, millions… for values | Auto · None · Thousands · Millions · Billions |
| Decimals (-1 = auto) | Decimals of values | -1 to 6, -1 |
| Prefix | Text before values | empty |
| Suffix (e.g. €) | Text after values | empty |
| Percentage decimals (-1 = auto) | Automatic: one decimal under 10% and in « partly filled » mode | -1 to 3, -1 |
Category labels
This new card sets the row names in Units mode (one row per category). When hidden, rows take the whole width and the legend or the tooltip names the categories. It is turned on by the toggle in its header.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Units mode: the name of each row, on the left | On / Off |
| Size | Name size | 6 to 30, 11 |
| Bold | Bold names | On / Off |
| Color (empty = text) | Name color | empty |
| In the category color | Writes each name in its category color | On / Off |
| Maximum width (% of the visual) | Longer names are shortened (…); the full name stays in the tooltip | 10 to 60, 30 |
Legend
Shown in Parts of a whole mode with at least two parts.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Shown when the chart has several series. | On / Off |
| Content | Percentage and value of the waffle (single waffle); with several waffles, the name only. | Name · Name and percentage · Name and value · Name, percentage and value |
| Position | Side of the legend | Top · Bottom · Right · Left |
| Alignment (appears if Position = Top or Bottom) | Alignment at the top or the bottom | Start · Center · End |
| Legend title | Field name above the legend | On / Off |
| Title text (appears if Legend title is on) | Title text (empty = field name) | empty |
| Size | Text size of the legend | 6 to 24, 9 |
| Color (empty = secondary text) | Text color of the legend | empty |
| Click = select the series | A click on an entry selects the category | On / Off |
Target ★
Card shown with the Target ★ field.
| Setting | What it does | Possible values (default in bold) |
|---|---|---|
| Show | With the Target field: the target cell is circled and the cells still missing to reach it are dashed. | On / Off |
| Marker | Target marker | Circled cell and missing cells dashed · Circled cell only |
| Color (empty = accent) | Color of the circle and dashes | empty |
| « Target: … » under the headline value | Target line under the headline value, with ✓ when reached | On / Off |
Playback ★
Card shown with the Play axis ★ field (shared player of the Plume visuals; a ★ feature: watermark without a key). The current frame is written in the bar; the large value over the cells is off by default.
| 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) | At speed ×1; the speed button of the play bar multiplies it (×0.5 to ×4) for the session. | 100 to 10000, 1000 |
| Loop | Starts again after the last frame | On / Off |
| Play automatically on opening | Once, from the first frame. Not when animations are reduced (Style › Animations or the system) nor on a dashboard tile. | On / Off |
| Animated transitions | Values, positions and colors move smoothly from one frame to the next. | On / Off |
| Play bar | Bar with play, slider, start, end, speed | On / Off |
| Bar position (appears if Play bar is on) | Place of the bar | Bottom · Top |
| Tick marks (appears if Play bar is on) | Slider ticks | Automatic · Every frame · None |
| Tick labels (appears if Play bar is on) | Values under the ticks | On / Off |
| Start and end buttons (appears if Play bar is on) | Start and end buttons | On / Off |
| Speed button (appears if Play bar is on) | ×0.5 to ×4 button | On / Off |
| Current value in large type | Current frame written in large type on the chart | On / Off |
| Large value size (appears if Current value in large type is on) | Size of this value | 12 to 160, 44 |
| Large value position (appears if Current value in large type is on) | Place of this value | Bottom right · Top right · Top left · Bottom left · Center |
Premium features ★
| Feature | Where to set it |
|---|---|
| Play axis: cells fill or empty from one period to the next | Play axis ★ field and Playback ★ card |
| Units mode (pictograms, 1 cell = N units) | Layout › Mode = Units: 1 cell = N units (pictograms) ★ |
| Snake fill orders | Layout › Fill order = Snake, from the top ★ or from the bottom ★ |
| “Percentage and value”, “Value of total” headline | Headline value › Content (Percentage mode) |
| 131 more shapes (people, transport, business…) | Cells › Cell shape, or one shape per category in Data colors |
| Pasted SVG | Cells › Cell shape = Pasted SVG, then Pasted SVG ★ |
| One SVG icon per category | SVG icon ★ field |
| Partly filled last cell | Cells › Last cell = Partly filled (exact fraction) |
| Target cells | Target ★ field and Target ★ card |
| Small multiples | Small multiples ★ field |
| 17 styles, palettes, JSON theme | Style card |