How to make a seismograph in Tableau?

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Level : Intermediate

Objective: Create a seismograph

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Some customers are looking for ways to monitor and interpret changes in intensity quickly and easily. In an industrial context, for example, this makes it possible to assess the impact of activities on the environment or to monitor the fluctuations in a company's performance. In this article, we'll guide you step-by-step to create a clear and accurate seismic graph that's ideal for quick and reliable analyses.

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Required Data

• 1 data table, Hypermarket (at the bottom of the Tableau Desktop login page),
• 1 measure, for example Profit,
• 1 Date dimension, such as Order Date.

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Instructions:

Step 1: Preparing the data

1. Create 2 calculated fields,
2. Name them “Profit/2” and “Profit/2 Negative”,
3. Type respectively the formulas “[Profit] /2” and “- [Profit] /2”,
4. Click on OK.

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Step 2: Build a seismic graph

1. Slide the dimensions Order date In the Lines and keep the Years,
2. Duplicate the dimension Order date In the Lines and select the Mois,
3. Slide them Measurement values In the Columns,
4. Double click on the field and select only the measures Profit/2 and Profit/2 Negative,
5. Slide them Measurement values in the tab colour of the landmark,
6. Slide them Measure names in the tab Path of the landmark,
7. Format your chart.

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Advice

To create a seismograph in Tableau Desktop, there are a few key points worth paying attention to for an accurate and informative visualization:

1. Seismographs must remain uncluttered. Avoid bright colors and distracting visuals. Users expect a rendering close to measuring instruments, with continuous lines that illustrate the variations in intensity,
2. Consider adding filters for Isolate major events. This eliminates “background noise” in the data and allows us to focus on the most significant shocks,
3. If the frequency data is high (for example, multiple points per second), make sure Tableau is set up to handle this granularity. Lowering the frequency can simplify the display without sacrificing quality if the density is excessive.

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