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Learn · Analysis · Lesson 4 of 7

Make a chart

You willA ranked bar chart, a line over time, a heat map or a scatter from any table or data layer, in a click or two.
Time3 min
Why it mattersThe showcase charts were made this way: the right chart type, labels on the chart instead of a legend, and the source credited underneath.

Try it in Plotlay → Opens an example project with this lesson beside it. Nothing to install.

Steps

  1. In Analysis, choose a table or a data layer, then Make a chart. Plotlay suggests one from the columns: ranked bars for a name and a number, a line for a year, a heat map for an hour by a place.
  2. Pick another type from the row of chips above the chart: Bars, Columns, Line over time, Area, Scatter, Histogram, Heat map, Big numbers or Table.
  3. Under Data, choose the columns, Split by a column for one line or bar per group, the Order and Show only the first few.
  4. Under Words, type the Title, Subtitle and Credit. A table’s source fills the credit if you leave it empty.
  5. Click a bar or a point to pick it out in red. Under Look, add a Reference line at the median, change the Colour, the Size and the Paper.
  6. Choose PNG for a picture, SVG to edit it elsewhere, or Data (CSV) for the numbers as charted.

Tips

  • A data layer’s chart can use The map’s colours, so its bars match the legend, and it follows the time slider.
  • Hover over a bar: its shape lights up on the map. Hover over a shape: its bar lights up.
  • A heat map can write its value in each cell (In the cells, Values): a risk matrix of likelihood by consequence. Cells too small to read go without.
  • Formula columns (Formula columns) work out a column first: grounds / students, or spend / sum(spend) * 100 for each row’s share.

Common mistakes

  • A chart with too many bars: use Show only the first 20, or a histogram for the spread.
  • Adding up values that should be averaged: set Rows that share a bar to Average or Median.
Check yourself

You want one school shown in red on a ranked bar chart. What do you do?

Words in this lesson

Layer
A group of things in a project, listed in the Layers tab. A hidden layer is left out of the plan, 3D and documents until you show it again.

Related lessons

Add a table and read its numbersPaste a table from Excel or open a file, then read its count, median, mean, highest and lowest at a glance.2 minCharts for a report or a slideThe right size and paper for where the chart goes, notes on the chart, and files that print sharply.3 min

Steps checked in the app on 8 November 2026.