topic Re: How to unalign points? in Custom Visuals Development Discussion

How to unalign points?

JayeeDee — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 02:14:11 GMT

Can someone help me figure out how to make it so the points for 'City 3' are not aligned on the same x-axis? Each occurs in its own row and has a Year or YearId column that I'd like to use to solve it, but I'm not sure how. I did some research and found detail channel, but that did not work.

```DemoTable = DATATABLE(

"Year", INTEGER,

"CurrentPlayer", STRING,

"Date", DATETIME,

"YearId", STRING,

"City", STRING,

"Winner", STRING,

"Round", INTEGER,

{

{2019,"Bill","04/02/2019","2019-76","City 1","Sue", 4},

{2019,"Bill","05/02/2019","2019-146","City 2","Sally", 2},

{2020,"Bill","09/07/2020","2020-205","City 3","Randy", 7},

{2021,"Bill","05/03/2021","2021-205","City 3","Randy", 3},

{2022,"Bill","05/02/2022","2022-205","City 3","Andre", 6},

{2023,"Bill","05/08/2023","2023-205","City 3","Dan", 4},

{2024,"Bill","05/06/2024","2024-205","City 3","Barry", 5},

{2025,"Bill","05/05/2025","2025-205","City 3","Barry", 3}

}

)```

```

{

"title": "Annual Performance",

"description": "Annual performance of ATP player",

"width": 570,

"data": {"name": "dataset"},

"layer": [

{

"mark": {

"type": "line",

"tooltip": true

"encoding": {

"y": {

"field": "Level",

"type": "quantitative",

"axis": {"title": "Level"}

"x": {

"field": "City",

"type": "nominal",

"sort": {"field": "Date", "order": "ascending"},

"axis": {

"title": "City",

"labelAngle":-50

}

{

"mark": {

"type": "point",

"tooltip": true,

"filled": true

"encoding": {

"y": {

"field": "Level",

"type": "quantitative",

"axis": {"title": "Level"}

"x": {

"field": "City",

"type": "ordinal",

"sort": {"field": "Date", "order": "ascending"}

"color": {

"condition": {

"test": "datum.Round === 7 && datum.Winner === datum.CurrentPlayer",

"value": "red"

"value": "DodgerBlue"

}

]

}

```

Re: How to unalign points?

GeraldGEmerick — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:48:26 GMT

@JayeeDee What would you like it to look like instead? You could add additional columns to the x-axis to make a hierarchy that you could drill through but I am unclear if that that is what you are looking to do. Maybe a sketch of what you would rather have?

Re: How to unalign points?

lbendlin — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:45:34 GMT

Do not use a line chart for independent (nominal) data points. Line charts should only ever be used to show temporal progression, or phase transitions.

Re: How to unalign points?

JayeeDee — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:14:38 GMT

Absolutely! Here's the desired outcome...

Re: How to unalign points?

JayeeDee — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 16:19:32 GMT

What would you recommend for my use case?

Re: How to unalign points?

lbendlin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 12:19:44 GMT

I would recommend a column chart.

Re: How to unalign points?

JayeeDee — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:48:11 GMT

Which one is column? Or are you referring to power bi types?

Re: How to unalign points?

lbendlin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:23:26 GMT

"mark": {

"type": "bar"

"encoding": {

"y": {

"field": "Level",

"type": "quantitative"

"x": {

"field": "City",

"type": "nominal"

}

Re: How to unalign points?

JayeeDee — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:53:16 GMT

The bar for City 3 still stacks them altogether. Can you suggest how to solve it with a mark of type bar?

Re: How to unalign points?

lbendlin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:35:06 GMT

Make the year the x axis and the city the legend.

Note: since year is temporal you could now even reconsider using a line chart, a stacked line chart, or a ribbon chart.