We all like more space, whether it’s our house or dashboards, but can we all afford to have it? Well, this blog will help you to address the second part of the above question with the help of the Tableau feature Dynamic Zone Visibility introduced in version 2022.3.
With dynamic zone visibility, you can tailor experiences for your end-users so they only see the dashboard elements relevant to them. Create sophisticated and interactive dashboards that have the capability to dynamically reveal dashboard elements.
This feature allows users to control the visibility of zones within their visualizations based on user interactions or data conditions using the value of a field or parameter.Â
In this blog, we will explore why dynamic zone visibility is essential in Tableau and how it can enhance the analytical process.
Dataset
You can use the orders table of the latest (2019-2023) superstore dataset to follow along.
Before we jump into the good stuff, let’s go through some housekeeping:
To be used for Dynamic Zone Visibility, a field or parameter must be:
Boolean.
Single value.
Independent of the viz, meaning the field returns a constant value independent of the structure of the viz, such as a fixed level of detail (LOD) calculation.
The feature is so powerful that possibilities are open-ended but below are a few examples.
How to Swap Sheets in Tableau
Before this feature, the workaround was to use parameters to toggle between the sheets, but that had its limitations.
Step 1
Create a Category Sales worksheet and place the Category dimension on the rows shelf and the Sum of Sales on the columns shelf.
Create a Sub-Category Sales worksheet and place the Sub-Category dimension on the rows shelf and the Sum of Sales on the columns shelf.
Step 2
Create two parameters named Show Category and Show Sub-Category with datatype as Boolean and current value as True.
Step 3
Create two calculated fields you can name as True-a and True-b with True value. This will be used to change the parameter values to show and hide the charts using parameter actions.
//True-a
True
 //True-b
True
Step 4
Now place the above created True-a and True-b Boolean calculated fields in detail on the Category and Sub-Category Sales worksheet.
Step 5
Now create a calculated field you can name as Category Filter as follows.
Step 6
Create a new dashboard and place the worksheets Category Sales and Sub-Category Sales on the canvas.
Select the object -worksheet of Sub-Category Sales and select the layout option from the left pane.
Here you should see a new option to control visibility using value. Select parameters and then Show Category that will trigger the dynamic zone visibility.
Now select the object worksheet of Category Sales and select the layout option from the left pane.
Select parameters and then Show Sub-Category that will trigger the dynamic zone visibility.
Step 7
Now let’s create parameter actions to allow users to change the values of the above-created parameters based on their selection.
You need to create 2 parameter actions to update the Show-Category and Show-Subcategory parameters and one parameter action to update the category selection that will filter the sub-category data.
Select a Dashboard from the menu and click on actions and add new parameter actions as below.
Step 8
Now when you click on the category bar chart, then the sub-category sales bar chart will be displayed with data being filtered on selected category and vice versa when clicked on sub-category bar charts.
How to Hide/Show Your Quick Filters Based on Your Visualization
Follow the above steps to create a dashboard showing sales by category and sub-category.
Add quick filters Order Date year, Regional Manager, and Segment to the dashboard.
Click on Segment quick filter and go to Layout pane and select the check box Control visibility using value and select parameter then sub-category.
This will hide the segment quick filter from the sub-category worksheet while still available when on the category worksheet.
Show Filters Based on Your Audience
There might be a scenario where your requirements are to show certain charts/filters to a specific audience. For example, senior executive management would be interested to see the overall profit. However, this needs to be hidden from other audiences. With Dynamic Zone Visibility, you need not create multiple tableau dashboards now.
Create a calculated field Region Manager RLS Filter.
This Boolean field will allow specific users or who belong to the user group to see the chart.
//Region Manager RLS Filter
IF USERNAME() = ‘Chaitanya Kulkarni’ THEN TRUE
ELSE FALSE END
Or
//Is Member of Logistics
ISMEMBEROF(‘Logistics’)
Select Region Manager quick filter on the dashboard and go to the Layout pane.
Check the box control visibility using value. Then select the data source where you have created the calculated field and select Region Manager RLS Filter.
Now based on the user logged in to the dashboard, the Region Manager filter will be shown or hidden.
Dashboard Tutorial Guide Based on Chart Type
Select the worksheet on the dashboard for which you would like to add a user tutorial.
Add a floating dashboard object image and select the image which describes the guide for end-users on how to use/read the chart.
Overlap the image on the actual worksheet by adjusting the X and Y coordinates along with the width and height of the worksheet.
Select the image container and click on the small down arrow and select Add Show/Hide button.
Adjust the ‘X’ button to your best fit and go to the Layout pane and select the show Category under Control visibility using value.
Conclusion
By leveraging the Dynamic Zone Visibility feature, analysts can create more interactive and intuitive visualizations that adapt to user actions, making it easier for stakeholders to explore and understand the underlying data. This capability enhances the overall user experience and promotes data-driven decision-making.
The ability to show or hide zones dynamically based on user interactions empowers users to focus on the most relevant information, eliminating clutter and enhancing the overall clarity of the visualizations. This feature allows analysts to guide users’ attention, emphasizing critical insights and enabling them to make more informed decisions. For more information on why dynamic zone visibility is important in Tableau, contact our team of experts today!
To gain a visual understanding of the DZV components discussed in this blog, refer to the video below. It provides a comprehensive overview of all the components covered.
