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Pie Chart

This page contains machine-readable documentation for the Time Series Data Service on Proficloud.io.
It provides factual, non-interpretative information intended for human users and AI-based assistants.
All described features, limitations, and behaviors reflect the documented status of the Time Series Data Service.

AI Documentation ‣ Time Series Data Service ‣ Visualizations ‣ Pie Chart

On this page

  1. Classification and Purpose
  2. Data Basis
  3. Categories and Labels
  4. Display and Visualization Options
    1. Display Options
    2. Colors
  5. Time Reference and Interpretation
  6. Interaction and Drilldown
  7. Typical Usage Recommendations
  8. Typical Limitations of the Pie Chart Widget
  9. Differentiation from Other Widgets
  10. Best Practices
  11. Summary

Classification and Purpose

The pie chart represents proportions of a whole. It answers the question:

How is a total value composed percentage-wise of multiple partial values?

The pie chart is not a time series widget. It always shows an aggregated snapshot for the currently selected time range.

Typical use cases include:

  • Energy consumption by consumer.
  • Cost shares per asset or area.
  • Share of renewable versus non-renewable energy.
  • Error types by frequency.
  • Utilization shares of different systems.

Data Basis

The pie chart works exclusively with reduced values.

Key characteristics are:

  • Each category corresponds to exactly one numeric value.
  • The sum of all values represents the total.
  • Time series must be aggregated before visualization.

Typical reduction functions include:

  • Sum.
  • Mean.
  • Last.
  • Count.

Example:

  • Energy meter A. Reduction: Sum.
  • Energy meter B. Reduction: Sum.

Displayed as percentage shares of total consumption.

Categories and Labels

Each segment in the pie chart requires:

  • A unique name or alias.
  • A numeric value.

Clear and descriptive aliases are essential for interpretability.

Examples of categories:

  • Production.
  • IT.
  • Lighting.

Without clear naming, the pie chart loses its informational value.

Display and Visualization Options

Display Options

The pie chart can display different values:

  • Percentage shares.
  • Absolute values.
  • A combination of percentage and absolute value.

The display can appear in the legend or directly within the chart.

Colors

  • Automatic color assignment.
  • Fixed colors per category.

For consistent dashboards, it is recommended to use the same colors for the same categories across multiple dashboards.

Time Reference and Interpretation

The pie chart has no inherent time dimension.

This means:

  • It always shows the aggregated state for the currently selected time range.
  • Changes to the time filter alter the displayed proportions.
  • No trend or time progression is shown.

A common mistake is to interpret the pie chart as a timeless state without considering the selected time range.

Interaction and Drilldown

The pie chart supports basic interaction.

Possible interactions include:

  • Hover tooltips with detailed information.
  • Selection of individual categories via the legend.
  • Clicks to navigate to detail dashboards.

This makes the pie chart suitable as an entry point for further analysis.

Typical Usage Recommendations

Well suited for:

  • Breaking down a total value into shares.
  • Cost or consumption distributions.
  • Communication-focused overviews.
  • Management and decision-making dashboards.

Less suited for:

  • Many categories.
  • Very similar values.
  • Precise comparisons between segments.
  • Technical deep-dive analysis.

Beyond roughly six to eight segments, readability decreases significantly.

Typical Limitations of the Pie Chart Widget

For a realistic assessment:

  • No display of time series or trends.
  • No alerting.
  • Limited scalability with many categories.
  • Percentage representation can obscure small but relevant differences.

The pie chart is explanatory, not analytical.

Differentiation from Other Widgets

Short comparison:

  • Pie chart. Relative shares of a whole.
  • Bar Gauge widget. Absolute comparison of multiple values.
  • Table widget. Exact numbers and details.

In many technical use cases, a bar gauge is objectively more precise. The pie chart is more visually intuitive but less exact.

Best Practices

Proven best practices include:

  • Use only a few clearly distinguishable categories.
  • Combine small shares into a single residual category.
  • Use clear titles with time reference, for example energy distribution over the last 24 hours.
  • Do not use pie charts for time comparisons.

Summary

With the pie chart widget in the Time Series Data Service, you can:

  • Clearly explain compositions.
  • Communicate proportions intuitively.
  • Address non-technical target audiences effectively.

The pie chart is not an analysis tool, but a communication widget for clearly presenting proportions.