14. Visuals and Their Formatting
14.22 Small Multiples and Visual Calculations (Quick Look)
Start with a problem
Rani wants the April-to-May trend for each city, side by side, using the same axis.
Explain simply
Small multiples repeat one chart for each value of a field (a grid of mini charts). Visual calculations (section 14.25) let you calculate on the visual's own data.
Show the data
| Month | Pune (₹) | Nashik (₹) | Kolhapur (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr-2026 | 600 | 300 | 0 |
| May-2026 | 250 | 500 | 450 |
About this data: This table uses columns: Month, Pune (₹), Nashik (₹), Kolhapur (₹). This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Insert Clustered column chart: X-axis Month, Y-axis
Total Sales. - Drag
Cityinto Small multiples. - Format › Visual › Small multiples › Layout 3 columns; Y-axis shared.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
Three mini charts: Pune 600 → 250 (falls), Nashik 300 → 500 (rises), Kolhapur 0 → 450 (new in May).
Explain what happened
Power BI draws one copy of the chart per city, each filtered to that city, with a shared y-axis so heights are comparable.
Explore further
- Use small multiples instead of a legend when lines would overlap.
Detailed reference for this lesson:
- Small multiples: drag City into the Small multiples well of a line or column chart to get one mini chart per city (Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Sambhaji Nagar, Kolhapur, Nagpur) with shared axes. Format with Visual › Small multiples (layout rows/columns, titles, borders).
- Visual calculations: select a visual › Home › New visual calculation to write a calculation that uses only the visual's data, e.g.
Running Orders = RUNNINGSUM([Total Orders]). They are good for simple running totals and percent-of-total without adding measures to the model.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, many students create six copies of the same chart, one per city, instead of using small multiples. Put City in the Small multiples well so all charts share axes and formatting. Keep the number of panels small enough to stay readable. Remember this rule.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, बरेच students small multiples वापरण्याऐवजी एकाच chart च्या सहा copies बनवतात, प्रत्येक city साठी एक. City ला Small multiples well मध्ये टाका, म्हणजे सगळे charts सारखे axes आणि formatting वापरतील. Panels ची संख्या वाचता येईल इतकी कमी ठेवा. हा नियम लक्षात ठेवा.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, बहुत से students small multiples की जगह एक ही chart की छह copies बनाते हैं, हर city के लिए एक. City को Small multiples well में डालो ताकि सभी charts एक जैसे axes और formatting इस्तेमाल करें. Panels की संख्या इतनी कम रखो कि पढ़ने में आसानी रहे. यह नियम याद रखो.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Mini charts not comparable | Independent y-axes | Use a shared y-axis |
| Too many panels | High-cardinality field | Filter to top cities |
| Kolhapur April panel missing | No rows | Expected; turn on show items with no data if needed |
Practise independently
Practice task
Make small multiples by Platform for Total Sales by Month.
Hints
- Blinkit April = 301 + 303.
Solution
Blinkit: Apr 700, May 400. Amazon Now: Apr 200, May 800.
Think like a professional
Small multiples tell regional stories quickly (Pune is falling while others grow). Present the falling city first – that is the action.
Revision card