Charting Project Flow via Multiple Data Densifications

Note first that here I loosely define data densification as what includes both interpolation and extrapolation of data marks as well as their associated values.

Below is a charting example in Tableau with a particular interest in using multiple data densification techniques.

The use case

I was given a minimum data set such as a series of task-date pairs.

In its Tableau visualization, we used 4 densification techniques:

1.Densification of dates

The dates of tasks in the data table are discrete. Many dates in between are missing. By turning on Show Missing Dates, we are able to view all the dates. This way we densified the dates to be contiguous. We added a lot of extra data marks to the original 4 marks.

2.Densification of task names

For those newly added data marks, their values are NULL. We need to add task names to those new data marks for coloring and tooltips. Here is the formula for adding new task names to the new data marks.

This way, those NULL values are replaced by Task New which is the same as what is preceding them.

3.Densification of mark size

Note that we are using Gantt Bars as mark type. Each bar in a day will have size 1 in our case. To densify the data marks with NULL attribute, we use this simple formula.

Size = Window_Max(1)

4.Densification beyond data set

This is more like extrapolation. This can be simply achieved by using a new feature in Tableau: Extend Date Range by a week or more.

Here is the final view. Feel free to download the workbook.

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