Chord – An overview

What is it for?

Chord diagrams can be used to visualize relationships and flows between different entities. They are both aesthetically pleasing (with their circular and curved design) and – for the right data – a great way to communicate information.

In the example below, we are visualizing how often different characters in the sitcom “Friends” speak to each other.

How to get started

1

Select one the Chord starting points from the template chooser. These include the two types of Chord diagram:

• Directional have two values for each chord, one in each direction
• Non-directional have one value per chord (the same value in each direction)

2

Upload your data to the template and bind the columns. You should have a minimum of three columns: Source and Target  (that describe the categories that make up the chord), and Value (a numeric value equal to the size of the flow).

For directional chords, you'll need  two rows for each chord that represent the flows in each direction. If you only specify one row, the template will assume the flow in the other direction is equal to 0. For example: 

From	To	Count
Chandler	Monica	200

Is the same as this:

From	To	Count
Chandler	Monica	200
Monica	Chandler	0

For non-directional  chords, you should also specify two rows for each chord but set the value for both directions as the same number:

From	To	Count
Chandler	Monica	200
Monica	Chandler	200

3

Now you've got your data all sorted, you can start to customize your chord diagram. 

In a chord diagram, the  chords are the curved shapes that stretch across the diagram, from one point around the circle through the middle to another. Arcs are the curved sections for each category that make up the outer circle. 

Under the  Chords settings, you can adjust the opacity, stroke and labels for your chords, while under  Arcs you can adjust width, spacing, labels and color of your arcs.

4

To highlight chords, go to the Chords settings and use the Highlight chords text box. You can highlight all of an arc's chords by typing the name of the arc. Alternatively, you can highlight individual chords by typing the name of the two arcs that it connects using the format Arc 1 >> Arc 2. 

If you wanted to highlight all chords for "Arc 3" and any chords between "Arc 1" and "Arc 2" you would write:

Arc 3
Arc 1 >> Arc 2

You can also create a story with your chord diagram, and simply click on the chords you want to highlight to set these views in different story slides.

5

Customize your popups under the Popups settings. Add a description for your popup header and make sure you choose the right Position setting. 

If you're making a directional chord, you'll want to display both values of the chord in your popup so make sure you choose Directional. The Non-directional option is suitable if you are creating a chord with just one value to be displayed in the popup.