How to Create a Repeated Icon Pictograph Showing Counts or Proportions

This article describes how to create a repeated icon pictograph from a single numeric value. You can use it to show either a simple count (e.g., 65 hearts):

or a proportion (e.g., 65 out of 100 hearts):

Requirements

• All that is required is a numeric value. This can come from a variety of inputs, including:
  • Pasted value
  • R Calculation
  • Table
  • Numeric Variable

Method: Create a basic repeated icon pictograph (counts)

In this example, we will use a pasted value of 65 to create a repeated icon pictograph, but more input options are available as described further below.

1. From the toolbar, click Visualization > Pictographs > Repeated Icon and draw the placeholder on the page.
2. From Properties , under Data > Data Source > Data source select Type or paste value. Other options will allow you to select values from other objects in your document, e.g., tables or variables (as described below).
3. In Input data enter the value 65.
4. In the Chart tab, you have options to further customize the icons and visualization. To choose the heart icon, select Chart > Icons > Icon > Heart.
5. Set how much each icon represents with Chart > Icons > Scale. In this basic count example, set Scale > 1 so each icon represents 1 unit (so there will be 65 icons in total).
6. Layout constrained by lets you configure how the repeated icons are arranged. For this example, select Number of rows.
7. Set Number of rows > 5 (for five rows of icons).
8. Use Chart > Fill Color to set the color or conditional colors for the chart. In this example, set the color to Red.

Method: Show a proportion with a repeated icon pictograph

You can also show a proportion (e.g., 65 out of 100) by controlling the number of icons shown and their “base”.

1. First, create your initial repeated icon pictograph using the steps above.
2. Set how much each icon represents via Properties > Chart > Icons > Scale. For this example, set Scale > 10 so each heart represents 10.
3. To show the pictograph as a proportion, set the Total icons field to the number of icons you want to show as the “base” or have placeholders for. For this example, set Chart > Icons > Total icons to 10, which amounts to a base of 10 scale × 10 icons = 100.
4. For this example, confirm Layout constrained by > Number of rows and change Number of rows > 2. You will see the visualization has space for the remaining icons, but it does not show them.
   
5. To show the remaining icons that are not filled, uncheck the option Hide base image.
6. Set the color of the unfilled icons with the Icon base color dropdown.

Using a table or existing R output as the input

1. Under Data > Data Source > Data source select Table or Use an existing R output.
2. For Input data, either select from the list or click on it to insert its name.
3. Set the Select rows/columns to show by fields to be a static number/label you type, or Choosing from a Combo box or List box control.
4. In the Row and Column fields, either type in your value or select the control you want to connect to do the selection on the table.

Using a variable as the input

1. Under Data > Data Source > Data source, select one of Variable - Average, Variable - Sum, or Variable - Percentage.
2. For Input data, either select from the list or click on it to insert its name.
3. If you selected Variable - Percentage, the Category field will appear for you to select the category in the variable you want to use in the numerator.

Next

How to Create a Single Icon Pictograph

How to Create a Pictograph Bar Chart

How to Use a Custom Icon in a Pictograph