Adhoc Trend

The Adhoc Trend enables fast, on-demand data visualization without the need to create dashboards. It supports exploratory analysis, quick comparisons, time-based statistics, and contextual investigation—directly from views or search results.

Adhoc Trend

Use Cases

Typical scenarios for Adhoc Trend include:

• Investigating anomalies: Identify outliers, spikes, or deviations.
• Comparing data: Analyze channels across different time periods, views, or data sources.
• Exploring unmapped channels: Visualize data directly from search results.
• Calculating changes: Use cursors to analyze differences over time (see Cursors and Statistics).
• Combining data: Visualize multiple channels side-by-side.
• Identifying trends: Overlay Regression Lines to analyze patterns.

Opening Adhoc Trends

You can open Adhoc Trends from:

• A View containing components with mapped data.
• Quick Search using individual channels.

Open from a View

You can open an Adhoc Trend from a view using one of the following methods:

• Double-click a component
• Right-click the component → Show Trend
• Cmd/Ctrl + click to select multiple components, then right-click → Show Trend

⚠️ The view must be locked to open an Adhoc Trend (see the lock icon in the top bar). If the view is unlocked, this action is disabled.

Open Adhoc from View

Open from Quick Search

1. Search for a channel
2. Double-click the result

⚠️ Make sure to double-click the channel name itself (e.g., BA:TEMP.1) — not all areas of the result row are clickable.

Open from Search

Add Channels to an Existing Trend

• Drag and drop channels into the open Adhoc Trend.
• Or double-click / right-click a channel→ Show Trend
  (When double-clicking, make sure to click on the channel name itself)

You’ll be prompted to choose:

1. Create New Trend — opens a new chart
2. Append to Existing Trend - select from the list and click Apply

Add Channels

Tip

Adhoc Trends stay open while you navigate between views—perfect for cross-view comparisons.

Compare Across Views

Managing the Adhoc Trend Popup

• Resized via bottom-right corner
• Maximized using the expand icon in the top-right corner
• Collapsed using the _ icon in the top-right corner
• Closed using the × icon in the top-right corner

When collapsed, the Adhoc Trend appears as a small tab in the top-right corner of the view.
Click the expand icon on the tab to reopen it—your selected channels and settings are preserved.

The popup persists across view changes, making it easy to compare data between different views without losing context.

Configuration and Customization

General Settings

By default, the Adhoc Trend opens as a popup overlay. This can be changed in your User Profile Settings:

• Show Adhoc – Enables or disables Adhoc Trend feature
• Open Adhoc in New Window – Opens each trend in a separate browser window


Component Style

The Adhoc Trend interface is fully customizable through Component Style:

• Select interface areas (e.g., Channel Table, Legend)
• Arrange and resize areas via drag-and-drop
• Define behavior defaults (e.g., grid, individual scaling)

Once saved, a Component Style applies to every Adhoc Trend. Styles can be switched anytime via the component panel.

Component Style Examples

Default Areas

By default, Adhoc Trend includes:

• Chart
• Controls Bar
• Legend
• Time Controls

Optionally, you can add the Channel Table for metadata, statistics, etc.

All interface areas are optional and can be freely added, removed, repositioned, and resized through Component Style.

Define Adhoc Trend in Component Style

To configure the Adhoc Trend layout using Component Style:

1. In the Tools section of the left sidebar, click Component Style.

   

2. Click the + icon to create a new style or the pen icon to edit an existing one.

3. In the Component Style editor, scroll to the bottom of the Components panel on the left and select Adhoc Trend.

4. Expand the Format section to configure which interface areas are visible and arrange them using drag-and-drop.

   

5. Adjust any layout or behavior settings as needed, then click Apply to save the style. See LineChart for details on different settings.

6. To activate the style, select it from the Component Style dropdown in the floating component panel or the Tools menu.

   

Interface Areas Overview

Example Adhoc Trend with all interface areas except legend (your setup may vary based on Component Style).

Area	Name	Description
A	Chart Display	Time-series chart for all selected channels
B	State Timebars	Visual representation of discrete states
C	Chart Controls	Tools for scrolling, zooming, and exporting
D	Scaling Options	Scaling, regression lines
E	Channel Table	Metadata, statistics and channel configuration settings
F	Cursors & Statistics	Cursor markers for value inspection and interval statistics
G	Time Controls	Time settings to define start, end, or duration

In addition to the Channel Table, you can optionally add the Legend area via Component Style. The Legend offers a compact overview with visibility toggles and regression lines configuration.

All interface areas are optional and can be freely added, removed, repositioned, and resized using Component Style.

Chart Display

The main chart area visualizes all selected time-series data channels. By default, users can:

• Drag horizontally to scroll through time
• Scroll or pinch to zoom along the X- or Y-axis
• Hover to display tooltips with timestamp and value

Interaction behavior is consistent with the LineChart component.

Y-axis limits update automatically based on the visible range, zoom level, and the selected Scale Behavior.

Additional navigation options—such as zoom area selection, axis-specific scrolling, and realtime mode—can be accessed via the Chart Controls toolbar in the top-right corner.

State Timebars

State Timebars visualize discrete values—such as equipment states or process phases—as horizontal colored bars below the trend chart. They provide context alongside continuous signals (e.g., temperature, pressure) by showing transitions such as Running, Stopped, or Error.

Key Behavior

• Supports channels with digital or categorical values
• Each colored segment represents a state and its duration
• Hovering reveals the state name and timestamp

Typical data sources include:

• Tags with digital or binary values
• Attribute values using enumeration-like structures (e.g., PI AF Enumeration Sets)

How to Enable

To display a State Timebar for a channel:

1. Open the Channel Table
2. Go to the Advanced Section
3. Set the Plot Type to State Timebar

⚠️ The underlying data must support discrete state transitions.

Channel Table

The Channel Table must be added in the Component Style to configure State Timebars.

The Controls Bar is typically positioned above the chart and provides tools for scaling behavior, regression management, and interactive navigation of the chart.

Scaling Options

Scaling Options control how Y-axes are grouped across channels and how their limits are calculated. These tools are especially useful when comparing channels with different units, value ranges, or grouping needs. Additionally you can manage regression lines here.

The scaling toolbar is located in the top-left corner of the Adhoc Trend chart and includes four controls:


	Function
1	Scale Mode: Choose how channels share Y-axis scales (Single, Individual, UOM, Group)
2	Scale Behavior: Auto, Data Source Defined, or Custom Limits
3	Reset Scale: Resets Y-axis to fit selected scale behavior
4	Regressions: Opens Regression Configuration window to manage regressions

Details Scaling Options

1. Scale Mode

This dropdown controls how Y-axis scales are grouped across channels:

Mode	Description
Single	All channels share one Y-axis scale.
Individual	Each channel has its own scale.
UOM	Channels with the same Unit of Measure (UOM), as defined in the Units column, are grouped onto a shared Y-axis.
Group	Channels are grouped manually using the Group field. All channels in the same group share one Y-axis scale.

Tips

Use Single or UOM when comparing absolute values. Use Individual or Group when channels differ in units or ranges and require separate scaling.

2. Scale Behavior

This dropdown defines how Y-axis limits are determined:

Mode	Description
Auto Scale	Y-axis limits are dynamically adjusted based on the visible data range. Zooming or scrolling updates the axis automatically.
Data Source Defined	Uses static min/max values provided by the data source (if available). These appear in the Lower and Upper columns of the Channel Table.
Custom Limits	Enables manual control over Y-axis limits per channel or group (depending on the active Scale Mode). Enter values in the Lower and Upper columns and confirm (✓) to switch to Custom Limits.

See Chart Controls for how interactions like zoom and realtime affect scale behavior.

3. Reset Scale

This icon resets the Y-axis limits based on the selected Scale Behavior:

Scale Behavior	Reset Behavior
Auto Scale	Resets the Y-axis to fit the currently visible data range
Data Source Defined	Reapplies the static min/max values provided by the data source
Custom Limits	Not applicable — manually defined limits are preserved and not reset automatically

Chart Controls

The toolbar in the top-right corner of the chart provides tools for navigating, zooming, and exporting data.


	Function
1. Export CSV	Download visible data as CSV
2. Search Latest	Jump to most recent data
3. Zoom Area	Draw a zoom box for specific time/value ranges
4. Free Scroll	Enable horizontal and vertical scrolling
5. Horizontal Scroll	Time-axis scrolling only
6. Vertical Scroll	Value-axis scrolling only
7. Realtime	Auto-update with incoming data

You can add or remove these controls as part of your Component Style configuration.

Interaction Behavior

• Scrolling or zooming disables Realtime.
• Using Zoom Area or vertical zoom activates Custom Limits and updates the Lower and Upper fields in the Channel Table.
• Double-clicking reverts the last zoom performed using the Zoom Area tool.
• Enabling Realtime removes any cursor markers.

Legend

The Legend provides a quick overview of the channels displayed in the Adhoc Trend chart. It offers basic controls and metadata for each channel and allows toggling visibility directly from the list.

By default, the Legend includes the following columns:

Column	Description
Lock	Locks the channel’s time position for independent scrolling.
Visibility	Toggles whether the channel is shown in the chart.
Regression (ŷ)	- For a data channel: Opens the Regression Configuration for that channel. - For a regression entry: Opens the Regression Settings for direct editing.
Remove (x)	Removes the channel or regression line from the chart.
Name	Displays the tag or attribute name. For regressions, shows equation and R² if enabled.
Timestamp	Shows the latest timestamped value.
Value	Displays the latest data value.
Units (UOM)	Displays the unit of measure.

Configuring Columns and Customization Options

Through Component Style, you can customize the Legend layout:

• Add the Indicator Color column to customize the color assigned to each channel.
• Transpose the layout to switch between horizontal and vertical alignment (columns vs. rows).
• Hide columns that are not relevant to your workflow.

Below is how these settings appear within the Component Style:



Channel Table

The Channel Table below the chart shows metadata and display settings for each channel.

⚠️ To ensure the Channel Table is available in the Adhoc Trend interface, make sure it is included in the selected Component Style configuration.

The Channel Table is divided into three sections:

1. Basic section — Includes metadata columns and display settings
2. Advanced section — Contains additional configuration options and styling features
3. Statistics section — Appears when cursors are placed to show interval statistics

Use the gear icons  in the lower-left corner of the table to switch between sections and configure which columns are shown.

Basic Section Columns

Column	Description
Lock	Locks the channel’s time position, allowing it to scroll independently for comparison.
Visibility	Toggles whether the channel is shown in the chart.
Color	Sets the display color for the data channel. By default, Adhoc Trend inherits the color from the channel definition. If multiple channels share the same color, distinct alternatives are automatically applied to ensure clarity in the chart.
Regression ŷ	- For a data channel: Opens the Regression Configuration for that channel. - For a regression entry: Opens the Regression Settings for direct editing.
Data Type	Shows the source-defined type of data (e.g., tag, enumeration).
Name	Displays the tag or attribute name from the data source. For regression channels, displays the equation and R² value if enabled in the regression settings.
Timestamp	Shows the most recent timestamped value or, when hovering, the value at the cursor position.
Value	Shows the latest data value or the value under the hovered timestamp.
Units	Displays the Unit of Measure (UOM), if available. Used for UOM-based scaling. Can be edited manually.
Group	Assigns a group label to the channel. When Group scale mode is active, channels with the same label share a Y-axis. Can use string or numeric values.
Lower	Displays the lower Y-axis limit. Value depends on the active Scale Behavior. When manually edited and confirmed (✓), switches to Custom Limits.
Upper	Same as Lower, but for the upper Y-axis.
Remove x	Removes the channel from the trend chart.

Advanced Section Columns

The Advanced Section provides optional styling and statistical details for each channel.:

• Descriptive statistics:

  • Minimum, Maximum, Average, Standard Deviation, and Population Standard Deviation
  • Calculated based on the visible time range in the chart

• Plot Type selection:

  • Choose how the channel is visualized (e.g., Line, Bar, Step, Step After, Step Before, Annotation)
  • For channels with discrete states, you can also select State Timebar

Statistics Section

The Statistics section displays statistical information when at least two cursors are placed on the chart. It provides statistical insights about the time range between the markers for the channels on the adhoc chart.

Available statistics include: Minimum, Maximum, Average, Delta

⚠️ Statistics are only shown if supported by the data source (e.g., PI System).

Channel Table Configuration

You can configure which columns are shown in each section of the Channel Table.

• Click the gear icon  in the lower-left corner of the table
• Select which columns to display for each section using the Columns Configuration dialog


Regression Lines

The Regression Lines feature allows you to overlay calculated regression lines on selected data channels within the Adhoc Trend. This enables quick visual analysis of trends, correlations, and deviations over time.

Regression Example

Note

Regression line calculations do not need to be supported by the source system.

Adding a Regression

1. Open Regressions Configuration window via:
   • Controls Bar - opens all regressions for the current Adhoc Trend
   • Channel Table (ŷ) - opens regression for selected channel


2. In the regression configuration window select the channel for which the regression will be calculated.
3. Click the + icon in the top-left corner to create a new regression.
4. A detailed configuration dialog opens for defining the regression properties.

Configuration Options

The following options are available when defining a regression:


Field	Description
Name	User-defined name for the regression, shown in the Name column of the Channel Table.
Indicator Color	Color of the regression line.
Shade Color	Optional shading below the regression line.
Show Equation	Displays the regression formula in the Name column of the Channel Table.
Show R²	Displays the R² value in the Name column of the Channel Table.
Regression Type	Type of regression (Linear, Exponential, Logarithmic, Power, Polynomial, Min, Max, Custom).
Source Channel	Channel on which the regression is calculated.
UOM	Unit of measure for display purposes.
LOW / UPPER	Defines fixed Y-axis limits for the regression.
Number Format	Defines how numeric values are displayed (%, scientific, decimal places, etc.). If Display Digits is selected, the number of displayed decimals is defined in the Display Digits field.
Display Digits	Defines the number of decimal places displayed. Only applies if Display Digits is selected in Number Format (see details below).
Line Dasharray	Selects line style (solid, dashed, etc.).
Thickness	Defines line thickness in pixels.
Group	Grouping label for Y-axis scaling (optional).
Precision	Defines calculation precision (rounding behavior) for the regression.
Order	Defines the order of the polynomial where applicable.
Formula	Editable formula field. Automatically populated but can be modified manually.

Details on Number Format

The Number Format field controls how numbers are displayed for the regression line:

Option	Description
System	Uses the numeric formatting defined by the user's operating system settings (e.g., decimal separator).
Channel	Inherits the formatting from the source channel configuration—either from the connected data source or manually set in the channel’s attribute mapping.
Display Digits	Allows explicit definition of the number of decimal places shown.
Scientific	Displays values in scientific notation (e.g., 1.23E+03).
Percentage	Displays values as percentages.

When Display Digits is selected, you can define how many decimal places are shown.
For example:

• 1 → 12.3
• 2 → 12.34
• 3 → 12.345

This affects display only and does not impact underlying data or calculations.

Click Apply to confirm and add the regression. The regression line will now appear on the chart and is listed as an additional row beneath the source channel in the Channel Table.

Managing Regressions

There are two ways to manage regressions in Adhoc Trend:

1. Adhoc Trend Overview:
   Click the Regressions icon in the Controls Bar to open the Regressions Configuration window. This lists all regressions for the current Adhoc Trend.

2. Channel-Specific Overview:
   In the Channel Table or Legend, click the ŷ icon next to a data channel to open all regressions for that channel only.

Open Regressions Configuration

From either window, you can:

• Add, edit, or delete regressions.
• Confirm changes with Apply.


Editing a Specific Regression

To edit a single regression directly:

• Click the ŷ icon next to the regression in the Channel Table or Legend.

Open Regressions Settings

This opens the detailed Regression Settings dialog (see Configuration Options).

Access Summary

• Controls Bar: All regressions for the Adhoc Trend
• Channel Table / Legend ŷ (channel): Regressions for that channel
• Channel Table / Legend ŷ (regression): Edit specific regression settings directly

Cursors and Statistics

Cursors can be used to inspect and compare values across a time range.

• Click the + icon on a tooltip to add a cursor
• Click the x icon on a cursor to remove it

The tooltips display the value of the data channel at that point in time.

When two or more cursors are placed, statistical information is displayed in the Statistics Section [Σ]. It shows calculated values - such as: average, minimum, maximum, and delta - based on the time range between the cursors.

⚠️ Statistics are only shown if supported by the data source (e.g., PI System).

Adding and Removing Cursor Markers

Interaction Behavior

⚠️ Enabling Realtime removes any placed cursors.

Time Controls

The Time Controls below the chart allow you to define a fixed time window for analysis.

You can configure the visible time range using:

• Start Time and End Time pickers
• A Duration field to define the time span
• Arrow buttons (<, >) to shift the entire window forward or backward by the selected duration

These controls work the same way as in the LineChart.

Behavior Notes

• Adhoc Trends persist across views, allowing cross-view comparisons, but they close when the browser is refreshed
• State Timebars and statistics are only shown if the underlying data source supports them
• Multiple Adhoc Trends can be open simultaneously in separate overlays or windows

Add Adhoc Trend Features to a LineChart

To use Adhoc Trend-like functionality in a standard LineChart component, you have two options:

Option 1: Define a reusable Component Style

Follow the steps in Component Style to configure the layout. Add the Channel Table, Chart Controls, and other interface areas, then apply the style to your LineChart.

This method allows consistent reuse across multiple components.

Option 2: Configure an individual LineChart manually

To enable core features in a specific LineChart:

1. Add the Channel Table

   • In the Settings of the LineChart component, go to the Format section.
   • In the Chart Layout, drag and drop the Table element to add the Channel Table.

2. Enable Cursors

   • In the Scales / Cursors section, enable the Cursor toggle.

For more details on component behavior, see the LineChart documentation.