How it works
Configure on the VDM
Define which date columns support time series, what granularities are allowed, and the default time window.
Build an experiment
Drag a date field onto the X axis of any chart. The time range dropdown appears automatically in the chart header.
VDM Configuration
Time series is configured via thetimeSeriesConfiguration array on a Virtual Data Mart. Each entry represents one date column with its allowed granularities.
Configuration fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
fieldName | string | Display name (e.g. “Position Date”) |
sourceColumn | string | Database column reference (e.g. FCT_POSITION.POSITION_DT) |
availableGranularities | string[] | Which time buckets to allow |
defaultGranularity | string | Initial granularity when chart first loads |
defaultTimeframeCategory | string | Maps to query grouping: DAY, WEEK, MONTH, QUATER, YEAR |
defaultDateRange | object | Initial date filter applied to new charts |
Available granularities
date
Day-level
week
Week-level
month
Month-level
quarter
Quarter-level
year
Year-level
Only the granularities you list in
availableGranularities will appear in the experiment’s time range dropdown. If you only want users to see Day and Month, set ["date", "month"].Setting up via the VDM editor
Add a time series entry
Select your date column, choose the allowed granularities, and set the default granularity and date range.
BI Import (automatic)
When importing from a BI semantic model, time series configuration is created automatically from LookMLdimension_group blocks. Each group’s timeframes array (e.g. [date, month, quarter, year]) maps directly to availableGranularities. A default 19-month lookback window is applied.
Overriding Defaults
After initial setup (whether from BI import or manual creation), you can override the time series defaults from the VDM column configuration panel.Change the default granularity
In the VDM editor, open the time series column’s detail panel. Use the Default Granularity dropdown to select which granularity the chart should start with (e.g. switch fromdate to month so charts default to monthly aggregation).
The default granularity determines the initial
dateRangeFilter.category when a new chart is created using this date column. Users can still switch granularity at the experiment level via the dropdown.Enable or disable granularities
In the column detail panel, find Available Granularities. Each granularity appears as a clickable chip:- Blue border + filled background = enabled (visible in the experiment dropdown)
- Grey border + dimmed = disabled (hidden from the experiment dropdown)
date, week, and quarter — the experiment dropdown will only show Month and Year.
Change the default date window
Use the Default Date Window field to set how many months of data the chart should load by default. The imported default is 19 months.- Set to
6for a 6-month rolling view - Set to
12for a trailing year - Set to
0or leave blank for all available data
defaultDateRange.lookbackMonths value in the time series configuration.
Override summary
| What to change | Where | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Initial granularity (day/month/year) | Column detail panel | Default Granularity dropdown |
| Which granularities users can pick | Column detail panel | Available Granularities chips (click to toggle) |
| Default data window | Column detail panel | Default Date Window (months) |
| Display name | Time Series Editor | Field Name |
| Source date column | Time Series Editor | Date Column |
Example configuration
Experiment: Time Range Dropdown
When a chart has a date column on its X axis, a dropdown button appears in the chart header next to the title. It combines granularity and range selection in a single control.Dropdown layout
The dropdown has grouped sections:| Section | Options | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Granularity | Day, Week, Month, Quarter, Year | How data points are aggregated (DATE_TRUNC) |
| Range | 5D, 1M, 3M, 6M, 1Y, 5Y | Rolling time window |
| To Date | WTD, MTD, QTD, YTD | Period-to-date |
| Other | All, Since Inception | Full data set |
Button label
The button displays the current selection as{Granularity} · {Range}:
D · All— Day granularity, all dataM · 1Y— Monthly aggregation, past 1 yearQ · YTD— Quarterly aggregation, year to date
Chart type support
The dropdown appears on any chart type with a date axis — Line Series, Area, Column, Bar, Stacked, Combo, Scatter, Step Line, Table, and more. It is not limited to a specific chart type.Date Range Types
Rolling ranges
| Button | Description | Lookback |
|---|---|---|
| 5D | Past 5 Days | 5 calendar days from max date |
| 1M | Past 1 Month | 1 month rolling |
| 3M | Past 3 Months | 3 months rolling |
| 6M | Past 6 Months | 6 months rolling |
| 1Y | Past 1 Year | 1 year rolling |
| 5Y | Past 5 Years | 5 years rolling |
Period-to-date
| Button | Description | From |
|---|---|---|
| WTD | Week to Date | Monday of current week |
| MTD | Month to Date | 1st of current month |
| QTD | Quarter to Date | 1st of current quarter |
| YTD | Year to Date | January 1st of current year |
Calendar ranges (in filter panel)
When the grouping category is set, additional calendar-aligned options appear in the filter panel:- 1CW / 2CW / 3CW — Last 1 / 2 / 3 calendar weeks (when grouped by Day)
- 1CM / 2CM / 3CM — Last 1 / 2 / 3 calendar months (when grouped by Month)
- 1CQ / 2CQ / 3CQ — Last 1 / 2 / 3 calendar quarters (when grouped by Quarter)
- 1CY / 2CY / 3CY — Last 1 / 2 / 3 calendar years (when grouped by Year)
Special
| Button | Description |
|---|---|
| All | No date filter — show all available data |
| SI | Since Inception — from the earliest record to today |
| DR | Custom Date Range — opens a from/to date picker |
| Last N | Custom lookback — enter a number and press Enter |
SDK Import
When creating dashboards via the SDK, set thedateRange property on time series charts:
Past 1 Year, YTD, Past 6 Months, etc.) are resolved into concrete from/to dates at import time, so the chart loads pre-filtered.
Supported selectDateOption values
All, Past 5 Days, Past 1 Month, Past 3 Months, Past 6 Months, Past 1 Year, Past 5 Years, Week to Date, Month to Date, Quarter to Date, Year to Date, Since Inception