Challenge #98: SANTALYTICS 2017 - Part 2

Decorate the table with colors so bright.
Blocking tools, macros, yellow threads alright!

With the image files added to our Tool Data from Part 1, create a unique periodic table of Alteryx tools visual that Santa can replicate en masse from year to year!

Goal: Make a periodic table of Alteryx tools with the visualization or reporting suite(s) of your choice and the provided tool data with image assets. Remember, our solutions need to dynamically update from Santa's new tool data each year!

Looking for a jump start or a refresher for your reporting skills? Register for our Introduction to Reporting live training this Tuesday!

If you are just checking out #SANTALYTICS for the first time, please read our intro blog to see our team rap, learn about the badge, and maybe get a shot at some SWAG! Check out last week's solution here.

Provided: Exercise 1's Tool Data and Image Assets.yxdb

challenge_98_start_file.yxzp

challenge_98_solution.yxzp

Join

Preparation

Advanced

Data Analysis

Intermediate

Reporting and Visualization

Accepted answers

All comments

estherb47

@TaraM, so looking forward to this! But where is the yxdb?

TaraM

It is there now, @estherb47 - Can't wait to see what you come up with!

ggruccio

Looks great on screen, but I can only get it to render properly as html output. Even though I choose 8.5 by 11 it is huge!

challenge98_gg_finish_santalytics2.yxzp

patrick_digan

I am exhausted after that one! I was receiving all sorts of PCXML errors; however, I was finally able to produce an HTML output that looked like I wanted.

EDIT: I tried to stay as true as possible to the periodic table of Alteryx tools. I don't believe the small image backgrounds were included with the challenge so I created those.

Spoiler

I started with my work from last week and added on. I used a BUNCH of reporting tools - report text, overlay, layout. I also used a macro to get the small background working, so I used a custom icon

I also created a blank box to fill the holes in the periodic table, and that caused a lot of PCXML problems when I tried to combine everything. I was able to get around it by crosstabbing, summarizing vertically, and then using the layout tool. There were many simpler ways to do this but they all produced errors for me. It could have been user error

I had the same output issue as @ggruccio that required me to use HTML instead of pdf. I was happy with how it turned out!

Final output!

this week's work

last week's work

challenge_98_start_file_Autosave.yxzp

Ilías

Thanks for the heads up regarding the output format, had the same issue. Had no time to look for an option to add the small background image.

Challenge 98 ili.yxmd

NicoleJohnson

My solution! I took a cue from @patrick_digan creativity in the last round and added a few "elements" to give it some extra spirit...

Spoiler

First, my Periodic Workflow of Alteryx Tools (so many Overlays...):

Second, my Periodic Table of Alteryx Tools! The numbers didn't print as well as they look on my screen, but they're there. And I need to go to bed, so good enough.

Cheers!

Santalytics2_NicoleJohnson.yxmd

LordNeilLord

Thank @patrick_digan for the inspiration to leave the spacing!

Spoiler

challenge_98_LNL.yxzp

patrick_digan

@LordNeilLord @NicoleJohnson @Ilías @ggruccio

Spoiler

I'm glad the rest of you figured out to use the Table tool... I completely missed that one!

estherb47

Spoiler

My solution. Whoa, this was a doozy!!!

Wanted an approach that wasn't bringing in any more graphics, so used the table approach to add in the small background color, so that the workflow is as flexible as possible.

Lots of overlay tools, and plenty of time spent playing around with them to figure out the padding needed, where to place the elements to overlay, etc. This tool is a challenge to use, as the offsets aren't very intuitive.

To ensure spacing for the first few rows of the table, generated extra rows using Generate rows, inserted them into the data, and then sorted.

Where I'm really proud of my work is using MOD and CEIL to create the Column and Row numbers (using 17 as the divisor for both)

Crosstab, table, another title, ANOTHER overlay, and a render. Like everyone else, my workflow threw errors when trying to render to a pdf, so this creates a temp html file.

Challenge_98_EHB_solution.yxzp

jdunkerley79

Mostly for doing it in a crazy way thought it would be nice to make it a YXMD output... had to go back to get zip again but base64 encoded the images for use as comments

Layout based on Wikipedia's article on the Extended Periodic Table

Spoiler

This produces the table as a workflow full of comments;

Generator is challenge_98_jd.yxmd and output is report.yxmd

challenge_98_jd.yxmd

report.yxmd

paul_houghton

I did enjoy this...mostly...still complain about the reporting tools

Spoiler

challenge_98_start_file.yxzp

philipmannering

Gone a bit Ebenezer Scrooge with the number of tools I've used.

Workflow:

Spoiler

Workflow

Output:

Spoiler

Output

challenge_98 - Santalytics Part 2.yxzp

SophiaF

I freely admit I went completely against the song and threw this into Tableau (after doing all the heavy lifting in Alteryx of course). I'm sure this selfish reasoning will put me on the naughty list... coal it is for me... luckily I can now make my own periodic table!

Here's the final output I posted to my Tableau Public:

z0b6Joo

I had to add a few more tool in order to get the dynamic colors in the tool tips to match the Alteryx tool categories, as well as to modify the file names so the Shapes would assign themselves automatically. First time I really spent any time looking at the tool categories colors (which I quickly added to my custom colors)

e45BIKI

Workflow:

Spoiler

Santalytics Part 2_completedyxmd.yxmd

SGolnik

Okay....my solution on this one doesn't look quite as well done as some. I was happy that I got it looking close to what it should! I'm definitely going to take some time to take a closer look at everyone else's so I can figure out how to do some of the cool things that I've seen.

Santalytics Part 2- Solution.yxzp

Claje

This one took me awhile because I think I focused too much on "automated".

Spoiler

I was very concerned with the fact that as the number of tools grew, the toolids in each column could wind up shifting, and which columns needed blanks could change, so I built out a rather complex set of logic to accomplish this.

Overall this was a fun one and I learned a lot about the reporting tools while doing it!

challenge_98_start_file_Claje.yxzp

Laurap1228

This was tough to get the correct grid layout.

Santalytics Part 2._LPyxmd.yxzp

Laurap1228

This was tough to get the correct grid layout.

Santalytics Part 2._LPyxmd.yxzp

SeanAdams

@patrick_digan wrote:
I am exhausted after that one! I was receiving all sorts of PCXML errors; however, I was finally able to produce an HTML output that looked like I wanted.

I'm with you on this @patrick_digan - several errors were thrown which seem to be defects that this kind of exercise has unearthed. For example - doing a formula to check for null, and then replacing with an image of a solid block breaks the reporting elements. I'll log these as defects with worked examples

Spoiler

Went the same route as @patrick_digan - didn't get the blank spaces to work (because of the PCXML errors and images / reporting elements suddenly forgetting that they are images) - but did use cross-tab and table to make this work.

Challenge_98_SeanSolution.yxmd

samN

Way different than all of the other challenges. Much more time on the creative aspect

challenge_98.yxzp

jasperlch

Solution attached.

Santalytics Part 2 JL.yxzp

Natasha

This was fun, wish I have done this earlier

Spoiler

Overlay is now my favourite tool from the reporting category, though I am not a fan of Alteryx reporting tools at all.
I struggled with making spaces in the first rows so went for the standard long if statement.

Spent a lot of time trying to figure out correct spacing of the output file, and there is still something wrong with my column #13..

Screen Shot 2018-01-08 at 00.42.10.png

Santalytics Part 2_Natasha.yxzp

lminors

Still pretty iffy with the reporting tools. Alteryx is ridiculously intuitive until you meet those little browny/orange devils. Presented a good challenge nonetheless.

Spoiler

WC 98 solution

Luke Minors - Keyrus UK

WC98_LM.yxzp

JosephSerpis

Challenge Completed

Challenge_98_Joe_Serpis.yxmd

Elena_Caric

Spoiler

Periodic Table

Workflow

I've never used most of the reporting tools, thanks to @LordNeilLord I was able to do it and understand how some work. Thanks! :-)

challenge_98_Santalytics Part 2.yxmd

danilang

Wow! Probably the most time consuming of the ~120 challenges that I done so far. The reporting tools remind me of Slartibartfast's description of the coastline of Norway, "So many fiddly-bits and fjords"

Spoiler

Shout out to @patrick_digan for the idea of of hard coding the layout for the 1st 3 rows. So much easier than my first attempt of trying to insert blank images into an existing table.
Solution 98.png