Do you have an area chart in your dashboard that you would like to have a slider to select a certain time period? One way to spruce up a dashboard is to add Visual Filters. This one in particular will help the viewer quickly and visually identify your time line range.
This tip is brought to you by Zak Geis's Visual Filters Dashboard in Tableau Public here. Follow him! He also has a very helpful website called datatheories.com.
Here is an example of an area chart with a slider - The area chart will be blue for the selected time period. The rest of the chart will appear in gray for the time line.
First create an area chart utilizing gray for your color. Name this worksheet Full Range.
Duplicate this worksheet and right-click on your bottom axis.
Change the bottom Axis to Fixed with a Fixed Start Date and a Fixed End Date.
Change the side axis to Fixed as well.
Move your date value to the Filters Marks card. Select Range of Dates.
Right-click on this pill and select the Quarter/Year format.
Right-click again to show this filter.
Change the the color of the area chart to blue.
Now when you move the slider, only the selected range will display.
Name this sheet Filtered Range.
Hide the axes and grid lines on both sheets.
Place the Full Range onto your Dashboard.
Place the Filtered Range sheet over the Full Range sheet by making it a floating worksheet. You may have to perform adjustments so the area charts overlap.
Ensure all titles are hidden on both worksheets.
Display the Quarter/Year filter for the Filtered Range worksheet and drag it to display underneath your area charts.
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