Data Explorer
The Data Explorer is Powoflow's interactive charting tool for sensor and telemetry data. Browse your asset hierarchy to select metrics, build multi-series charts, customize visualization options, and save configurations for dashboard tiles.
Selecting Metrics
Tree Browser
The left panel displays an interactive tree browser organized by your asset hierarchy. Expand nodes to drill down from sites to assets to individual sensors and metrics.
- Search — type to filter the tree by metric or asset name
- Multi-select — check multiple metrics to plot them together
- Drag to reorder — change the display order of selected series
Each metric in the tree shows its current value and unit to help you identify the right parameter quickly.
You can select metrics from different assets on the same chart. This is useful for comparing the same parameter across multiple devices — for example, engine temperature on two generators.
Chart Types
Choose the visualization that best suits your data:
| Chart Type | Best For | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Continuous time series | Connected points showing trends over time |
| Area | Volume or cumulative data | Filled region under the line, useful for showing magnitude |
| Bar | Discrete or aggregated data | Vertical bars, ideal for hourly or daily aggregations |
Switch chart types from the toolbar above the chart. All selected series use the same chart type.
Time Range
Preset Ranges
Quick-select buttons for common time ranges:
| Preset | Duration |
|---|---|
| 24h | Last 24 hours |
| 7d | Last 7 days |
| 30d | Last 30 days |
Custom Range
Click Custom to open a date-time picker where you can set an exact start and end time. The custom range supports any span from minutes to months.
Zoom and Pan
- Click and drag on the chart to zoom into a specific time window
- Scroll wheel to zoom in/out
- Double-click to reset to the selected time range
Aggregation
Control how raw data points are summarized for display:
| Aggregation | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Raw | Every individual data point | Short time ranges with low data volume |
| 1 hour | Average value per hour | Multi-day views |
| 1 day | Average value per day | Monthly or quarterly trends |
For large time ranges with raw aggregation, the chart may take longer to load due to the volume of data points. Use 1-hour or 1-day aggregation for better performance over longer periods.
Y-Axis Scaling
| Scale | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Standard proportional scale | Most metrics (temperature, pressure, RPM) |
| Logarithmic | Log-10 scale | Data spanning multiple orders of magnitude (vibration spectra, particle counts) |
When plotting multiple series with different units, each series gets its own Y-axis with independent scaling. Axes are labeled with the metric name and unit.
Series Customization
Click on a series in the legend to open the customization panel:
| Setting | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Color picker or preset palette | Line and fill color for the series |
| Fill | None, gradient, solid | Area fill below the line |
| Interpolation | Linear, step, smooth | How points are connected |
| Decimal Precision | 0–6 decimal places | Tooltip and axis label precision |
Unit Normalization
Powoflow automatically normalizes legacy unit text forms to standard symbols for consistent display across the platform.
| Legacy Form | Normalized Symbol |
|---|---|
DegreeC | °C |
DegreeF | °F |
Percent | % |
Degrees | ° |
If you see unexpected units on a chart, it may be caused by stale localStorage data from before a normalization update. Clear your browser's localStorage for the Powoflow domain, or simply deselect and reselect the affected series.
Unit normalization is applied at three points in the frontend pipeline to ensure consistency regardless of how the backend adapter reports units.
Persistence
Local Storage
Your selected series and chart configuration are automatically saved to localStorage in your browser. When you return to the Data Explorer, your previous selection is restored.
Saved state includes:
- Selected metric paths
- Chart type
- Time range
- Aggregation setting
- Series customization (colors, fill, interpolation, precision)
Shareable URL
Share your current Data Explorer view with colleagues by copying the URL. The URL includes query parameters that encode:
- Selected metrics
- Time range
- Aggregation setting
When a colleague opens the link, the Data Explorer loads with the same configuration.
Use shareable URLs in incident reports or shift handover notes to point colleagues to the exact data view you were looking at.
Export
Download as PNG
Click the Download button in the toolbar to save the current chart as a PNG image. The exported image includes:
- Chart with all visible series
- Legend with series names and colors
- Time range and aggregation label
- Axis labels and grid lines
The PNG is suitable for inclusion in reports, emails, and presentations.
Dashboard Embedding
Save your Data Explorer configuration as a dashboard tile for the home dashboard.
How to Embed
- Configure your chart in the Data Explorer (select metrics, set time range, customize appearance)
- Click Save to Dashboard in the toolbar
- Enter a tile title and optional description
- Choose the dashboard and tile position
The dashboard tile displays a live-updating version of your chart. Clicking the tile opens the full Data Explorer with the saved configuration.
Dashboard tiles use the same aggregation and time range settings as when they were saved. For example, a "Last 24h" tile always shows the most recent 24 hours of data, keeping the dashboard current.