Tableau Advanced Tutorial: How to modify Tableau visualization#

As explained above, Tableau Desktop is available from the shared team VDI. This tutorial covers the basics to help you create your first dashboard. For an in-depth analysis, you can also watch this video.

A tutorial by Mehdi Mikou on how to modify specifically the EPM visualization dashboard is available on the team’s Drive here.

1. Connect to a Data Source#

  1. On the Start Page, under Connect, choose your data source:

    • Excel, Text File, CSV

    • Database (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL)

    • Tableau Server or cloud sources

  2. Browse and select your file or enter credentials for databases.

  3. Tableau will open the Data Source tab, displaying the data preview.

2. Prepare the Data#

  • Rename fields by double-clicking headers.

  • Change data types by clicking the data type icon.

  • Create calculated fields if needed (Analysis > Create Calculated Field).

3. Build Visualizations (Sheets)#

  1. Click on a new worksheet (Sheet 1).

  2. Drag fields from the Data pane into:

    • Rows and Columns to build charts

    • Marks (Color, Size, Label, etc.) for additional detail

  3. Examples:

    • Bar chart: Drag Category to Columns and Sales to Rows

    • Map: Drag Country to the view

4. Create a Dashboard#

  1. Click the New Dashboard icon (Dashboard 1).

  2. Drag sheets from the Sheets pane onto the dashboard area.

  3. Use objects (e.g., Text, Image, Web) from the left sidebar to enhance your dashboard.

  4. Adjust layout and sizing to fit your needs.

5. Add Interactivity#

  • Use Filters:

    • Drag a field to Filters on a worksheet, then show it on the dashboard.

  • Use Actions (Dashboard > Actions) to:

    • Filter other views

    • Highlight data

    • Link to other sheets or websites

6. Save and Share#

  • Save your workbook as .twb or .twbx.

  • Export as PDF or Image (File > Export).

  • Publish to Tableau Server, Tableau Public, or Tableau Cloud.