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Time Series Configuration File

Introduction

A time series configuration file, also called "time series graph configuration" and "time series product" file, is created by TSTool by running the ProcessTSProduct(OutputProductFile="somefile.json") command. This file provides a verbose representation of a time series product, such as a graph, and allows the InfoMapper to create a corresponding graph using a charting package (by default plotly). The benefit of this approach is that a visualization can be prototyped in TSTool and saved for use with the InfoMapper. It is typical that a specific graph configuration will be prototyped and then generalized into a template that can be used with multiple map features, for example to show a graph for streamflow stations.

Examples

The following examples illustrate the use of graph configurations.

Poudre Basin Information - County Population

The Poudre Basin Information website implements a graph configuration to display graphs of county population time series (click on a county to display population time series). The following illustrate the steps necessary to configure a time series graph.

  1. A TSTool command file is used to query and process time series. See the 02b-create-population-graph-config.tstool command file, near the bottom. This command file creates time series data files that can be accessed as locations are selected on the map, and graph configuration templates that describe the graph so that it can be created by InfoMapper charting tools.
  2. Time series results are graphed and are edited to create a time series product:
    1. Initially, time series of interest in the results are selected and a graph is created. The graph will display using default properties.
    2. Right-click on the graph and use the Properties editor to customize the graph.
    3. Save the graph as a time series product (*.tsp) file, in this case county-population-graph-config.tsp. The example is for Larimer county.
    4. Automate processing the graph using the ProcessTSProduct(OutputProductFile="somefile.json") command. This saves a "prototype" graph as JSON, using the specific time series identifiers, in this case county-population-graph-config-prototype.json. Unlike the *.tsp file, which contains only minimal configuration that is different from internal defaults, the *.json file is verbose and contains all properties. This ensures that the product can be completely defined in InfoMapper.
  3. Convert the JSON time series product into a template.
    1. Use the TextEdit command to replace the specific time series location identifier Larimer with a property using notation ${featureAttribute:county}, which causes InfoMapper to insert the value of the county attribute for the county layer when processing the graph. Use this technique for all occurances of strings that need to be modified in order to create a working visualization.
    2. As necessary, use property modifiers to modify layer attribute value to match time series identifiers. This is necessary because some counties have names like RIO GRANDE, which must be reformatted.
  4. Use the time series graph configuration file in event handler configuration, as the resourcePath that will be processed when a map feature is clicked and popup action executed.