This form displays a single bubble chart. In the chart area, the chart name is displayed at the top, the Y-axis name is on the left, and the X-axis and bubble size labels are on the bottom.

The Legend area displays the item name next to a small representation of that item's bubble. You can display the legend in different ways using the Bubble Chart Preferences form.

You can open and modify an item by double-clicking on a bubble in the chart area or on a bubble or name in the Legend area. This will cause the corresponding Item form to be displayed.

Legends can be sorted by clicking on the headers at the top of the legend area.

You can also display a bubble's variable values by right-clicking (control-clicking on Mac) an individual bubble.

You can move bubbles around by placing the cursor on a bubble, holding the mouse down, and dragging the bubble to where you want to place it. The attribute data associated with the Project is modified and saved. If one of the chart axis represents the "Overall Value Score," then the Portfolio is re-scored based on the new position of the bubble and the chart is re-drawn.

Bubble Charts can also display bubbles with areas corresponding to zero and negative values. Bubbles areas that correspond to negative values are displayed with the size representative of the negative value, but are white with an "X" spanning the diameter of the bubble. The "X" displays the color and pattern assigned to the item.

Bubble areas that represent to 0 are simply represented by X's. The "X" displays the color and pattern assigned to the item.

Changes to the chart display are made using the Bubble Chart Preferences form, which is opened by clicking on the [Modify] button at the bottom of the bubble chart legend area.

You can set the initial size of the bubble chart window using the Set Bubble Chart Size form and you can adjust the chart size by dragging the lower right corner.

Each time a Bubble Chart is opened, the Drawing Tools Toolbar is opened with the chart (if it isn't already displayed).

You can also print and export the chart displayed in this form using the standard "Print" and "Export" menu items under the "File" menu.

Bubble Charts can also display bubbles with areas corresponding to zero and negative values.

Right-Mouse Click on Bubbles:

Placing the cursor over a bubble and right-clicking displays the name and coordinates for the selected bubble.

Dragging and Dropping Bubbles:

You can move bubbles around by placing the cursor on a bubble, holding the mouse down, and dragging the bubble to where you want to place it. The attribute data associated with the Project is modified and saved based on where the bubble was dropped (mouse released). If one of the chart axis represents the "Overall Value Score," then the Portfolio is re-scored based on the new position of the bubble and the chart is re-drawn.

As you drag a bubble, the current coordinates of the X and Y axes are displayed unless one of the axis is the "Overall Value Score." The overall value score is only calculated after the bubble has been dropped. Note that bubbles using weighted data values cannot be dragged at all.

Moved bubbles can be restored to their original position by selecting the "Undo" menu item from the "Edit" or selecting the control-z (Windows) or command-z (Mac) after moving a bubble. Multiple Undo's can be performed while a chart is open, however, all changes are saved after the chart is closed. Bubbles moved by modifying and saving project data cannot be reversed by using the "Undo" function.

Displaying Uncertainty Bars in Bubble Charts

If [Track Uncertainty] is selected in the Portfolio Preferences form, then you can display the assigned uncertainty in the form of "Uncertainty Bars" by checking the [Display Uncertainty Bars] check box in the Bubble Chart Preferences form. The bars are displayed on top of the project bubbles, as illustrated below:

See also Tracking Uncertainty for additional information.

Important Note: The High and Low SMART score values may NOT be higher and lower, respectively, of the overall SMART value score if all of the attribute "Plus" and "Minus" values do not bracket the assigned main value. For example, if the main attribute value is 100 and the "Plus" value is 90 and the minus value is 50, then the "High" and "Low" value scores will be lower than the Overall Value Score. This is illustrated in the figure below:

If you want to use uncertainty for some attributes, but not all, then it can be useful to set the Default Uncertainty setting in the Portfolio Preferences form to [Use Percentage Default Uncertainty], and then set both the "Percentage to add" and "Percentage to subtract" to 0 (zero). This way the "Plus" and "Minus" values will automatically be set to the identical value as the main ("Likely") and will not affect the uncertainty "High" and "Low" SMART value scores. In fact, Uncertainty Bars with identical high and low values are not displayed.

The Bubble Chart Display Form Buttons:

[Zoom Box On] button: Click this button to enable drawing a "zoom box." A zoom box lets you zoom-in on an area of a bubble chart by displaying the only bubbles defined by the area of the zoom box. After clicking [Draw Zoom Box], you define the area that you want to isolate by dragging the mouse:

When you release the mouse, the bubble chart is redrawn to only display the area defined by the zoom box:

[Zoom Box Off] button: Click this buttons to restore the chart to its original display parameters.

[Blinking On/Off] button: Click this buttons to start/stop the blinking of any projects that have been set to blink in the Project form.

[Modify]: Click this button to display the Chart Preferences form.

[Show/Hide Legend] button: Use this button to toggle the display of the legend on and off in the form.

[Close]: Click on this button to close the Bubble Chart form.