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Visualize Linked Relationships - Flowchart

Topic Labels: Workflow Design
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Jonathan_Gunne1
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

I am mapping out the content in an academic program with the following levels:

  • Program Objectives
    • Course Objectives
      • Module Objectives
        • Assessments

I have a separate table for each of these levels.

Starting at the bottom, an assessment in one of the courses is connected up to one more Module Objectives. Each MO is linked up to one or more Course Objectives. Each CO is linked up to one or more Program Objectives.

I'd like to visualize these connections. It seems the flowchart extension is what I need, except it only works with self-linked records. In other words, I would need to combine all 4 levels into a single table. This is problematic because I need the levels on separate Tables. 

I considered copying/pasting the primary fields and the fields that link each to the other level over into a new Table that I could use for flowchart purposes. I haven't tried it to make sure it would work yet, but even if it does, my next issue will be keeping redundant information up-to-date as this is a working document and information changes regularly. I could probably develop a complicated series of automations to sync the 4 Tables with the new redundant info flowchart Table, but before going down that rabbit hole I figured I'd check in with the community. 

Is there a better way to do this?

 

6 Replies 6

There are only 2 ways in Airtable to get a visualization of your base schema:

1. In your Airtable base, to the right of your tabs, click on Tools then Relationships.

2. Airtable’s base schema extension.

p.s. If you’d like to hire an expert Airtable consultant to help you with anything Airtable-related, please feel free to contact me through my website: Airtable consultant — ScottWorld 

Jonathan_Gunne1
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Hello again, Scott. 

A base schema isn't quite what I'm looking for. Attached is an example that might help. I created this one by putting everything all in one Table and linking records in the same table (program, course, and module objectives). This is essentially what I need, but I need the information spread across separate linked tables rather than a single table. It shows Program Objectives (PO), Course Objectives (CO), and Module Objectives (MO) and their relationships.

Additionally, I'll have this type of information for about 15 courses and will need to be able to filter down to only visualize one at a time or even just portions of one course at a time. This can be done with the single Table setup by creating different views that filter out the information I don't need and then setting the flowchart extension to the view I want, but even that is a challenge because I don't really have a way to filter down to a single course since these connections are only one-way connections. 

Is there a way to create a Table that essentially syncs in information from multiple other Tables?

Sorry, I don't understand, but perhaps someone else will be able to help below!

Jonathan_Gunne1
6 - Interface Innovator
6 - Interface Innovator

Let's see if my awful drawing helps. The top section shows how records are linked to each other across Tables. Apples records are linked to Bananas. Bananas to Oranges. Oranges to Lemons.

What I'd like Airtable to give me, is a flow chart that allows me to see something like what I have in the lower section. I select (or filter down to Apples record 3) and quickly see that it is associated all the way up to Lemons 2, 3, and 4 as well as the Bananas and Oranges in between. 

I can use lookup fields to pull in the associated Oranges and Lemons to essentially see everything in one place at the record level, but that isn't helpful when I need to see a bigger picture (more than one Apple) because the lookup records will be redundant (e.g., Oranges 4 will show in the lookup fields for Apple records 3 and 4) so I won't be able to recognize that when I'm looking at many records at once.

Hopefully that attempt to explain better didn't make it even more confusing 🙂 

Samantha_Lamey
4 - Data Explorer
4 - Data Explorer

Hi, Im also looking to do something similar but having the same issues. Did you get anywhere with this?

Nope.