Ability to customize colors in blocks (charts in particular)

[klonaway]

Hoping for an added feature to control the colors of a chart block.
Please correct me if I missed a feature in anything I say below !

So far, the only way I found to control the colors of a chart block is to group based on a single-select field. Unfortunately, the colors of single-select options are :

• limited by the AirTable UI available colors
• limited to manual changes (I can’t find a way to change them through formulas or API calls)

My use case : as I explained here, I have various correlated charts plotting data from a “Sessions” table, and I group them by customer (link to the “Customers” table). I need consistent colors to analyze these at a glance.

Possible implementations that would work for me :

• Basic feature enabling workarounds : Allow control of Single-select option colors through formulas, through the API, or any other way…
• Maybe too narrow : Blocks > Chart > ‘Group by’ field > Add a ‘Custom color’ choice which could be based on table relations. In my case, expecting ‘Group by’>“Customer” link field and ‘Custom Color’>“CustomerColor” chosen in the customers table. [Eventually, implementing a ‘Color’ field type at the same time] (New Field: Color 🌈) would be the icing on the cake ! 🙂

My best solution at the moment : I use a Node.js bot (built for various third-party syncs) to sync the “Customer” link value of a “Sessions” record into a Single-select field of the same record which holds the manually input color of that customer. Really not practical at all 😅

I’d be pleased to read anything related to my needs if someone manages to understand the mess I just wrote :thinking:

[Bill_French]

klonaway:

Hoping for an added feature to control the colors of a chart block.

Unfortunately, the Chart Block (while pretty good) is a cul-de-sac when trying to modify it; no through-street there.

Have you looked at the new Vega-Lite Charting feature? It’s beta and requires some tech skill, but you can join the beta with one click.

[klonaway]

Bill.French:

Have you looked at the new Vega-Lite Charting feature? It’s beta and requires some tech skill, but you can join the beta with one click.

Looks awesome ! Just joined the beta ! This is actually what I will be looking for, once my CRM database is fully set up, to extract my own strange metrics out of it.

Huge thumbs up to AirTable for enabling custom charts coding directly inside the UI :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: , and thanks to you for pointing me to the Vega-Lite Charting beta !

Yet, the convenience of a 5-click block chart is something else entirely. I guess the price for a more customized dashboard is diving into code…

[Bill_French]

klonaway:

I guess the price for a more customized dashboard is diving into code…

With power comes responsibility.

[Eric_McFetridge]

Just here to say this would also be something we would greatly appreciate. In our case, the chart is literally showing the colors in an inventory, so when the colors do not correspond it looks ridiculous.