Chart Types in Dynamics CRM 2011

Roshan Mehta, 16 November 2012

By default, Dynamics CRM 2011 allows users to work with a number of different chart types within the application. The available chart types include column, bar, area, line, pie and funnel but CRM also supports chart types defined in the .NET 3.5 controls. In this post, we will look at how to easily modify the chart type in your CRM system.

Let’s explore some of the available chart types. Choose a chart in your system and click on Export Chart on the ribbon. This will download the XML definition for us to edit.

Next, open up the XML definition and look for the <Series> tag. This tag includes a ChartType attribute which we will need to modify.

<Series ChartType="Column" IsValueShownAsLabel="True" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40"></Series>

Let’s experiment with the doughnut chart type. Simply modify the ChartType=”Column” to ChartType=”Doughnut”. Save the XML and import the chart using the Import Chart button on the ribbon. Note that you will be prompted to keep both charts.

The chart will refresh after it has been imported and should look something like this.

It is very important to note that some chart types do not support the drill-down feature in CRM 2011. Clicking on the doughnut chart above does not let me select drill-down fields. Let’s explore the pyramid and spline chart types.

In my next posts, we will explore these chart types in more detail and see how we can design some funky looking charts.