numbers waterfall chart

Numbers does not have a built-in Waterfall Chart type.

But it is not hard to construct a waterfall chart in Numbers using '2D Stacked Column'.

The "trick" is to have a "padding" series whose Fill is set to transparent.

Some simple formulas in the "padding column" will do the padding calculations for you.

Details and working example here (Dropbox download of a Numbers document).

SG

Hi SG,

yes the trick with fill / padding will work, as long as the result of the waterfall calculation is always positive.

Fill / padding is grey so it is easier to see, in the final version is should be no fill.

As soon as fill / padding is getting negative it will look like this.

CAT 6 will push the fill / padding in the negative zone, therefore the diagram will no longer work.

Not sure if I am doing something wrong, please let me know if I have missed something and there is an easy solution.

I did not find a better solution than what I show below.

I look what the min value for fill is and enter a useful value for Offset for fill in table 2, based on fill + offset for fill I calculate fill 2

I use this for my main diagram, I also create a support digram based on table 2

Now I switch off the late for Y axis on main diagram, set the upper and lower limits manual, set fill 2 to no fill.

I also set the limits for Y axis on the support diagram and switch off everything that I don't need

Delete the header text fill2

After all these user-unfriendly steps I have my waterfall diagram.

Ralf

I've updated the linked Numbers document (Dropbox download) to include a second sheet with a working example of a Waterfall Chart that can accommodate negative values.

This is similar to the approach taken in Excel prior to the introduction of a built-in Waterfall chart type in Excel 2016.

Not too hard. Just some extra columns with simple formulas and a little acquired knowledge of how to use error bars in a line chart.

But when there are only positive values (probably most cases) the first approach (on the first sheet) is quicker and easier.

SG

I have to agree.

Based on all I know about Numbers it is currently not included in the chart options.

Sometimes you just have to use Excel!

If you really need this you can build it by hand, but that is extremely painful and I did not find an fully automated way to do it.

Maybe somebody else has seen it hidden somewhere.

Ralf

In case you didn't see my post above (the forum seems to have some unusual delays) it not hard to create a Waterfall chart in Numbers, via a '2D Stacked Column' chart.

A link to a working example is included in my post earlier in this thread.

SG

I recommend starting first with the simple example and the sample file that I've posted above. It's not as convenient as Excel but is possible without too much trouble in Numbers.

Introducing an edge case that may or may not apply mainly causes unnecessary complication that obscures the suggested approach I posted.

SG

Is it possible to create a waterfall chart in numbers?

Not directly, but the appearance suggests you could construct a 'stacked bar chart' with the same appearance.

Regards,

Barry