How I analyze 100+ ggplots at once
Written by Matt Dancho
Visualizing big data is next to impossible. As soon as I have 12 plots, that’s where my ability to use native ggplot suffers. That is until I found trelliscopejs
.
trelliscopejs
is like ggplot2
faceting on steroids. This may seem crazy, but the benefit is that when you have 20, 30, or even 100+ plots you need to analyze, trelliscopejs
is the solution!
And, I’m going to get you up and running with trelliscopejs
in under 5-minutes:
- I’ll teach you how to make 20+ ggplot facets using trelliscopejs
- BONUS: I’ll not only show you how to make static ggplots, but I’ll even show you how to use the plotly integration for interactivity
R-Tips Weekly
This article is part of R-Tips Weekly, a weekly video tutorial that shows you step-by-step how to do common R coding tasks.
Here are the links to get set up. 👇
Video Tutorial
Learn how to use the trelliscopejs
package in my 5-minute YouTube video tutorial.
What you make in this R-Tip
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll make the 20+ ggplots for exposing insights in your big data.
Analyzing 20+ ggplots (made with trelliscopejs
)
Thank You Developers.
Before we move on, please recognize that trelliscopejs
was developed by Ryan Hafen (follow Ryan on Twitter). Thank you for everything you do!
Also, the full documentation for trelliscopejs can be accessed here.
trelliscopejs
Tutorial
Let’s dive into using trelliscopejs
so we can analyze 100+ ggplots.
Step 1: Load the Libraries and Data
First, run this code to:
- Load Libraries: Load
tidyverse
,plotly
, andtrelliscopejs
. - Import Data: We’re using the
mpg
dataset that comes withggplot2
.
Our data looks like this. We want to understand how Highway Fuel Economy (hwy
) varies with displ
(engine size) but we want to see if there is any differences between manufacturers
.
The mpg dataset
Step 2: Make a ggplot
Next, let’s make a basic ggplot of fuel economy vs engine displacement.
This produces the following plot of hwy
vs displ
.
Our basic ggplot
Step 3: Apply the trelliscopejs magic!
Listen, I’m telling you this next part is straight-up magic!
Seriously, I now use this simple trick to analyze 100+ ggplots at once.
- Use the
facet_trelliscope()
function - This replaces a
facet_wrap()
orfacetgrid()
- And makes 100’s of ggplots (as many as your heart desires)
- In this case, we facet by
manufacturer
and end up with 15 plots to analyze.
The result is the trelliscope plot with 15 ggplots by manufacturer.
We've transformed our ggplot into a faceted trelliscope with 15 plots by manufacturer
Step 4: Customize the Trelliscopejs
This is really cool!! You can add additional labels like max/min displacement by plot.
Customize the trelliscope with labels & filters
BONUS: Make your trelliscope interactive!!!
If you thought you were done…
We’re just gettin’ started!
THIS is the magic of trelliscope!!
- Add interactivity with the Plotly integration inside of
facet_trelliscope()
. - Simply add
as_plotly = TRUE
Check out the interactivity from plotly!!
Interactivity with the plotly-trelliscopejs integration
Conclusions
You learned how to use the trelliscopejs
library to not only create 100’s of static ggplots but create 100’s of interactive plotly plots. Great work! But, there’s a lot more to becoming a data scientist.
If you’d like to become a data scientist (and have an awesome career, improve your quality of life, enjoy your job, and all the fun that comes along), then I can help with that.
My Struggles with Learning Data Science
It took me a long time to learn how to apply data science to business. And I made a lot of mistakes as I fumbled through learning R.
I specifically had a tough time navigating the ever-increasing landscape of tools and packages, trying to pick between R and Python, and getting lost along the way.
If you feel like this, you’re not alone.
In fact, that’s the driving reason that I created Business Science and Business Science University (You can read about my personal journey here).
What I found out is that:
- Data Science does not have to be difficult, it just has to be taught from a business perspective
- Anyone can learn data science fast provided they are motivated.
How I can help
If you are interested in learning R and the ecosystem of tools at a deeper level, then I have a streamlined program that will get you past your struggles and improve your career in the process.
It’s my 5-Course R-Track System. It’s an integrated system containing 5 courses that work together on a learning path. Through 8 projects, you learn everything you need to help your organization: from data science foundations, to advanced machine learning, to web applications and deployment.
The result is that you break through previous struggles, learning from my experience & our community of 2653 data scientists that are ready to help you succeed.
Ready to take the next step? Then let’s get started.
Join My 5-Course R-Track Program
(Become A 6-Figure Data Scientist)