Usage Of Shapes In Maps In Helical Insight: Types, Benefits, And Use Cases

By Author: Vhelical
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Visualizing geographical data is an essential part of modern analytics, enabling organizations to see patterns, trends, and spatial connections that are often invisible in traditional charts and tables. Among the many features available in open source BI tools, one that stands out in Helical Insight is the usage of shapes in maps, which enhances map-based visualization by allowing users to represent spatial data using diverse geometric markers.
Helical Insight, a powerful open source BI platform, continues to expand its analytical capabilities, and shapes in maps have become a critical feature for users who need to communicate insights visually and contextually. This article explores what shapes are in maps, the types supported, how they work, their benefits, real-world use cases, and best practices for getting the most out of them.

What Is the Usage of Shapes in Maps in Helical Insight?
In Helical Insight, the usage of shapes in maps refers to the ability to control and customize how data points are visually represented on a geographical map chart. With this feature, you can assign different shapes to different ...
... data categories or values, making it easier for viewers to distinguish between types of data or patterns directly on the map. These shapes go beyond default point markers, increasing visual clarity—especially when working with multiple data sets or categorical distinctions.
Users can access the shape property by opening the chart’s Properties panel and selecting the shape component under the mapping options. If a specific shape field is used in Marks, Helical Insight assigns different shapes based on the data values; otherwise, a default shape applies across all data points.

Types of Shapes Used in Helical Insight Maps
Helical Insight supports a variety of shape markers that can be applied to map data points for richer visualization. Some commonly used shape types include:
• Default Shapes like circles, triangles, hexagons, and squares
• Custom Shapes by using URLs of custom image icons
• Categorical shapes mapped directly from data values
By allowing custom URLs for shapes, Helical Insight enables users to visually enhance maps with tailored icons, such as business logos or industry-specific symbols. This is especially useful for dashboards where visual differentiation is key.
Custom shape assignment ensures that each category is easy to identify at a glance—making the visual storytelling process more effective.

How Shapes Work in Maps in Helical Insight
When generating a map visualization in Helical Insight, the system first checks if a “Shape” field is supplied in the Marks section. If it exists, Helical Insight interprets this field and assigns shapes to each data point according to its category. If no shape field is found, a default shape is used.
For custom shapes, users can upload or link to image URLs, enabling the display of custom icons in place of generic shape types. Enabling “Show All” makes sure every potential category defined in the data gets represented, even if some categories have no visible data points.
This flexibility allows analysts to seamlessly integrate contextual visual cues like different shapes representing different product categories, regions, or performance tiers on a single map visualization.

Key Benefits of Using Shapes in Helical Insight Maps
The usage of shapes in maps brings several significant advantages to analytics, especially when integrated into an open source BI environment like Helical Insight:
Improved Visual Clarity: Shapes allow instant recognition of categories or groupings. Instead of only relying on color or size, shapes can carry meaning—such as distinguishing between stores, service centers, or sales regions.
Contextual Storytelling: By using shapes thoughtfully, analysts can tell a more nuanced data story—showing how different data types interact or cluster geographically. This layer of visual storytelling is critical when presenting to decision-makers who need insights quickly.
Custom Branding and Identity: With support for custom shape URLs, companies can introduce branded icons or industry-specific markers, making dashboards both professional and tailored to business needs.
Enhanced Pattern Detection: Different shapes make it easier to spot correlations or anomalies—for example, a particular shape associated with a data category that consistently underperforms compared to others.

Practical Use Cases of Shapes in Helical Insight Maps
The usage of shapes in maps is valuable across many business scenarios:

Sales Territory and Performance Mapping: Shapes can denote different sales teams or product segments. For instance, circles might represent stores with high revenue, while triangles indicate new outlets. This categorization enables better strategy planning and resource allocation.
Customer Location Analysis: When visualizing customer segments geographically, different shapes can represent loyalty tiers, product preference groups, or service engagement levels.
Operational Dashboards: Operations teams can assign different shapes for warehouse locations, delivery hubs, and maintenance stations. This makes real-time monitoring dashboards more actionable.
Market Expansion Insights: When exploring new geographies, shapes help distinguish between existing markets and potential areas—making it easier to plan market entry strategies visually.
Best Practices for Using Shapes in Helical Insight Maps
To maximize the value from the usage of shapes in maps, consider these best practices:
• Use Visually Distinct Shapes – Choose shapes that are easily distinguishable to prevent confusion.
• Combine with Color and Size – Integrate shapes with color coding and size scaling for multi-dimensional insights.
• Keep Map Legends Clear – Always include a legend explaining what each shape represents for clarity.
• Use Custom Shapes When Meaningful – Leverage custom icons only when they improve storytelling and relevance.
In Helical Insight, map shapes should always enhance the understanding of spatial data and not overcrowd the visualization.

Conclusion
The usage of shapes in maps within Helical Insight is a powerful feature that elevates map-based analytics in any open source BI implementation. By combining diverse shape types, custom icons, and flexible configurations, analysts can create visually appealing and meaningful map dashboards. Whether your goal is to differentiate categories, uncover patterns, or deliver clear business insights, shapes in maps make your storytelling sharper, more intuitive, and highly effective for decision-making.