--- title: Batch comparison dashboard slug: how-tos/batch-comparison-dashboard docTags: G8BVEz3koxH3IqjirGj3V,HM2rWeeWAO1-Dgm69CZmi createdAt: 2026-03-29T15:00:00.000Z --- ## Introduction This document describes how to set up a more advanced batch comparison dashboard. It allows operators and process engineers to select multiple batches and compare their process signals, energy usage, and step durations side by side. **Audience:** Process engineers, shift leads **Purpose:** Batch-level analysis and performance comparison ## Dashboard layout 1. Batch selection table 2. Process signal trend (per batch) 3. Energy & power comparison 4. Step duration breakdown ## Step-by-step :::::ExpandableHeading ### Creating variables `$line`, `$mixer`, `$recipe`, `$batchID`, `$property` and `$step` This dashboard relies on a cascade of variables: the selected line drives the mixer, which then determines which recipes and batches are available. Two additional variables control which property and which batch steps are visualised in the lower panels. ::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem Create variables `$line` and `$mixer` Follow the same steps as described in the [Operator dashboard](docId\:TCZsHWHbCgwZHM5GVSBk9) guide to create the `$line` and `$mixer` variables. The configuration is identical. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Create variable `$recipe` This variable populates from the distinct `Recipe` property values found in Mixing Batch events, so the user can filter the batch list by recipe. - **General** - Name: `recipe` - Label: `Recipe` - **Query options** - Query Type: `Event property values` - Asset: `$mixer` - Event type: `Mixing Batch` - Property: `Recipe` - **Selection options** - *deselect* 'Allow custom values' ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Create variable `$batchID` This is a **multi-value** variable that lets the user pick one or more batches to compare. It is filtered by the currently selected `$recipe`. - **General** - Name: `batchID` - Label: `Batch ID` - **Query options** - Query Type: `Event property values` - Asset: `$mixer` - Event type: `Mixing Batch` - Property: `BatchID` - Property filter: `Recipe = $recipe` - Override time range: `Checked` *(This ensures all historical batch IDs are returned, not just those within the dashboard time range.)* - **Selection options** - Multi-value: `Checked` - *deselect* 'Allow custom values' - **Sort:** `Alphabetical (desc)` *(most recent batch IDs surface first)* ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Create variable `$property` This variable lets the user choose which numeric asset property to plot in the trend panel. - **General** - Name: `property` - Label: `Property` - **Query options** - Query Type: `Asset property` - Asset: `$mixer` - Datatypes: `number` - **Selection options** - Multi-value: `Checked` - *deselect* 'Allow custom values' ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Create variable `$step` This variable controls which batch sub-steps are included in the step duration chart. - **General** - Name: `step` - Label: `Step` - **Query options** - Query Type: `Event type` - Filter by keyword: `/step$/` *(Matches Filling step, Mixing step and Emptying step.)* - **Selection options** - Multi-value: `Checked` - *deselect* 'Allow custom values' ::: :::: ::::: :::::ExpandableHeading ### Add a `Table` visualisation: Batch list This panel is the central navigation element of the dashboard. It lists all Mixing Batch events for the selected recipe and time range, and highlights the currently selected batches so the user always knows which ones are being compared in the other panels. ::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem Click :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SMPo4IS9FkillUAMsur2c/EhqvjhkKs3ATxhlx2CuQp-20260325-092933.png" alt caption width="116" height="48"} **> **`Visualisation` and select Data source: `Factry Historian Datasource` ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Configure query `IN`: selected batches - Tab: `Events` - Query type: `Simple` - Assets: `$mixer` - Event types: `Mixing Batch` - Property filter: - `Recipe = $recipe` - `BatchID IN $batchID` ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Add a second query `NOT IN`: unselected batches Duplicate the first query and change the BatchID filter to `NOT IN $batchID`. This separation is what enables row highlighting: the `IN` query results get a background color via a `calculateField` (index) transformation, while `NOT IN` rows remain unstyled. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Add transformations 1. `Calculate field` Mode: `Row index`, applied **only** to the `IN` query (filter by ref ID). This creates a `Row` column whose presence marks selected batches. 2. `Merge series/tables` Combines the `IN` and `NOT IN` results into one table. 3. `Filter fields by name` Keep: `BatchID`, `StartTime`, `StopTime`, `Duration` 4. `Sort by` Field: `StartTime` Reverse: `Checked` ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Change visualisation to `Table` and configure panel options - Panel options - Title: `Mixing batch - $Recipe` - Field overrides - `BatchID`: enable column filtering (`Filterable: Checked`), set a fixed column width - `Row`: Cell type → `Color background (basic)`, `Apply to entire row: Checked`, map `>= 0` to a highlight color (e.g. `#25cd9399`), hide the column from the visualisation (`Hide from viz: Checked`) - Data links on `BatchID`: - `Add to graph` → links to the same dashboard passing `${{__all_variables}}&var-batchID=${__data.fields.BatchID}` - This will refresh the dashboard with the current variables selected but the new `BatchID` added as well. See [Grafana Dashboard URL Variables](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/visualizations/dashboards/build-dashboards/create-dashboard-url-variables/#variables-as-query-parameters) for details. ::: :::: ::::: :::::ExpandableHeading ### Add a `Trend` visualisation: Process signal per batch This panel overlays the selected process property (e.g. Temperature, RPM) for each selected batch on a common time axis so the shapes can be compared directly, independent of when each batch ran. ::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem Click :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SMPo4IS9FkillUAMsur2c/EhqvjhkKs3ATxhlx2CuQp-20260325-092933.png" alt caption width="116" height="48"} **> **`Visualisation` and select Data source: `Factry Historian Datasource` Query options: - Time range override: `now-1y` to `now` *(prevents the dashboard time picker from clipping the data if the selected event is not in the time window.)* - Hide time override: `Checked` ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Configure the data source - Tab: `Events` - Query type: `Periodic` - Assets: `$mixer` - Event types: `Mixing Batch` - Asset properties: `$property` - Aggregation: `mean`, period: `1m` - Property filter: `BatchID IN $batchID` - Override assets: `$mixer` - **Fetch asset properties: **`Checked` Enabling `Fetch asset properties` tells the query to also return an asset's properties alongside the properties stored on the event. This is what makes the `$property` variable actually work as a selector here. So select `$property` from `$mixer` here. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Add transformation `Filter fields by name` - Identifier: `^(?!Level ).*` This excludes the event property `Level` which is stored on the event. If we don't do this the `Level` property will always be show, regardless of the setting of `$property`, which is undesired here. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Change visualisation to `Trend` The `Trend` panel type is required here because the data is periodic (index-based) rather than time series. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Configure panel options - Panel options - Title: `$property` - Transparent background: `Checked` - Default display name: `${__field.labels["BatchID"]} ${__field.labels["Property"]}` - Legend - Mode: `Table` - Values: `First (not null)`, `Diff`, `Last (not null)` ::: :::: ::::: :::::ExpandableHeading ### Add `Bar gauge` visualisations: Energy & power per batch Two side-by-side bar gauges give a quick energy summary across the selected batches. ::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem Add the **Total Energy Usage** bar gauge Click :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SMPo4IS9FkillUAMsur2c/EhqvjhkKs3ATxhlx2CuQp-20260325-092933.png" alt caption width="116" height="48"} **> **`Visualisation` and select Data source: `Factry Historian Datasource` - Tab: `Events` - Query type: `Simple` - Assets: `$mixer` - Event types: `Mixing Batch` - Property filter: `BatchID IN $batchID` Add transformation `Grouping to matrix`: - Column field: `BatchID` - Row field: `Asset` - Value field: `Total energy usage` Change visualisation to `Bar gauge` and configure: - Orientation: `Horizontal` - Display mode: `LCD` - Name placement: `Left` - Reduce: `Last (not null)` - Title: `Total Energy Usage` - Transparent background: `Checked` ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Add the **Average Power** bar gauge Duplicate the Total Energy Usage panel. Change only: - `Grouping to matrix` value field: `Average power` - Title: `Average Power` - Name placement: `Hidden` *(the batch IDs are already shown in the adjacent Total Energy panel)* - Width: narrow ::: :::: ::::: :::::ExpandableHeading ### Add a `Bar chart` visualisation: Step duration breakdown This panel shows how long each batch step (Filling, Mixing, Emptying) took for each selected batch, stacked horizontally. ::::WorkflowBlock :::WorkflowBlockItem Click :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SMPo4IS9FkillUAMsur2c/EhqvjhkKs3ATxhlx2CuQp-20260325-092933.png" alt caption width="116" height="48"} **> **`Visualisation` and select Data source: `Factry Historian Datasource` ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Configure the data source - Tab: `Events` - Query type: `Simple` - Assets: `$mixer` - Event types: `$step` - Include parent info: `Checked` - Property filter (parent): `parent:BatchID IN $batchID` Using `Include parent info` and filtering on the parent's `BatchID` property links each step event back to its parent Mixing Batch, so the chart can be grouped correctly. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Add transformations 1. `Merge series/tables` 2. `Grouping to matrix`: - Column field: `EventType` - Row field: `Parent_BatchID` - Value field: `Duration` 3. `Organize fields` Reorder columns so the steps appear in the logical process order: `Filling step`, `Mixing step`, `Emptying step`. ::: :::WorkflowBlockItem Change visualisation to `Bar chart` and configure panel options - Panel options - Title: `Duration $step` - Bar chart options - Orientation: `Horizontal` - Stacking: `Normal` - Bar width: `0.97` - Show value: `Auto` - Legend - Visibility: `Unchecked` *(the step names are already visible as bar segments)* - Field overrides Assign consistent colors: - `Filling step` → `#9977ff` - `Mixing step` → `#25cd93` - `Emptying step` → `text` (default) ::: :::: ::::: ## End result The finished dashboard provides a complete batch comparison workflow: 1. **Select a recipe** with `$recipe` to filter the batch list. 2. **Pick one or more batches** in the table (highlighted rows = selected) or via the `$batchID` variable. 3. **Switch properties** with `$property` to compare Temperature, RPM, Energy usage, etc. in the trend panel. 4. **Toggle steps** with `$step` to focus the duration chart on specific phases. The dashboard refreshes every 30 seconds, so it remains useful during an active batch as well as for post-batch analysis. ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/SMPo4IS9FkillUAMsur2c/8bAWcGsDWHf_AOZw5TLra-20260329-162045.png "Finished dashboard")