In the example, we are going to use clustering to drag the cluster pill from the sheet into the data pane on the left. You can treat the resulting field as a group. In your visualizations, Tableau will treat the cluster field like any other visualization.
These include standardization of inputs that automatically scale the data and multiple correspondence analyses (if you're curious about the details, you can find out more about the math behind clustering in product documentation at http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/v10.0/pro/desktop/en-us/help.html#clustering.html).
This means you can work with many different types of data with minimal preparation. You can include categorical fields such as education level in your clustering analysis alongside numeric variables such as income without worries or use it for clustering survey responses where all inputs could be categorical.
Drag Clusters from the Marks card (or from any other shelf you had already dragged it to) to the Data pane to create a Tableau group:
After you create a group from clusters, the group and the original clusters are separate and distinct. Editing the clusters does not affect the group, and editing the group does not affect the cluster results. The group has the same characteristics as any other Tableau group. It is part of the data source. Unlike the original clusters, you can use the group in other worksheets in the workbook. So if you rename the saved cluster group, that renaming is not applied to the original clustering in the view. You can get more information about Groups at http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/v10.0/pro/desktop/en-us/sortgroup_groups.html.
You will not be able to save Clusters to the Data pane under any of the following circumstances:
- When the measures in the view are disaggregated and the measures you are using as clustering variables are not the same as the measures in the view. You can get more information about disaggregating data at http://onlinehelp.tableau.com/v10.0/pro/desktop/en-us/calculations_aggregation_disaggregatingdata.html.
- When the Clusters you want to save are on the Filters shelf.
- When
MeasureNamesorMeasureValuesis in the view. - When there is a blended dimension in the view.
If you're looking for clusters in your sheet, just drag Cluster from the Analytics pane into the view. To see how different inputs change clustering results, you can experiment by dragging them in and out of the dialog and seeing the results in real time.