Using Shield UI JavaScript chart for showing data over small intervals of time

Question

What is the minimum step for a Shield UI JavaScript chart? I am using the chart to show scientific data in a laboratory. The results come out sequentially but over quite small periods of time. I assume I need to use the datetime X axis type:

axisX: {
    axisType: 'linear'
}

And as per the documentation online I shall set the dataStart and dataStep as shown:

dataSeries: [{
    seriesType: 'splinearea',
    data: [ 29.9, 71.5, 106.4, 129.2, 144.0, 176.0, 135.6, 148.5, 216.4, 194.1, 95.6, 54.4 ],
    dataStart: Date.UTC( 2010, 0, 1 ),
    dataStep: 24 * 3600 * 1000
}]

What about the interval? I tried a couple of settings, like

dataStep: 1

, however the appearance of the X axis is a little bit messy.

Answer 1

I think that there is a little bit misunderstanding of the type of X axis you actually need. That the results and the data you are representing graphically comes over time doesn’t mean necessary that you need to use the datetime axis.

In general datetime type axis is used for showing dates. Setting the step to 1 for a datetime axis as I can see you have done, means that there shall be enough space for showing 86.400.000 points for the single day. Shall there be more days there will be an enormous amount of points which contradicts to the accuracy laboratory data implies.

What I might suggest, is that you simply use a linear type of X axis. There are enough ways to show users that the points occur over intervals of 1 millisecond, or one nanosecond and so on.