Perspective Data FAQ

What data file formats does Perspective support?

Currently we support Excel, CSV, Tab-separated, and Google Spreadsheet data

How do I move my data to Perspective?

For Excel, or CSV, You can open data file on the Web, send via Email, or using a file sharing tool like DropBox. Once you import your data you no longer need the original data. For CSV or Excel file, once you open it on your iPad, tap on top-right button to Open in Perspective. Google Spreadsheets are a lot easier to load. Just add the data to your story, sign in to your Google account, select the data set, confirm selections, and see the results in your charts.

How do I format data to input to Perspective?

Perspective is generally very flexible about data: (1) Put each data type in a separate column. (2) Include a title row.

Date,       Year, Month, Department,   Category, Cost
2011-12-20, 2011, 12,    Graphic Arts, Laptop,   2552.91
2012-06-18, 2012, 06,    Marketing,    iPhone,    659.91
… 

The data doesn't have to be historical. It can be any information organized in this fashion. Each column is a dimension. The more dimensions the merrier. Here is Data about Solar System as an example.

What if my data is in a different format?

As of now you have to convert your data to the format above. We are looking into ways to make this easier, especially for data organized in a "matrix" form, so drop us an email if you have some data that is not loading. It is best if your email includes a little sample of your data, the more specific the better (but make sure to take out any proprietary or private info!)

Do you support importing from Numbers App from Apple?

We don't know the Numbers file format so we can't support it. You can easily export your data to Excel or CSV and then import it into Perspective.

How can I find more information about Perspective?

For more information email: perspective@pixxa.com