In today’s fast-moving business environment, every second spent digging through reports matters. Data Brushing in Cognos Reporting redefines how users explore data making insights immediate, visual, and interactive.
Data Brushing is a powerful feature that allows users to click on a data item in a report such as a product, region, or category, and instantly see all related items in the same view. Instead of switching between multiple reports or applying new filters, users can now explore relationships in context within the same report. When a selection is made, related data points across the report can be either highlighted or filtered. This makes it easy to see how different objects connect, uncover trends, and identify anomalies, all without losing sight of the bigger picture.
Automatic highlighting, introduced in a previous release, allows report consumers to enable highlighting within a report. This functionality remains available.
In Cognos Analytics 12.1.1, this capability has been significantly expanded. Report authors now have full control to create and customize interactive behaviors directly within the report. These interactions can be defined at the object level, offering flexibility in how objects respond to user input.
Authors can configure two types of interactions:
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Highlight: Clicking a data item highlights related data across all connected objects in the report. Unrelated items become semi-transparent, helping users clearly visualize relationships and patterns.
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Filter: Clicking a data item dynamically filters related objects, such as visualizations, lists, or crosstabs, to show only the relevant data, allowing users to focus on what matters most.
By allowing users to interact with data dynamically, Interactive Brushing transforms reports from static charts into insight-driven experiences that respond directly to user actions.
Why should report authors implement Interactive Brushing in reports? Interactive Brushing bridges the gap between data and discovery. Instead of passively viewing visualizations and data in other objects in the report, users can now engage with these objects to reveal deeper meaning instantly.
With Interactive Brushing, users can:
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Visually explore relationships between data points
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Quickly identify patterns, correlations, and anomalies
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Maintain context as they navigate through data
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Make faster, more informed decisions
In short, brushing turns reports from static snapshots into living visual stories that respond to every click.
Who will benefit from this feature? This feature is valuable for everyone, from analysts exploring regional sales to executives reviewing product performance. Data Brushing makes analysis faster, smarter, and more intuitive. You can click, explore, and understand, all within a single report. Every report becomes an opportunity for discovery, helping turn complex datasets into clear, actionable insights that drive better decisions.
With Interactive Brushing in Cognos Analytics 12.1.1, reports are no longer static views—they are dynamic exploration tools. This enhancement empowers users to explore data faster, smarter, and more visually, transforming complex information into clear, actionable insights in seconds.
Other reporting features introduced in this release can also be viewed in the following blogs:
Small but Powerful Reporting Enhancements in Cognos Analytics 12.1.1 for both consumers and authors
Dynamic Reporting with Master-Detail Relationships in Cognos 11.1 Visualizations