This chart shows your causal influence network in 3D: nodes are entities (e.g., campaigns, touchpoints, outcomes) and lines are directed influences between them. The vertical (Z) axis is causal tier—Sources (root drivers) at the bottom, Outcomes at the top, with Early, Mid, and Late in between. Within each tier, nodes are arranged in a circle so you can see how influence flows from bottom to top and which nodes sit at which stage. It’s the same causal graph as the 2D Hierarchical Graph, with an extra dimension to separate tiers and reduce overlap.
Key Questions This Chart Helps Answer
How do campaigns, touchpoints, and outcomes connect in the causal model?
Which nodes are sources (drivers) vs outcomes (endpoints) vs in between?
How does influence flow from bottom (sources) to top (outcomes)?
How is the causal chain organized by stage (Early / Mid / Late)?
Axes, Metrics, and Units
Element
Description
X-axis
Layout position (hidden). Horizontal position is from a circular layout per tier (angle).
Y-axis
Layout position (hidden). Horizontal position is from the same circular layout.
Graph vertices (e.g., touchpoints, channels, outcomes). Placed on circles at each tier; radius grows with tier.
Node color
Tier: Sources, Early, Mid, Late, Outcomes (fixed color per tier).
Edges (lines)
Directed links source → target. Gray 3D lines; up to 150 edges (strongest by absolute weight if graph is large).
Legend
Tier 0–4 with labels: Outcomes, Late, Mid, Early, Sources.
Hover
Node label (e.g., "Node i") and tier.
Camera
Default 3D view (eye position set for a clear view of the flow).
Control Options Reference
This chart has no user-facing control options in the code; it renders the current graph from the bridge. You can rotate, zoom, and pan the 3D view in the UI.
How to Interpret the Results
Bottom (Sources): Nodes with no incoming edges—root drivers (e.g., paid media, owned touchpoints).
Middle layers (Late / Mid / Early): Intermediate nodes; tier is from in/out degree ratio.
Top (Outcomes): Nodes with no outgoing edges—endpoints (e.g., conversions, revenue).
Edges: Flow is bottom → top (source → target). Lines show which nodes influence which; many edges into a node = many drivers.
Rotation: Rotate the chart to reduce occlusion and follow paths from sources to outcomes.
Only top 150 edges: In large graphs, only the 150 edges with largest absolute weight are shown; the rest are hidden.
Practical Applications for Marketers
Application
How to use this chart
Journey and flow
See how touchpoints and campaigns connect from first touch (bottom) to conversion (top).
Driver vs outcome
Quickly separate root drivers (bottom) from end outcomes (top).
Explaining the model
Show stakeholders that attribution is built on a causal graph and where stages sit.
Path discovery
Follow lines upward to see which sources can influence which outcomes.
Planning and storytelling
Use the tier structure (sources → outcomes) to align with funnel or stage-based planning.
Common Mistakes & Misinterpretations
Mistake
Why it is a problem
How to avoid
Treating every line as proven causation
Edges are model-inferred; strength and presence depend on data and model.
Use the chart as the model’s view of structure; validate important paths with tests or other analyses.
Ignoring edge subsampling
Only up to 150 edges are shown; weaker links are omitted.
Don’t assume "no line = no relationship"; treat the chart as the strongest links.
Reading X/Y position as meaning
X and Y are for layout (circles per tier), not time, importance, or a business metric.
Interpret tier (Z) and connectivity; use rotation to reduce overlap.
Assuming nodes are only channels
Nodes are graph vertices (e.g., series or conceptual events); they may be channels, events, or other entities.
Check what the graph is built from in your setup.
Over-interpreting density in one layer
Dense areas may reflect data or model structure, not necessarily "most important."
Combine with attribution and outcome metrics to judge importance.
Caveats & Considerations
No edges: If the graph has nodes but zero edges, the chart shows: "Graph has V nodes but no edges."
Edge limit: At most 150 edges are shown (by largest absolute weight). Large graphs are simplified.
Z-axis convention: Z = 0 is Outcomes (top), Z = 4 is Sources (bottom). The title reflects this: "Sources (bottom) → Outcomes (top)."
Layout is fixed: Positions are tier-based circles; the same graph will look the same each time. Rotate the view to reduce overlap.
No node labels in main view: Hover shows generic "Node i" and tier; detailed naming depends on app metadata.
3D interaction: Rotation, zoom, and pan are standard 3D; some devices or browsers may be slower with many nodes/edges.
