Why is this DropZone called "Color"

[#1]

Day 1 with JMP and a user wants to generate a point plot with 2 different colors for male and female:

The easy solution: use the Color Dropzone

The surprise: The Overlay does the same.

The second surprise: "Color" can do more than just "color":
For every entry in the legend, the user gets the possibility to define the Marker Style as well - as well as Size and Transparency.

A lazy user doesn't configure the colors manually - again and again for every single plot and subplot.

One alternative (which I use just very rarely):  row states to specify Colors and Markers.

The disadvantage: 
the legend in Graph Builder doesn't fit.

Another alternative (which I prefer):

define suitable colors via Column Property: Value Columns
Pros:
- meaningful legends - automatically (!)

- separate settings for every column (not via rows)

- I can control (via the Overlay and Color dropzone) where I want to use the setting - and for wich plots I DON'T want to use the setting : )

- I can overwrite the setting for individual entries via the legend right click menu

The 3rd surprise: there is no Column Property: Value Markers *)

Day 2 - the JMP user detects the subtle (and not so subtle) differences between the  Color and Overlay Dropzones:
by adding a smoother:

Now, let's add Color to the plot
suprise 4: with Color via Color, there is just a single fit curve:

... this is when the user remembers surprise #1, tries Overlay, and falls in love with the Overlay dropzone:

So, for scatter plots there is no apparent difference between Color and Overlay - but for other plots it is !!!
And often Overlay is THE way to add color.
Another example:

vs.

Now let's generate another points plot - where there is a difference between Color and Overlay:
Color just adds color to the points, Overlay generates separate plots for every color, overlays them

- and by doing so: hides some girls. -> dangerous!

vs. 

Let's keep the plot as a stacked bubble plot, and with the findings from surprise #2, let's now define Markers for different values
... with the help of the Color Dropzone

[#2]

Day 3: The user likes the non.overlapping points, wants to add some Color (via age)  .. and get the legend right.

[#3]

differences between Overlay and Color:

🙏 Graph Builder: support more than 2 'Color' columns
- > "stay tuned"

Graph Builder - Overlay by multiple columns :
waiting for Kudos

[#4]

new Column Property: Value Markers *)
->  again open for voting

Just imagine how helpful it will be:
- meaningful legends in Graph Builder (compared to the alternative via row states)

- fully automatic + consistent  (compared to assigning markers manually via the legend)

interested?
Follow the link and support the wish with a Kudo.

[#5]

I really like JMP's approach, where a user defines some default settings via column properties - and every new graph is perfect from the start - nothing to change manually. Unfortunately, this approach doesn't work up to 100%.
In most cases I have to manually change the settings to get the graph I want.

Manually changing the settings by right-clicking on the legend is very time consuming. This video demonstrates an alternative approach: Basically ignore the default settings and give the user an interactive GUI to precisely specify the settings for each individual element. Compared to right-clicking on the legend items, it can be orders of magnitude faster to get the graph you want.
The drawback:
- too much flexibility - which can lead to inconsistent settings (can be intentional, like in the video - may be unintentional)
- I have not yet managed to create a meaningful legend for the final graph.

[#6]

for "no zig-zag lines", there exists a wish to automatically implement the functionality in Graph Builder:
Graph Builder: Line - possibility to add breaks 

[#7]

I need this script...please share!

[#8]

Did you know that Overlay Encoding can be used to Overrule the Color Dropzone:
[age used for the Color Dropzone - but the Overlay encoding is set to Color
- so, color of the points is determined by the Overlay settings, NOT by the Color Dropzone.
changing the color settings for age doesn't have an effect on the colors of the Graph]

Names Default to Here(1);
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp" );
Graph Builder(
	Variables(
		X( :height ),
		Y( :weight ),
		Overlay( :sex, Overlay Encoding( "Color" ) ),
		Color( :age )
	),
	Elements( Points( X, Y, Legend( 1 ) ) ),
	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
			{Legend Model( 1, Properties( 6, {Marker( "Triangle" )}, Item ID( "female", 1 ) ) )}
		)
	)
); 

[#9]

This rule holds ...  till you use BLACK as Overlay color:
IF Overlay color is black, JMP will use the color from the Color Dropzone - despite Overlay Encoding = Color.

Names Default to Here(1);
dt = Open( "$SAMPLE_DATA/Big Class.jmp" );
Graph Builder(
	Variables(
		X( :height ),
		Y( :weight ),
		Overlay( :sex, Overlay Encoding( "Color" ) ),
		Color( :age )
	),
	Elements( Points( X, Y, Legend( 1 ) ) ),
	SendToReport(
		Dispatch( {}, "400", ScaleBox,
			{Legend Model(
				1,
				Properties(
					1,
					{Line Color( 0 ), Marker( "FilledCircle" ), Marker Size( 6 )},
					Item ID( "F", 1 )
				)
			)}
		)
	)
);

[#10]

Another case where the above rule doesn't hold: Smoother, Bar, Contour , Box Plot  & Line graphs *)

For Smoother and Line Graphs, the COLOR Dropzone controls the Color, independent of the Overlay Encoding for the Overlay.

This fact can lead to plots with inconsistent color settings:

*) Please note:

Line of Fit and Ellipse  behave like points [but without the possibility to switch to Color by setting the Overlay color to black] 

Area Graph seems to be a combination of both worlds: