Questions
Yes, there is a dataset for each individual state. Here's a screenshot for clarification:
I'm not quite sure what you're asking here, but I think you're only able to toggle states on and off if they're tied to a series. And I'm pretty sure you can only have one series per dataSource data source. @bmusson, who seems to be familiar with the AMChart that this Ignition component is based on seems to agree.
Tooltip
My Down and Running/Slow tooltips are different. The Down tooltip has a "reason" to show why the machine went down. I don't think it's possible to have different tooltips for different statuses without having multiple series. You might be able to script it somehow, but I don't think so.
Here's my tool tip for my Down series:
[bold]{name}:[/]
[bold]Reason:[/][light] {reason}[/]
[light]{start.formatDate('EEEE M/d, hh:mm a')}[/] [bold]to[/] [light]{end.formatDate('EEEE M/d, hh:mm a')}[/]
Here's my tooltip for my Running and Slow series:
[bold]{name}:[/]
[light]{start.formatDate('EEEE M/d, hh:mm a')}[/] [bold]to[/] [light]{end.formatDate('EEEE M/d, hh:mm a')}[/]
Learning
I have learned a lot from the Inductive University, the manual, the forums, and I've tried to learn from projects by others like Ignition's default sample project and @bmusson's ribbon chart. Learning from more experienced players by examining the work can be helpful. For example, I now know how to use multiple series and dataSources the Gantt functionality of the XY Chart.