The SAS BI Dashboard Designer Interface :: SAS(R) BI Dashboard 4.31: User's Guide, Second Edition

Your First Look at the SAS BI Dashboard Designer Interface

The following figure shows the basic features of the dashboard designer.

Tip

In order to view the entire interface, especially when working with indicators and dashboards, it is recommended that you set your display resolution to 1280 x 1024.

Initial interface of the dashboard designer

Note: If the SAS BI Dashboard designer is accessed by way of the Information Delivery Portal, this feature is labeled Return to Portal.

1	Banner.
2	Menu. For more information, see The Menu.
3	Toolbar. For more information, see The Toolbar.
4	Log Off. Note: If the SAS BI Dashboard designer is accessed by way of the Information Delivery Portal, this feature is labeled Return to Portal.
5	Objects pane. For more information, see The Objects Pane.
6	Workspace. For more information, see The Workspace.

The Menu

The dashboard designer menu provides the following tasks and features for use while designing a dashboard:

File

New. Creates a new indicator data, range, indicator, or dashboard.
Open. Opens an existing indicator data, range, indicator, or dashboard.
Close and Close All.
Save and Save As.
Refresh. Refreshes the dashboard or indicator in the workspace.

Edit

Undo. Erases the last change that you made to an indicator or dashboard.
Redo. Performs the previously erased change that you made to an indicator or dashboard.
Align. Aligns the layout of the objects in a dashboard in one of the following ways: left margin, right margin, bottom margin, top margin, or horizontal or vertical center. Also adjusts the order of overlapping objects in the following ways: bring to front and send to back. For more information about the alignment tools, see Align and Size Objects.
Size. Sizes the objects in a dashboard or indicator in one of the following ways: to the same height, the same width, or to both the same height and width. For more information about the sizing tools, see Align and Size Objects.
Set Up Interactions. For more information, see Adding Interactions between Indicators.

View

Maximize Workspace. Expands the workspace to its maximum size by collapsing the Objects and Properties panes.
Show Layout Guide. Shows a grid of dots that assists in laying out objects in a dashboard or indicator.
Preview Dashboard. For more information, see Test a Dashboard by Using Preview Dashboard.
Go to Dashboard Viewer. For more information, see Dashboard Viewer.

Help

Provides information about the product and a link to the SAS BI Dashboard product Web page. This page provides product documentation and other support information. The menu also provides links to SAS customer support and the SAS home page.

The Toolbar

The dashboard designer toolbar provides easy-to-click icons for tasks that are frequently used with dashboard objects.

Icon	Description
	Saves the contents of the tab that is currently active in the workspace. The contents can be an indicator, range, indicator data, or dashboard.
	Saves the contents of the tab that is currently active in the workspace with a new name. The contents can be an indicator, range, indicator data, or dashboard.
	Erases the last change that you made to an indicator or dashboard.
	Performs a previously erased change that you made to an indicator or dashboard.
	Aligns the layout of the selected objects in a dashboard with the object that was selected first. If only one object is selected, it is moved to the left edge (position 0) of the dashboard. For more information about the alignment tools, see Align and Size Objects.
	Aligns the layout of the selected objects in a dashboard with the object that was selected first. If only one object is selected, it is moved to the horizontal center of the dashboard.
	Aligns the layout of the selected objects in a dashboard with the object that was selected first. If only one object is selected, it is moved to the right margin of the dashboard.
	Aligns the layout of the selected objects in a dashboard with the object that was selected first. If only one object is selected, it is moved to the top margin of the dashboard.
	Aligns the layout of the selected objects in a dashboard with the object that was selected first. If only one object is selected, it is moved to the vertical center of the dashboard.
	Aligns the layout of the selected objects in a dashboard with the object that was selected first. If only one object is selected, it is moved to the bottom margin of the dashboard.
	When an object on a dashboard is partially or completely underneath another object, brings the selected obscured object to the front. For more information about the alignment tools, see Align and Size Objects.
	When an object on a dashboard is partially or completely covering another object, sends the selected object to the back.
	Sizes the objects to the same height. The height used is that of the currently selected object. For more information about the sizing tools, see Align and Size Objects.
	Sizes the objects to the same width. The width used is that of the currently selected object.
	Sizes the objects to the same height and width. The height and width used is that of the currently selected object.
	Opens the Set Up Interactions window. For more information, seeAdding Interactions between Indicators.
	Open the current dashboard in the Preview Dashboard window. Click Close to return to the dashboard designer. For more information, see Test a Dashboard by Using Preview Dashboard.
	Refreshes the indicator or dashboard in the workspace.
	Opens the current dashboard in the SAS BI Dashboard viewer. For more information, see Dashboard Viewer.

The Objects Pane

Overview

The dashboard designer Objects pane provides the Library, Layout Templates, and Static Content sections. Each section provides objects that you can use to build dashboards.

Library Section

The Library section displays the SAS Folder tree and any available dashboard objects, including indicator data, ranges, indicators, and dashboards.

Click the Show list to filter the objects that are displayed in the tree.
Double-click an object in the tree to open it. When the object opens, it appears in its own tab in the workspace.
When a dashboard is open in the workspace, you can drag objects from the section and drop it in the workspace.
Click to refresh the Library section.
Click to create a new folder in the tree.
Click to delete an object from the tree.

Note: You can delete a folder only if it is empty.

Layout Templates Section

The Layout Templates section provides template objects that control the flow of indicators in a dashboard. For more information, see Using a Template to Lay Out Dashboard Content.

Static Content Section

The Static Content section provides objects for static content in a dashboard: labels and images. For more information, see Linking to Other Information by Adding Static Content.

The Workspace

When you build a dashboard, you interact with the objects that you use to build a dashboard in the workspace.

If you need more room to display a dashboard in the workspace, you can click View

Maximize Workspace to collapse the Objects and Properties panes. Or, you can click << and >> in the upper right corner of each panel. You can expand the panes to their original positions by clicking >> and << on the collapsed panes.

The Properties Pane

Overview

When you open an indicator or a dashboard, the Properties pane appears. The dashboard designer Properties pane provides properties settings for dashboards, indicators, and static objects.

Indicator Properties Pane

If you are viewing an indicator tab, the Properties pane provides the General Settings, Display Settings, and Personalized User Settings sections.

For information about the General Settings section, see Setting Indicator Properties.
For information about the Display Settings section and the display settings for each type of indicator, see Indicator Dictionary.
For information about the Personalized User Settings section, see Customizing Alerts.

Dashboard Properties Pane

If you are viewing a dashboard tab, the Properties pane is context sensitive. When you first open a dashboard, the properties shown are for the dashboard object only. The Dashboard section provides properties that are specific to the dashboard. If you select an object within the dashboard, additional properties specific to that object are displayed in the Objects section of the Properties pane.

For information about dashboard properties, see Setting Dashboard Properties
For information about dashboard object properties, see Setting the Properties of Indicators and Other Objects in a Dashboard.
For examples of using static labels and static images, see Linking to Other Information by Adding Static Content.