In this article
Canvas allows adding data points, text, and icons to create visually appealing reports, includes features like filters, hierarchies and in-line editing.
Introduction
Data visualization and storytelling are vital tools for understanding and conveying important information and insights. Canvas offers a powerful, user-friendly solution that combines the best of data visualization and storytelling, enabling you to create visually appealing and interactive reports.
What is Canvas?
Canvas is a feature within Studio that allows you to design highly personalized and visually engaging reports. By combining relevant data with relatable imagery, you can illustrate complex concepts and insights in an easy-to-understand manner. Canvas is perfect for users who want to go beyond standard graphs and charts to create interactive, real-time reports that promote collaboration and inform decision-making.
About Tiles
Tiles are dynamic components used to display and manipulate data visually on the canvas dashboard.
There are three primary types of tiles:
Value Tiles: Value tiles display values pulled from a data source. You can add, move, and customize these tiles, including changing their labels, formatting (such as font size, style, and color), and adding borders or backgrounds. A "Switch" can be added to value tiles, allowing for the dynamic alteration of their appearance based on specified conditions and reflecting data changes in real-time.
Text Tiles: Text tiles are dedicated to displaying text. You can drag and drop preset text options, customize their appearance, and add a "Switch" for dynamic changes based on data conditions. Customization options are similar to the value tile.
Image Tiles: Image tiles are used to add visual elements to the canvas, with options to upload new images or select from the file library. Customization options are similar to the value and text tiles. Like the other tile types, image tiles can also incorporate a "Switch" for dynamic updates based on data conditions.
Tiles can also be manipulated within canvas using various tools such as undo/redo actions, zoom in/out for better visualization, and alignment options for organizing the tiles on the dashboard.
Key Features of Canvas
• Buttons: Buttons allow you to navigate from page to page and drill down into more details.
• Universal Tile Navigation: Navigate to any page from any tile within canvas.
• Icons and symbols: Highlight essential details within your report using icons and symbols.
• Real-time data: All data points in the report are updated live.
• Conditional formatting: Use colors, icons, data bars, and more to make trends and patterns more apparent.
• Data-Linked Imagery: Connect any images or icon in the canvas to data values and have them change as data changes.
• Additional widgets: Other widgets, such as chart and headline widgets, can be added to the same pages in canvas to create a comprehensive dashboard.
• Filters: Filters are supported to enable the narrowing of data according to specific criteria.
• Hierarchies: Hierarchy support enables you to display data at different levels, such as by store and department.
• In-Line Editing: Edit directly inside canvas rather than using property sheets, making the editing process more efficient.
• Alignment Lines: Turn alignment lines on or off to help with organizing and aligning items on the canvas.
• Multi-Select, Copy, and Paste: Multi-select, copy, and paste functionalities enable you to easily duplicate and move items around.
• Undo and Redo: Undo and redo actions, ensuring mistakes can be easily fixed.
• Zoom: Zoom in or out of the canvas to better view and work on your dashboard.
• Customizable backgrounds: Choose from colors, gradients, or images to create the perfect background for the canvas.
• Drag and drop: Intuitive drag and drop interface lets you easily add images and data points.
The Switch
Utilize conditions within CDL to implement style alterations for tiles, allowing you to modify various aspects such as the size, color, and background of a style of value or related tile. Additionally, you can change the text, icon, or image, as well as adjust icons and their colors. Furthermore, it's possible to make a tile appear or disappear based on specific conditions, providing a dynamic and customizable user experience. Read more about the switch here.
Note
If the value used in your Switch matches the criteria of more than one Switch condition, only the first condition will take effect. It is therefore important that you create your Switch conditions in the desired order, when there is overlap.