User guide

© GeoWise Ltd. 2011
Page 42
visualise | communicate | ENGAGE The InstantAtlas Designer
g the InstantAtlas Area Profile Template User Guide
© GeoWise Ltd. 2013
C.1. About this Section
The InstantAtlas Designer is a tool for changing the design of an
InstantAtlas dynamic report. You change the design of a report for the
following reasons:
1. To change the visibility, layout, text, colours and configuration of
existing report components (maps, tables, charts, buttons, etc)
2. To insert components that we have made invisible by default (e.g.
the advanced pie chart) or insert your own buttons, text or images.
The Designer allows you to design a report that you have already
published. The design for an InstantAtlas report is saved in a configuration
file called ‘config.xml’.
Every report has a ‘config.xml’ file. This is located in the output folder for
the report (along with the other files making up the report) and is in XML
format. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language and is a flexible
format for storing, structuring and publishing information. It is important to
realise that the config.xml file is specific to a given version of a given
InstantAtlas template (see section ‘C.5. Applying a Design to Other
Dynamic Reports‘ for more information).
When designing your report you should make sure that you tailor the
design to your audience. This includes keeping in mind the level of
expertise of your target group together with possible visual impairments of
the end-users.
Also be aware of the type of computer monitor screen that the majority
of your end-users will be using. In particular, the minimum screen
resolution of the monitor used by your audience is very important. Many
web designers currently ensure their interfaces are readable at a minimum
screen resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. In many cases modern PC screens
support much higher screen resolutions. If you are developing a report for
relatively widespread usage (particularly if it is exposed to an external
citizen audience) then we would recommend you set your monitor screen
to 1024 x 768 pixels and then open InstantAtlas Designer to create your
layout. This will ensure that the report is well laid out for the maximum
number of end-users. Alternatively, create your report then change your
screen resolution to 1024 x 768 to check that your report design is
acceptable.
C.2. Starting the Designer
The Designer can be started in one of several ways. Start the Designer by
clicking ‘InstantAtlas Desktop Edition’, ‘InstantAtlas Designer’ in the
Windows Start menu or by clicking the ‘InstantAtlas Designer’ icon on your
desktop. If you chose not to create shortcuts during installation of the
software, browse to the ‘InstantAtlasDesigner.exe’ file (by default this will
have been installed in C:\Program Files\GeoWise\InstantAtlas) and double
click it. The Designer will open with a blank canvas and you will then be
able to open the configuration file of your report.
Alternatively you can browse to the output folder of a published report,
right-click on the configuration file (called config.xml) and choose the ‘Edit
with InstantAtlas Designer’ option.