Working with Map Views on Dashboard Pages

Panning in Map Views

You set panning using the map's toolbar and can pan on the main map or on the overview map. You can also use the reticule in the overview map to move around. When you pan, a new query is not issued.

With the Pan tool selected, you can do the following:

• Click and drag on the map background.

• Hover over a region of the map to display an information window for that region for the data that is directly below the mouse cursor.

• Click to display an information window. The information window can be used to drill or update a detail view. See "Working with Views that Are Linked in Master-Detail Relationships" for additional information.

• Double-click the map to zoom.

You can pan using either the Pan tool or the Pan buttons above the zoom slider. Pan is the default mode for the map view, and the pan mode is indicated by a hand cursor.

To pan using the Pan tool:

1. Click the Pan button on the toolbar.

2. Click the map background and drag and drop it to the desired location.

To pan using the Pan buttons:

Click a Pan button above the zoom slider to pan the map in the desired direction.

Zooming in Map Views

Zooming the map adjusts the detail of the geographic data that is shown on the map. Zooming in from a country level might show state and city details. Zooming out from a street-level view might show cities but not street-level information. For master-detail linking, the map view will focus on the detail feature that was selected in the master view.

When you zoom, you can do the following:

• Click on the map background. To zoom by clicking, you must first select the zoom mode from the toolbar. The default mode is pan, which is indicated by a hand cursor. When you are in zoom mode, the mouse pointer changes to a magnifying glass and you can click-zoom directly on the map itself.

  When you are zooming in, you can either single-click or click and drag to use marquee zoom. You can draw a box that delineates the area in which you want to zoom.

• Hover over a region of the map to display an information window for that region for the data that is directly below the mouse cursor.

• Click to zoom in and out. When you click, the map zooms in one "increment" using the click location as the center point.

Zooming and drilling are not synonymous. When you zoom, no drill is performed (that is, no new query is issued). However, if you drill on a map layer, that drill likely results in a new zoom level being displayed, if a new layer is added to the map. If a new layer is not added, then the zoom level does not change.

You can zoom using either the buttons on the toolbar or the zoom slider. When you use the zoom slider, you zoom in or out of the map as it is currently displayed. When you hover over the zoom slider, the names of the map layers are displayed beside their mid-range zoom level. Click the names to zoom the map to that level. When you zoom, a new query is not issued.

To zoom using the Zoom In and Zoom Out tools:

1. Click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button on the toolbar.

2. Click the map background to zoom in that spot. If you are zooming in, you can click and drag to draw a rectangle to specify the area in which to zoom.

To zoom using the buttons on the zoom slider:

1. Click the plus or minus sign on either end of the slider. You can also hover over the slider, then click the name of the level to zoom to.

Drilling in Map Views

Drilling in a map enables you to navigate through the data. Drilling is available when the Pan tool is selected, as indicated by a hand cursor. If you hover over map data, then an information window is displayed with various information about that location.

When you click a region or a point on the map, one of the following occurs:

• If the column is configured as a master for another view, then that view is updated with the latest information.

• If the column or map is configured to drill into a column or to perform a single action, then the drill or action is immediately initiated.

• If the column is configured to perform multiple actions or if multiple drills are possible, then the information window that is displayed contains a list of the actions or links for the multiple columns.

All columns in which you can drill are displayed in the information window as link text. When you click the link for a simple drill, you drill in the data, the map is redrawn with a different layer, and the information window is dismissed. If action links are defined, then you see a popup window that shows additional links. For information, see "Running Actions Associated with Action Links in Analyses and Dashboards."

Drilling updates map formatting to reflect the newly drilled data. For some drills (such as drilling on a State), the map zooms to the specified region while simultaneously updating the formatting. How you zoom and the formats and geographic levels that the map contains affect what is displayed. Formats have particular "zoom ranges" and are visible at different zoom levels. Zooming back up might display a new format, if you zoom out past the zoom level of the drilled format.

After you have drilled down, use the zoom slider to drill back up. Use the Return button on a dashboard page to display the original map view at the zoom or drill level that was in place before you started drilling.

Modifying Thresholds for Formats on a Map View

The content designer can give you the ability to modify the thresholds that are used for displaying formats on the map view. You know that you have this ability if you see a slider under a format name in the Map Formats pane. Modifying thresholds is a type of visual analysis of the data, which is sometimes referred to as "what-if analysis."

Format ranges are displayed as color fills on the slider background, with a "thumb" for each threshold that can be edited. Users can manipulate the slider to specify their own threshold values, as follows:

• Hovering over a thumb displays the value under that thumb.

• Dragging the thumb adjusts the threshold.

• Clicking a section on the slider moves the thumb to that section.

• Right-clicking the slider displays a menu with the following options:

  • Edit Color — Displays a dialog, in which you select a predefined or custom color for the threshold.

  • Add Threshold — Adds another threshold to the slider, including a thumb to indicate the threshold. This addition creates a new formatting bin with a new color. For example, if three bins exist (with colors red, yellow, and green) and you create a threshold, then four bins now exist. A maximum of 12 bins is supported.

  • Remove Threshold — Removes the threshold above where you right-clicked, including removing the thumb from the slider and a formatting bin.

• Clicking on a slider thumb number value displays a text box in which you can edit the number that corresponds to the threshold value. Press Enter or click outside the box to update the threshold value and the thumb position.

Showing or Hiding Formats on a Map View

Content designers can superimpose multiple layers of information (sometimes known as themes) on a single map view. They can create formats to enhance the layers. You can display or hide the formats for a map.

To show or hide the formats of a map view:

• In the Map Formats pane, from the View menu, select either View All Formats or View Visible Formats.

• In the Map Formats pane, deselect the box beside a format's name.