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:
- To change the visibility, layout, text, colours and configuration of existing report components (maps, tables, charts, buttons, etc)
- To insert components that we have made invisible by default (e.g. the area breakdown 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 ‘Applying a Design to Other Dynamic Reports’ for more information).
From version 6.12.0 on, the Designer saves any changes also into the config-vars.js file (as well as the config.xml file). The config-vars.js file is used when the dynamic report is opened from a local or shared drive using the atlas-launch.html file. Please refer to section Using the atlas-launch.html of the ‘Starting Your Dynamic Report’ page for further 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.
Further in this section: