Designing with Layers
Within an Astrato workbook, you can organize your data and elements in several ways:
Adding Sheets for new topics in your workbook
Using Filters to change the focus of your data visuals
Creating Actions to add automation to your workbook, and
Using Layers to add interest and apply a cohesive style to your workbook.
Using Layers
The Layers panel lists all items added to the sheet with controls for each item. In the Workbook editor toolbar, click Layers to view the Layers panel.
Figure 1: Viewing and managing Layers
1. Layers panel
Dock/Undock - click the icon to undock the panel and move it where needed.
Search - click the magnifying glass icon to search the list of items.
2. Sheet name and item sort
Sheet name - all Layers are linked to a sheet.
Sort the list of items - the default option is to view All items, or you can view them sorted by type.
Figure 2: Sort all items
3. Item names
To help you identify your items quickly, all visuals, controls, and graphics have an icon beside their name.
Use the Rename option to give your items a more descriptive name (e.g. blue square, red triangle).
4. Context menu
Copy - copies the item to the Clipboard for use in the workbook.
Rename - very useful if you're using an item or set of items for an Embedded visualization.
Duplicate - immediately creates a duplicate item (including the name) and places it just below the item you duplicated.
Delete - deletes the selected item.
Viewing options
Lock/unlock - allows you to lock an item in place.
View mode - use this option with a boolean Variable to show or hide an item in preview and view, according to its True/False setting.
Show/hide - use while you're editing to arrange items in your workbook
Figure 3: Viewing options for layered items.
Grouping items
Grouped items have the same behavior and possibilities as any other item.
Use the options on the Action bar to group items.
They display in a folder on the list of items.
Changing render order
The item at the bottom of the list is the first item you add, and unless you change the order of the items, the item at the top of the list is rendered last.
To change the order of the items:
Click on an item to select it.
Drag the item up or down the list, and drop it to place it in the order you want the items to be rendered.
Using items in Embedded visualizations
The Embed feature in Astrato lets you take content from a published workbook and embed it in other web-based material.
You can select an object (item), a group, or the whole worksheet to use as an embedded visualization. Managing your items in layers and groups can help you select the item or group you want to use. Please see the article Embedding and sharing interactive analytics for more details.