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Build infographic templates

In this topic

  1. Add an element
  2. Align panels
  3. Align elements
  4. Add a page
  5. Use panel options
  6. Modify template settings
  7. Work with infographic layers
  8. Apply a theme
  9. Add an interactive experience
  10. Use the data browser
  11. Set a location for saved templates

Infographics allow you to visualize key indicators and information for your sites. You can build and run custom infographic templates that contain elements such as charts, graphics, tables, images, and text.

Note:

Building infographic templates in ArcGIS Pro is not available when connected to an online data source. To build templates in ArcGIS Pro, you must select a local dataset. To build templates using an online data source, use the infographic editor in Business Analyst Web App.

There are two ways to create a custom infographic template: modify an existing template or start with a blank template. Once you have chosen a template, you add elements and finalize the design. Optionally, you can organize elements in panels so you can move and modify them in groups. Once you have finalized the template's design, save it to the My templates tab.

Modifying an existing infographic template is useful when you need an infographic similar to another available template, such as a standard template or a template you previously saved. For example, consider the scenario in which the Key Facts template is mostly suitable for your use, except that you don't need the Business infographic panel in it. You can replace the Business panel with another panel to create your own Key Facts infographic template.

Starting with a blank template is useful when you need an infographic that isn't similar to any available template.

To build an infographic template, complete the following steps:

  1. On the Analysis tab, click Business Analysis to open the gallery, and click the Infographic Editor button Create new Infographic.

    The infographic editor opens in a user interface similar to that in Business Analyst Web App.

  2. Choose a template by hovering over it and clicking Open. Browse available templates in the following sections:
    • Standard templates—Ready-to-run templates that you can customize.
    • My templates—Templates that you added or created and saved.

    • Blank templates—Blank templates with or without a layout, containing no elements. You can also create your own blank template.

    The template opens in edit mode.

  3. Customize the template by adding or replacing elements, applying a theme, modifying the layout, and adjusting the settings. Click Undo Undo to undo the most recent change and Redo Redo to restore the most recent undo. Do any of the following:
    • To apply a theme to the template, click Theme. You can choose a saved theme or create one. A theme includes color and font settings, a background image, and additional options.
    • To add an element, click Add element Add element and choose the type of element to add. Alternatively, click Add panel from another template to choose a panel from another infographic template.
    • To align elements, expand the Align drop-down menu.
    • To show, hide, and reorder layers, click Layers.
    • To add a page to the template, click Add page.
    • To modify settings for the template, click General settings General settings.
  4. Insert or edit elements and panels. Do any of the following:
    • To add or replace an element in a panel, hover over it and click Add Add or Replace Replace. Choose the type of element you want to add.
    • To edit an element or panel, hover over it and click Edit Edit. For example, if the panel contains a chart, you can modify the chart type and variables. For some panels, you can add multiple elements by clicking Add element when the panel is open in edit mode.
    • To move, remove, split, or merge a panel in a grid, hover over the panel to activate these options.
    • To use panel options, hover over the panel in the template and click Panel options Panel options.
  5. Click Save.

    The Save infographic template window appears.

  6. Optionally, edit the title. Click Show infographic metadata to view and edit the metadata for the template.

    The metadata fields provide information about the template: Data vintage, Data description, Author, and Keywords. Metadata fields are populated based on the variables included in the template.

  7. Click Save.

    The template is saved under the My templates tab.

Add an element

You can add an element to your template. On the Add element menu, click the type of panel you want to add:

  • Chart—Add a chart by selecting the variables to include. You can customize the chart style and data. To learn more, see Work with charts.
  • Image—Choose a shape or icon or upload an image. You can resize, rotate, and customize the placement of image elements. To learn more, see Work with images and text.
  • Text—Add a text box with plain text, text with styling, or a variable value. You can customize the content and visual style of the text element. To learn more, see Work with images and text.
  • Infographic—Add an infographic panel, such as Housing stats or Age pyramid. You can choose an infographic panel by browsing, by searching, or by clicking Create infographic panel to create your own. To learn more, see Work with infographic panels.
  • Table—Add a table with variables, a comparison table, or a custom table. To learn more, see Work with tables.
  • Map—Choose a basemap or a web map available in ArcGIS. To learn more, see Work with maps and nearby panels.
  • Nearby—Add a table summarizing point locations near your sites. To learn more, see Work with maps and nearby panels.
  • Interesting facts—Add a panel that reveals information about your sites that makes them distinctive compared to other selected areas. To learn more, see Work with interesting facts panels.

Align panels

You can align panels in your infographic template to achieve a symmetrical or regular layout.

Note:

Panels contained in grids have a predetermined layout. Manual aligning is disabled for these panels.

  1. Click a panel in the template to choose it or press Ctrl while clicking to select multiple panels.
  2. Click Align to expand the drop-down menu.
    Note:

    For some templates, selecting panels is disabled. When you click Align, such templates open in align mode. To learn about align mode, see the Align elements section below.

  3. Choose Align to page or Align selected.

    If you choose Align to page, the panel or panels are aligned in the way you specify (such as to the left, center, or right). If you choose Align selected, the selected panels are aligned relative to each other.

  4. Use menu options to align the selected content in the template.

    You can align panels left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom. If multiple panels are selected, you can also specify the way they are distributed on the page.

Align elements

To align elements in a panel, you can edit the template in align mode. To align elements, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Align to expand the drop-down menu.
  2. Click Align elements with panels.

    The template opens in align mode.

  3. Select one or more elements and choose Align to parent or Align selected.

    If you choose Align to parent, the selected items are aligned in the way you specify (such as to the left, center, or right). If you choose Align selected, the selected panels are aligned relative to each other.

  4. Use menu options to align the selected content in the template.

    You can align panels left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom. If multiple panels are selected, you can also specify the way they are distributed on the page.

  5. Click Apply to apply your changes to the template.

Add a page

Additional pages allow you to include more information in your infographic template. To add a page to a template, do the following:

  1. Click Add page.
  2. To add a blank infographic page, on the Add page drop-down menu, choose Current layout or Select layout.
    • Choosing Current layout adds a page with the same layout as the current page. Depending on the template, this could be a blank page.

    • If you choose Select layout, the Choose new page layout window appears. Choose an available layout.

    A page with the chosen layout is added to the template.

  3. Alternatively, click Add panel from another template.

    The Add from another template window appears.

  4. Find a template by browsing, searching, or using the Sort by drop-down menu. Hover over a template and click Open.

    If you chose a single-page template, it is added as a new page. If you chose a multipage template, under Select a page to add to your template, choose one of the pages in the template. It is added as a new page.

    Note:

    When adding a page from another template, the background image of the current template is maintained.

Use panel options

Panel options include dimensions and border style and options to copy or move the panel. To use panel options, complete the following steps:

  1. Hover over a panel in the template and click Panel options Panel options.

    The Panel options window appears.

  2. Under Dimensions, modify the height and width of the panel. Optionally, when available, check the Preserve text size when resizing check box to prevent the text in the panel from being proportionately resized when the dimensions of the panel are modified.
  3. For free-floating panels, under Arrange & position, arrange the panel relative to other panels by clicking Bring to front, Send to back, Bring forward, or Send backward. Use the Left and Top fields to manually modify the position of the panel in the template.
  4. For panels in a grid, under Border, select the location and style for panel borders.
  5. Click Copy panel, Cut panel, and Paste panel to copy, remove, or move the panel using the clipboard. Click Duplicate panel to create a copy of the panel.

Modify template settings

You can modify settings for a template, such as page size, margins, and ToolTip settings. To modify settings, complete the following steps:

  1. Click General settings General settings.

    The General settings window appears.

  2. Under Page size, expand the drop-down list to choose a different page size.

    For all page sizes except Custom, you can additionally choose either Portrait or Landscape orientation.

  3. Under Page margins, modify the page margins.
  4. Under Chart tooltips, use the check boxes to select the information shown in chart ToolTips. Under Table tooltips, use the check boxes to select the information shown in table and infographic panel ToolTips.

    When viewing an infographic, ToolTips provide more information when hovering over an element.

Work with infographic layers

You can show, hide, and reorder panels and layers in an infographic. A panel appearing on top of other panels may obscure the ones below, depending on transparency settings. To work with layers, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Layers Layers.

    The Layers window appears. Panels are grouped into layers named Foreground and Background.

  2. To work with layers, do the following:
    • Expand or collapse a layer in the list to view the panels contained in it.
    • Use the check box next to a layer to hide or show it in the template.
    • Click Options Options to adjust a layer's transparency, hide all panels contained in it, or show all panels.
  3. To work with individual panels, do the following:
    • Hover over a panel name in the Layers window to highlight it in the template.
    • Move a panel by clicking the up and down arrows or by dragging the panel to a different order.
    • Use the check box next to a panel to hide or show it in the template.
    • Click Edit Edit to open the panel for editing.

Apply a theme

Custom infographic templates use the default color and font settings. To customize the template's visual design, you can create your own theme or apply a saved theme. Once created and saved, a theme can be applied to any template. To apply a theme to your template, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Theme Theme.

    The Infographic template theme window appears.

  2. To use a previously saved theme, choose it from the Use saved themes drop-down menu.

    The template preview automatically updates to show how the chosen theme customizes the appearance of your infographic.

  3. Under Select a color theme for your template, choose a color theme or individually set the colors for the background, icons, and highlighted icons.
  4. Under Select a principal font for your template, set the color, style, and font for text in the template.
  5. Under Add a background image to the template, click Browse to upload an image.
    1. In the Confirmation required window, choose Remove background colors in tables and other panels to remove all panels' background colors. To preserve panels' background colors, choose Only change background image.
    2. Use the Transparency slider to adjust the transparency of the background image.
    3. Optionally, if the uploaded image is smaller than the page size, check the Repeat check box to tile the image across the background.
    4. Optionally, if the uploaded image is smaller or larger than the page size, check the Scale check box to resize the image to fit the page.
  6. Click Advanced options to set colors, styles, and fonts for individual infographic elements such as tables, charts, and ToolTips.
  7. Optionally, click Save theme.

    The Save theme window appears. Provide a name for the theme and click Save.

  8. Click Apply.

    The theme is applied to the template.

Add an interactive experience

When you run an infographic, an interactive experience is a pop-up panel that appears when you hover over an element and click Explore for more in the ToolTip. Interactive experience pop-ups are available for panels that include variables. To add an interactive experience for a variable in your template, complete the following steps:

  1. Hover over the element and click Edit.

    The element opens in edit mode.

  2. Hover over the variable and click Add interactive experience Add interactive experience.
  3. Click Add interactive experience.

    The Choose an element to insert in this panel window appears.

  4. Click the type of element you want to add. See Add an element.
  5. When finished customizing the element, click Apply.

    The interactive experience panel is added for the variable.

  6. Hover over the interactive experience panel, click More options, and do any of the following:
    • Click Copy panel to copy the interactive experience.
    • Click Apply this panel to all variables to add the interactive experience to all variables in the panel.
    • Modify the width and height of the panel.
    • Check the Include this panel in export check box to include the interactive experience when the infographic is exported as a PDF. When enabled for one panel, this option must be enabled for any other interactive experience panel that is to be included in an export.
      Note:

      This option restricts which panels are included in PDF exports for all users of your template.

  7. Click Save.

Use the data browser

The data browser interface in the infographic editor provides additional options, such as creating calculated variables, and a slightly different user experience than elsewhere in ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro. For instructions on using this version of the data browser, see Use the data browser in the Business Analyst Web App help documentation.

When working with custom variables, consider the following:

  • Variables you create in the infographic editor or classic report editor are available by clicking Saved variables in the editor's data browser interface. Variables created in the editor are not available outside of the editor.
  • In the editor's data browser interface, custom data (such as SDCX) you have created elsewhere in ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro appears under the My data tab.

Set a location for saved templates

You can set the location for saving templates created in ArcGIS Pro. By default, templates and any included custom data are saved in the Business Analyst Templates folder.

  1. In an ArcGIS Pro project, click the Project tab and click Options.
  2. On the Options dialog box, under the Application heading, click Business Analyst.
  3. Under Set options for report templates, do either of the following:
    • Choose Use the project's home folder.
    • Choose Use this location and browse to a folder on your machine.
  4. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

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In this topic
  1. Add an element
  2. Align panels
  3. Align elements
  4. Add a page
  5. Use panel options
  6. Modify template settings
  7. Work with infographic layers
  8. Apply a theme
  9. Add an interactive experience
  10. Use the data browser
  11. Set a location for saved templates