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Managing Settings for the Oracle BI Presentation Services Chart Image Server

Oracle BI Presentation Services uses a third-party charting engine to render charts (PopChart Image Server from CORDA Technologies, Inc.). You can override the default image type by modifying the Oracle BI Presentation Services configuration file (instanceconfig.xml) to add the following entries:

• Specifying the Oracle Business Intelligence Chart Image Type
• About Downloading and Using Flash as the Default Image Type in Oracle Business Intelligence

You need to create the elements <Charts> and </Charts> after the <ServerInstance> element, and place your entries between the <Charts> and </Charts> elements.

For information about working in the Oracle BI Presentation Services configuration file (instanceconfig.xml), read Making Oracle BI Presentation Services Configuration Changes.

Specifying the Oracle Business Intelligence Chart Image Type

You can override the image type generated by the PopChart Image Server. The internal default is Flash.

The other choices are SVG (W3C Scalable Vector Graphics), PNG (W3C Portable Network Graphics), and JPEG. Flash and SVG images provide the greatest degree of interaction because they support mouseover behaviors (such as pop-up data labels), navigation, and drilling.

The following entry is an example:

<Charts>
   <DefaultImageType>PNG</DefaultImageType>
</Charts>

About Downloading and Using Flash as the Default Image Type in Oracle Business Intelligence

In some organizations, users are instructed to download the latest Flash software from a corporate location instead of the vendor's Web site. The default download source for Oracle BI Presentation Services is the vendor's Web site. You can modify the default download source to point to another location. Then, when users view a chart in Oracle Business Intelligence and a newer version of the Flash software is available on the corporate server, they can be prompted to download the newer version. This section contains the following topics:

• Modifying the Default Flash Download Source
• Enabling a Download Prompt for New Flash Versions

Modifying the Default Flash Download Source

The default download source for the Flash plug-in is the vendor's Web site. You can change this to another location by modifying the Oracle BI Presentation Services configuration file (instanceconfig.xml) to point to the location that holds the Flash code base.

NOTE:  You need to create the elements <FlashCodeBase> and </FlashCodeBase> after the <Charts> element, and place your entries between the <FlashCodeBase> and </FlashCodeBase> elements.

The following entry is an example:

<Charts>
   <FlashCodeBase>\\CORPORATE\Download\Flash</FlashCodeBase>
</Charts>

Enabling a Download Prompt for New Flash Versions

After modifying the default Flash download source, you can enable a download prompt by creating a new classID for the Flash ActiveX control to add a custom global identifier (clsid) property. You can obtain the current global identifier property from any machine where Oracle BI Presentation Services charting is being used. (The global identifier property used by Oracle Business Intelligence is D27CDB6E-AE6D-11CF-96B8-444553540000.) The custom global identifier property must contain the same number of characters and dashes as the global identifier used in the default Flash ActiveX control.

The following entry is an example:

<Charts>
   <FlashCLSID>E38CDB6E-BA6D-21CF-96B8-432553540000</FlashCLSID>
</Charts>

You should test flash charts independent of Oracle Business Intelligence to make sure that they function with the custom global identifier property.