Working with Graphic Elements

Interactive Reporting provides a complete set of graphic elements to assist you in designing presentation-quality reports (see Table 103, Report Section Graphic Elements ). Lines, rectangles and ovals are considered vector graphics. Vector graphics consist of commands for creating the measures and shape of each line, rectangle, arc, and so on. The resolution of the output device defines the look of the vector graphic, since a vector graphic has no fixed resolution. This property enables you to resize the vector graphic without changing its resolution. Since a vector graphic contains only the instructions for creating an image, it requires less disk space.

Pictures are considered bitmap graphics. A bitmap graphic consists of pixels, which have the appearance of small points. In computer memory, a pixel is shown as one or more bits, containing instructions for color, density and appearance for each pixel shown. As a result, bitmaps use more disk space and have a fixed resolution. If you resize a bitmap image, it may distort the original image.

When an Interactive Reporting document (BQY) is created and saved using 9.3.x releases, all images are saved in a centralized format (the Resource Manager). As a result, the images cannot be read or displayed in prior releases of Interactive Reporting. This is because the relocation and rationalization of the images is not understood by releases prior to 9.3.x.

The exception is images from a document saved in a pre 9.3 Release, which have been referenced once: not copied, merged or duplicated, e.g. placed in Dashboard or Report workspace as a Picture graphic in traditional fashion.

To retain compatibility with earlier releases, you can run the RevertImageResources script. This script provides a facility to undo the relocation and image merging, and thereby return the Interactive Reporting document to the pre-9.3 pre-Resource Manager format. This script is included with the 9.3. Release of Dashboard Development Services. It can also be downloaded from the Hyperion Developer Network. This script can only be used on the desktop, and not in the EPM Workspace, as it relies on the COM feature ofInteractive Reporting Studio.

Certain new features make documents ineligible for conversion to the non-Resource Manager format: for example, if the 9.3 Interactive Reporting document has Bubble and Scatter charts, then these are lost when the Interactive Reporting document is opened in the older version of Interactive Reporting Studio. For information on running the RevertImageResources script, see the Hyperion System 9 BI+ 9.3. Readme.

To insert a graphic object from Elements:

Select Elements and expand the folder containing the desired graphic object.
Select the graphic object and drag it to the Contents pane.

To insert a graphic object from the Report menu:

Select Report, then Insert Graphic.
Select a graphic object from the menu that is displayed.

Click the Contents pane to insert the graphic.

Table 103. Report Section Graphic Elements

Element	Description
Line	Creates a line that you can rotate.
Hz Line	Creates a horizontal line.
Vt Line	Creates a vertical line.
Rectangle	Creates a rectangle.
Round Rectangle	Creates a rectangle with rounded corners.
Oval	Creates an oval.
Text Label	Creates a text label that you can use as a caption.
Picture	Enables you to insert bitmaps (.bmp extension).
Name	Sets the name of the object.
Visible	Enables the object to be visible during run mode. Use this to hide objects.
Locked	Locks an object. Use this to lock objects so they cannot be changed.

To insert a graphic object, use one of the following options:

Expand the folder in Elements that contains the desired graphic object and drag it to the Contents pane.
Select Report, then Insert Graphic, select a graphic object from the menu that is displayed, and click the Contents pane to insert the graphic.