Introduction to Dynamic Visibility Functionality
Dynamic Visibility
The Dynamic Visibility functionality lets you control the visibility of a component. Using the Dynamic Visibility function, you can make a component appear or disappear in your final model based on the values inserted in a certain cell.
The Dynamic Visibility function is found on the Behavior tab on the Property Sheet.
How Does it Work?
In Xcelsius, when a component is linked to a cell using the Display Status function, the component is visible or invisible depending on the cell value. By default, if the cell contains the number 1, the component is visible; if the cell is empty or has a value other than 1, the component is invisible.
Changing the Display Status Key
You can define any other value to activate the status list of a component.For example, you can specify that the Display Status Key is the name of a Metric or Indicator. When the cell in Excel has that specific metric name, the component is visible. Using the Display Status Key simplifies model creation.
Imagine that you need to show a world map to present the revenues by region. You want to use the Icon component on top of each region so that when you pass the pointer over it, a chart appears.
You can create a model that inserts the region name on a pre-defined cell when each icon is selected. All other icons will do the same; they will even use the same destination cell. Then you can create the various charts and use the Display Status Key to make each chart visible when the respective region name is on the pre-defined cell.
Since the destination cell will have no region name or just one region name at a time, you will see no chart or only one chart at a time, depending on the selection.
Why is This Important?
By understanding the Dynamic Visibility Functionality, you can create dazzling models that "open" new components when you click or pass the pointer over a selected area. For example, you can use an Icon that lets the user see a chart of revenues by region. You want the chart to be visible ONLY AFTER you click or pass the pointer over the Icon. In this case, you will link the chart to the Icon so that when the Icon is not selected, the chart is not displayed, and when the Icon is selected, the chart is visible.
Entry Effect and Effect Duration
Entry Effects and Effect Duration are functions that let you add and control the way a component will be displayed. For example, in the above model you can enable the chart to appear with some effects once the Icon is selected. At the same time, you can control the Effect Duration. As a best practice, we recommend you not overuse the effect duration function. The effect duration may vary depending on the speed of your users' PC. Consider using small effect durations so that your model focuses on the data and appearance without creating distractions.
When creating a model, select and test the entry effect and choose the one that better suits your needs. There are four entry effects:
- None - The component will not have any entry effect.
- Fade-in - The component will become visible starting with a low transparency level until it reaches its full visibility status.
- Grow - The component will become visible by growing in both width and height until it reaches it full size.
- Grow X first - The component will appear beginning with the top corner until it reaches its full width, then continuing from top to bottom until it reaches its full height.