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Dashboard is one of the most important web applications of the ArcGIS platform. The full name of the application is <\/SPAN>Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS<\/SPAN> and it was released on February 7, 2018. In practice, we mostly use the shortened name "dashboard", or if we want to use a Slovak expression, it can be "overview board". Dashboards can include maps, charts, and other visual components. Their main purpose is to monitor the status and dynamics of service performance, equipment, and events in real time.<\/SPAN><\/P>They can be created relatively easily and the selection of configurable components is quite wide. The user can be very effective and fully utilize their creativity. And as is often the case in such situations, there is a danger that one tries to express everything through the dashboard and use possibly too many components. Similarly, it may happen that some important functions of components are not sufficiently utilized. Therefore, I wrote these few notes about what I personally like about dashboards and the reader can freely consider whether to use these suggestions or not.<\/P><\/P><\/H1>Clear purpose, focus<\/H3>A dashboard should not try to solve everything that can be used from available data. It should focus on the user for whom it is intended to provide the most important information in the clearest and simplest way possible. If a user monitors several activities over a given agenda and has trouble fitting them into one dashboard, it is better to make a separate dashboard for each of them. Clarity and transparency are more important in this case. <\/P>For example, in the case of parking lot agendas for municipalities, where you want to monitor their maintenance, occupancy according to VZN, or even permit expiration, it is good to make a separate dashboard for each of these issues.<\/SPAN><\/P><\/P>Simple clear design<\/SPAN><\/P>A dashboard should not be overloaded with components and they should not be placed without some intention or order. A good example is the following dashboard that monitors and evaluates incidents in the field within parking space maintenance. Dynamic elements (monitoring) are placed on the left and analytical elements are on the right.<\/P>
<\/P><\/H2>Understandable map consistent with other components<\/SPAN><\/H2>Elements monitored by the dashboard on the map should be large enough to be visible and should have nice, understandable, and distinguishable symbols if possible. They should be color-coordinated with other components if they monitor the same property. The base map should be chosen so that it allows good overview and spatial orientation while at the same time does not "shout over" the symbols.<\/P>If we look at the picture above, there the color of symbols corresponds with statistics on the left with a list of incidents. For analytical charts on the right no color from map symbols is intentionally used because columns in charts concern different properties of incidents and not status in records symbolized on the map.<\/P><\/P>Actions<\/SPAN><\/P>Many components have an action that affects other elements. Actions are worth using because they turn a dashboard into an analytical tool. The most straightforward use in this regard is offered by charts - clicking on a bar or slice in a chart selects only those elements on the map that meet this filter.<\/P>Similarly, it is appropriate to use actions in lists - clicking on an item in a list can for example trigger its highlighting on the map or even zoom into it on the map. If a dashboard is used by a wide public I recommend informing about this function for example at the bottom part of the dashboard.<\/P>
<\/P><\/P>Beware of pop-ups<\/SPAN><\/P>Disable pop-ups for inappropriate layers and pay attention to configuration for layers you want to use.<\/SPAN><\/P>
<\/SPAN><\/P><\\/P><\\n<P style=\"margin:\\u20090in;font-size:\\u200911\\u002e\\u00307pt\"><\\/P> Use time slider<\/SPAN> normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">If elements have features that the dashboard records dynamic character and time data, it is convenient to use a time chart within the dashboard. This has a slider that can be used as a time filter.<\/SPAN><\/P>
<\/SPAN><\/P><\/P>In using stack and grouping<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/STRONG><\/SPAN><\/P>If you want to place multiple charts on the dashboard and do not have enough space for it, I recommend using the so-called stack, which is an object that can place multiple elements in one place, switching is done via tabs. Also, when using stack you can group multiple elements into one group (hold Shift when moving an element), so under the stack tab there are multiple elements, not just one. In this way, you can even put one dashboard under one stack and another different dashboard under another. Switching between them is through the stack.
<\/SPAN><\/P>The images below show two situations illustrating the use of stack.  The first image contains two column charts and next to them vertically a chart with a time slider. The second image demonstrates the approach with stack and grouping. The first tab shows unresolved incidents and their time course. The second tab shows resolved incidents and also their course over time. <\/SPAN><\/P>
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<\/SPAN><\/P><\/P>Summary<\/SPAN><\/P>Further recommendations and maybe also tricks can be found in the dashboard guide. However, do not be afraid to step out of line and express your creativity. Something interesting and of course useful may arise from it. A good example of such originality is placing several gauge-type elements on the dashboard below. Each of them informs about the occupancy of one of the 11 parking zones. It provides an excellent overview of the occupancy of all zones in one place.<\/SPAN><\/P>
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