Omniscope User Guide

Learning to Use Omniscope

This User Guide is divided into sections, the contents of which are described below. Both the Table of Contents below and the lower left side navigational menu provide quick access to each section, and the sub-sections beneath. If you are looking for specific commands, terms or phrases, use the search box at lower left to find all references that may be relevant. Questions? Always consult our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page first.

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Table of Contents

Please see the Knowledge Base for more technical information on installing, integrating and refreshing files in Omniscope.

1: Quick Start - This one-page 'quick-start' overview covers key Omniscope functionality and illustrates typical tasks in 10 steps; install Omniscope, prepare data, load/import data from a spreadsheet, check the data types, explore/check the data, display the details, add/change views, create Report Page(s), add links, and save the new Omniscope .IOK/.IOM file for distribution to others.

2: Install & Activate - Describes the Omniscope installation process on Windows. Details regarding administered desktop and network installation options, and installation on non-Windows operating systems, are covered in the Knowledge Base.

3: Using .IOK files - Covers navigation of an example Omniscope .IOK file already prepared for you. It introduces the navigational icons/buttons on the Main Toolbar, as well as the basics of selecting and filtering using the Side Bar. It also provides links to documentation of the Main Toolbar command menus, which are primarily used for creating new .IOK/.IOM files, rather than exploring/navigating existing files prepared by others.

4: Using Views - Links to the pages detailing the commands and options available for each of the 14 different views in Omniscope, beginning with commands and options common to all views. Also provides an introduction to using the Aggregation menu within views. If you wish to go directly to the section relating to a specific view, use these links (or visit the Views Reference page).

5: View Details - Explains the options for displaying some or all the values associated with individual records or selected groups of records- the Details pop-window, the Side Bar details display options and the Details View. The highlighting function, which shows the position of selected records in all open views, is explained and illustrated. Automatic record cycling and slide show image displays that provide file recipients with automatic, unattended 'tours' of the data are also covered.

6: Queries & Subsets - Introduces the related concepts of Named Queries and defined Data Subsets (introduced in version 2.4) to generalise the concepts of data universes and the basket used in earlier versions. The Main Toolbar Named Queries menu options are introduced, as is the Data Subsets selector that appears on the View Toolbar immediately to the right of the view name for all views.

7: Use Your Data - Covers importing your own data into Omniscope to create and save .IOM/.IOK files for your own use and distribution to others. Explains importing data from spreadsheets and other types of data files, maintaining links to source data, editing your data and refreshing the data from or to linked sources. Also provides links to sections dealing with connecting directly to database tables/views.

8: Configure Data - Outlines the four main steps to configuring a new .IOM/.IOK file; 1.) confirm data typing column order and settings, 2.) configure Side Bar display, 3.) configure opening views and 4.) modify the appearance (optional). Explains the useful and powerful Edit > Manage fields dialog, together with Side Bar filter/query device configuration and use. Also covers the most common data management issues (format, layout and orientation) with links to more detail. Introduces each of the 12 available views, with links to more detailed documentation of the options available for each view (see also the Views Reference section).

9: Main Toolbar- This section documents the navigational functions located on the Main Toolbar, and introduces the command menus available on the left side of the Main Toolbar (see also the Command Reference section).

| File | Edit | Tools | Reports | Page | Appearance | Help |
(click link to go directly to the page).

10: Controls & Side Bars - Shows how to use the Controls drop-down menu on the Main Toolbar to reveal or hide the Side Bars and the Cycling Toolbar. Provides detail on configuring the filter/query devices displayed on the Side Bars with the Devices and Tools Side Bar drop-down menus, using the functions available on the filter/query devices, and the commands accessible by right-clicking on the devices. Also provides detail on using the Cycling Toolbar to set Record, Value and/or Report cycling options to animate your files on opening.

11: Create Reports - Introduces the process of creating and modifying Reports Pages, the Reports Navigator, the importance of committing or reverting changes to Report Pages, how to exit Reports Mode and using various menus for managing all the Report Pages already configured in a given file.

12: Formula Fields - You can define the values in a new Formula column to be evaluated according to mathematical functions and logical expressions using the values in other columns. In addition to the same functions used in most spreadsheets, Omniscope also features powerful DATASET functions that operate on entire data sets. This section introduces the use of Formula fields (columns) and provides links to more detailed sections on defining formulae and variables (assumed values used for sensitivity analysis) and the Functions Guide, which provides more detail on using the specialised DATASET functions.

13: File Appearance - Highlights a few of the more commonly used options for branding the overall appearance of a given file using Cover and Back information pages together with your own corner logos, etc. Options for adding your corporate identity to installations of Omniscope itself, simplifying display menus, and adding banner advertising displays to Omniscope files are also referenced.

14: Refreshing Data - Explains options for refreshing data from linked sources, introduces the Automatic refresh option (new in version 2.3), and provides some guidelines for editing data in Omniscope then exporting the changed data. This section also introduces options for linking Omniscope files to other Omniscope files (or even itself) as a linked data source, permitting many differently-configured distributed copies to be refreshed from the same Omniscope file, itself being refreshed directly on the server from the data warehouse. Also explains how to unlink and re-link Omniscope files from source data files.

15: Useful Tools - Introduces some of the most commonly-used commands available on the Main Toolbar Tools > menu; such as specifying the display mode for individual record-level details, and selecting Tooltips to display key values or images whenever individual or small groups of records are selected. Options for switching and editing languages are also explained.

16: Adding Links - Explains the process for adding local links, using pre-configured links to free web services and creating custom web links launched by clicking on specific cells/values in your files.

17: Adding Images - Explains the process for associating folders of images (image sets) with your files and referencing them for display in various views. Omniscope can associate more than one image with each record (row), and can associate more than one image set with a file, either embedded or for delivery via the web. If multiple images are available for some records, slide show mode can display a sequence of these images for each record selected.

18: Using Maps - Introduces the Map View and various ways of adding maps and geographic coordinates to your data sets.

19: Creating DataPlayers - DataPlayers are exportable, data-bearing, interactive Flash 'dashboard' .SWF files which can be created, refreshed and exported from Omniscope to web pages and documents such as PowerPoint, Excel, PDF ...with full interactivity. This section explains how to create up to six different, highly-configurable DataPlayer view types within the DataPlayer View of Omniscope.

20: Connector Overview - Connectors are used to provide high-performance data import, refresh and synchronise features for data hosted on remote platforms or proprietary client-premise installed applications that use Omniscope as their reporting/presentational or local client-side interface. This section provides an overview of the Web and Direct Connectors currently available (and some still classed as experimental features) for use with either the free Viewer, or activated editions of Omniscope.

21: Bloomberg Connector - {Omniscope Professional and Enterprise only} If Omniscope is running on a device with access to Bloomberg, opening .IOK/.IOM files which have had Bloomberg fields added can populate and refresh those values directly into the Omniscope file. This section documents the options for using Omniscope's Bloomberg commands to insert and refresh Bloomberg data within Omniscope files.

22: SalesForce.com Connectors - {Omniscope 2.5+ Professional and Enterprise only} If you have an account with SalesForce.com, you can go to File > Open online source and choose to open either a Report (read-only) or Data Table. Omniscope will ask for your login, password and your security token. Once logged-in you will see the option to open your reports and data objects directly into Omniscope, where you can visualise, analyse, save offline, edit and synchronise changes with your SalesForce account. There is also a free Web Connector your Administrator can install into your Salesforce accounts from the AppExchange that enables downloads of report and data objects that open in the free Viewer. Using an activated Omniscope, you can modify the standard report templates provided for each report and data object, and upload one or more alternatives to be used for future downloads.

21: File Security Options - Using options to control who can open Omniscope files, for how long and under what circumstances.  Also explains options for securing data against unauthorised copying (not even cut-and-paste) and advanced, highly-secure deployment options such as 'walled gardens'.

22: Views Reference - Summarises the available views and provides links to the detailed section(s) on each view.

23: Command Reference - Summarises the Main Toolbar command menus and provides links to the section(s) on each.   

24: Functions Guide - Link to Knowledge Base section documenting standard Omniscope functions, the specialised DATASET functions, and with examples of expressions for performing common tasks.

25: Keyboard Shortcuts - Use these keystrokes to save time.