Using layers in a layout
Layers enable you to show data
from several queries in one layout; each layer corresponds to more
than one data template in the layout. The figure below illustrates
the concept of layers.
Note: The term layer does not
appear in QMF Visionary Studio, except in the documentation. The
term is used to clarify what it means to have more than one data
template in a layout and how to create this effect.
When you create a layout, the wizard prompts you to select a
query and then helps you map the query to the layout. That initial
query supplies the data for the initial data template.
You can add layers to the following layouts:
- Bar
chart
- Column
chart
- Candlestick chart
- Event
band chart
- Linear
map
- Scatter
chart
- Stock chart
- Timeline chart
- XY
chart
To create a layer on a layout, you add another data template--based
on a different query--to the layout. There are several ways
to create another data template. You can:
- Add a layer that looks similar but contains different data than
the first layer:
- Copy the initial data template and then change its query.
- Copy the initial data template and then use a query parameter
to differentiate the query results for each layer.
- Add a layer that looks different than the first layer. Insert
a new data template into the layout. If you are creating a multiple-object
data symbol, you might need an alignment panel. For more information,
see Using an alignment panel.
To
duplicate a data template and change the query:
- Right-click the data template in the World Manager and click Copy.
- Right-click the layout in the World Manager and click Paste.
- Right-click the new data template in
the World Manager and click Change Query.
- Select a different query and click OK.
To
duplicate a data template and use the same query with a query parameter:
- Right-click the data template in the World Manager and click Copy.
- Right-click the data template in the World Manager and click Paste.
- Select the DataTemplate1.QueryParameters object from the Object
Inspector list and set the query parameter to a value.
- Select the DataTemplate2.QueryParameters object from the Object
Inspector list and set the query parameter to a different value.
To add a layer with a different data template:
- In the World Manager, right-click layout and click Insert Data Template.
- Select the query and click OK.
- In the Data Template Editor, insert an alignment panel, if necessary,
a data symbol, and any other objects you need.
- Specify the location of the alignment panel, if you are using
one. See Using an alignment panel for more information.
The second layer is added to the layout. You can modify the objects
in each data template to distinguish them. For example, in a chart
that uses connectors in the data template, you might make the Connector object for each
layer a different color.
