Configure Data

Configuring Your Data Make your data interesting...

Once your data has been opened and imported into Omniscope, there are four general steps to configuring how Omniscope displays your data for maximum impact, utility and ease of navigation.

1. Confirm data typing, default column order & settings
2. Configure Side Bars, show/hide filter devices
3. Configure opening views
4. Modify appearance (optional)

Data Typing & Column Order

Omniscope uses four Data Types to help it display the most appropriate filter/query devices and in many other ways. When importing new a new data set, Omniscope inspects all the values in each field (column), and sets an assumed Data Type for each field (column) to be one of five types:

• Text- character strings, and numbers used as codes, like identifying codes.
• Category- limited numbers of unique text words/values, like country names, colours, true/false fields etc.
• Integer numbers- whole numbers with no decimals.
• Decimal numbers- numbers used in calculations and percentages.
• Dates & Times- many different date and time formats occur in source data, most of which are recognised and converted automatically.

The first step in configuring your own data file is to confirm that Omniscope has correctly typed all the fields (columns) in your data. To do this, click on Edit > Manage Fields to display the Manage Fields dialog:

The Edit > Manage Fields panel provides an overview of all the fields (columns) in a data set, their current Data Type settings, and allows you to Change Data Types, Add, Rename or further Configure a field, Hide Fields from all views, and Remove fields (columns) from the file. The drag handle 'hands' at the far right are used to grab and re-order the fields from the default import order, to a more useful 'master' order. Once you have the fields (columns) in the order you want, click on Reset field orders and the new order will become the starting point in each view you configure. You can make persistent changes to the field (column) order view by view, and in Report Pages, but whenever you return to Edit > Manage fields > Reset view field orders, the field (column) order in all views will be reset.

For more on adding, removing, hiding, renaming and converting field Data Types, see the section on Managing Data

For a more detailed explanation of all the commands and options in the Edit > Manage Fields dialog, see the Main Toolbar Commands section Edit > Manage Fields.

Data formatting, layout and transposition issues

Data formatting, layout and transposition issues can arise for various reasons. Date & time formats can sometimes not be imported automatically until you assist Omniscope by clarifying the format your date and time data is in. International differences in data formatting may need to be . You may also want to use the ability of Omniscope to manage more than one value in a cell (e.g. to capture one-to-many relationships) using tokenized data fields. Omniscope time series data needs to be oriented 'vertically' with all the dates and values of repeated observations in columns (not rows). You can use the Omniscope De-pivot/Re-pivot functions to transpose (change the orientation) of some or all of your data.

For more detail on these and other data formatting, layout and orientation issues...see the Managing Data section.

Configure Side Bars/Filter Devices

The default opening configuration includes an open right-hand Side Bar. If it is not visible, the Show side bar icon on the Main Toolbar can be used to reveal one or both Side Bars.

The Side Bars display filters/query devices, which can be used for instant filtering of records based on the values in a given field (column). By default, devices for all fields (columns) are visible. Many of these will not be useful for filtering, and should be hidden. Different combinations of devices can be shown on different Report Pages, using one or both Side Bars. To configure, re-order or show or hide devices on the Side Bar(s), click on the Devices drop-down at the upper left of the Side Bar:

The Devices drop-down menu begins with options to show or hide the Reports Panel (for more detail see Creating and Managing Report Pages), the global Search All text search device (works like a search engine across the whole data set), an Exclusions device (places the Move and Keep buttons on the Side Bar when ticked), folowed by all the fields (columns) in the data set. Unticking Reports and Exclusions options (Move & Keep buttons) removes them from the Side Bar (Reports will be shown as the default tabs, and the Move and Keep buttons will re-appear on the Main Toolbar as usual.)

Filter/query devices for fields that are not useful for filtering should be hidden by unticking the boxes under Devices. The order of the filters can be changed by dragging the 'hands' at the right up or down to re-order the devices. You can also drag and drop devices themselves up and down to re-order them on the Side Bar. If you have a large number of fields (columns) in your data set, use the search box to find the field you want to display devices for and drag them to the top...ticked and in the order you want the devices displayed from top to bottom on the Side Bar.

Right-clicking on a displayed filter/query device displays sub-menus containing many of the same commands as are available in Edit > Manage Fields. Devices displayed can also be expanded by clicking on the field (column) name. Text devices, for example, expand to reveal a keyboard and a bulk list import function for matching. Category fields expand to show the full list of categories. Hovering on a device shows information about the values in the field (column), including any Field Notes which you may have been entered to attribute sources or describe important limitations and assumptions in the data.

Although fields (columns) can be hidden in the various Omniscope views, hidden columns can still can be used for filter/query devices. If you wish to use both the right and left Side Bars, please note that a device can only appear on one Side Bar at a time. Adding a field filter/query device to one Side Bar will remove it from the other. For more detail, see Using Side Bars.

Configuring Opening Views & Appearance

Omniscope has 12 different views, any or all of which can be used to bring your data to life. In Creating and Managing Report Pages, we will see how combinations of open views, filter and variable settings, plus explanatory title and annotation text can be saved as Report Pages. Report Pages you configure for your users will always be available on tabs above the Main Toolbar or on buttons in the Side Bar Reports Panel.

Regardless of which views you think are most appropriate, or which views you configure as persistent Report Pages, you should always loook at you data and try to configure all the views. Any time the user exits Reports Mode, they can open or add any one of the 12 available views you have not hidden, and the default configuration of each individual view will be displayed. To learn how to hide views, see Managing Appearance.

You can discourage (but not prevent) users from exiting Reports Mode and opening and navigating views on their own. If you by close all views outside of Reports Mode, then return to the opening Report Page and save the file, any user exiting Reports Mode will see only a blank screen unless they start adding views. In general, however, you should assume that users of your file could eventually open any non-hidden views (and some will soon learn to un-hide those views as well). It is important for you as creator/publisher of the file to open each of the 12 views in turn, decide the best way to configure each view (or decide to hide the view) and then close each view looking as it should if and when it is ever opened.

Warning: Whenever you save your Omniscope file, all views will remember their last open configuration. File recipients will see these configurations if they exit Reports Mode and open and navigate any views you have not hidden. See Creating and Managing Report Pages, Managing Appearance and Help > Edit Help page for discussion of the options most useful for authoring user help displays and managing the branding, layout and overall usability of your file.

Below, we briefly introduce configuration considerations for each of the 12 views currently available to make the most of your data. Details on configuring each view are covered in the Views Reference section.

Table View:

The Table View shows the underlying data values by record (row) for selection, browsing and editing. It displays all non-hidden values with instant sorting, aggregation, and zooming views of related images. Many powerful data management features are available under View Tools, including tools for splitting/combining text strings across columns, checking for duplicates, specification of formulae to generate calculated columns, etc. The Aggregation menu allows grouping of records by field values and calculation of sums, means and other statistics based on the values in other columns.

Start by clicking Reset on the Main Toolbar to reset your data (all records return to the green IN universe) and confirm the reset by looking at the (all green) barometer. Close all Views but the Table View. Decide which fields (columns), if any, you want hide from this view using View Tools > Columns to show. Untick the names of any fields you wish to hide in this view only. Also, use the 'hands' at the right to drag field names up and down to set the field (column) order for this view only. Click and roght-click on the column headers to experiment with aggregation and sorting options. You may also wish to try defining new Formula fields whose values are given by calculated formulae. For more detail, see the User Guide section Using the Table View .

Chart View:

The Chart View gives the most comprehensive overview of the contents and structure of your dataset; proportions, ranges, missing values, etc. are all revealed. The Chart View shows each of your columns of data using horizontal visualisation ‘devices’ for numbers/dates, categories, and text fields. Each chart view device shows the spread of values within each field (column). Missing values are shown with a grey background. Zero values will show with a white background. Clicking on a device will expand that device to show more detail. Right-clicking on a field reveals a rich set of options for further analysis. You can select multiple segments or ranges across multiple devices and execute power queries using the Move or Keep commands.

When preparing Omniscope .IOK/.IOM files for use by others, or when looking at an .IOK file whose data has been imported for the first time or just refreshed, some 'quality-control' filtering of a file is required to ensure the data is correct and complete. Some people call this phase of preparing/evaluating a new/refreshed data set ‘scrubbing’. The Chart View is a powerful view for reviewing, understanding and correcting large data sets.

Reset your data and close all but one view. Change the view to a Chart View, which is ideal for visual data scrubbing. Click on each of the horizontal devices representing each field (column). The device will expand. Look for inconsistencies, such as Text fields (signified by the alphabet motif on display) where the character count is too short or too long. Right-click on segmented multi-coloured Category devices to plot them as bars or pies. Look for erroneous spellings, which appear as small categories with one record. Select and keep suspicious records using the Add to basket option at the top right of the View Toolbar. Continuous values like numbers and dates are plotted...check the end point values. If a numeric device looks very white, right-click and select logarithmic rather than linear scaling to reduce the effect of a wide range of values. When you are ready, click on the Basket icon on the Main Toolbar to see your collection of suspicious records in detail. For more detail, see Using the Chart View.

Pie View:

A familiar view, with single or multiple (paned) display modes and some new twists, including animated displays to aid legibility. Commonly used in report pages to show the composition of aggregates.

Click Reset to reset your data. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. Add a Pie View. Choose the field (column) that will be represented as 100% of the pie, then choose another category field to split the pie into wedges. Choose the most useful display and close the Pie View. For more detail, see Using the Pie View.

Bar View:

Displays bars stacked vertically or horizontally, in single or multiple (paned) configurations, mixing positive and negative values and with many other powerful options. The Bar View is used in most reports for comparing magnitudes and showing the composition of aggregates.

Click Reset to reset your data. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. Close all views but one and change that view to a single Bar View. At the top of the Bar View display window, use the drop-down field selector to select an amount to display (or number of records), and directly to the right, use the Split-by drop-down to select a field to use to divide the amount into bars. Try selecting various combinations of amount fields and Split by fields. Notice that the amount total/record count is shown to the right of the Split by drop down. Use the Pane by selectors at the bottom right or upper left to create multiple bar displays.

Once you have an informative display of bars, try using the first two icons on the View Toolbar, labelled Flip (changes the base of the bars between horizontal and vertical) and Cascade (plots the bars in ascending, staircase style). For more detail, see Using the Bar View.

Graph View:

Creates highly-customisable scatter plots with options for colouring and sizing of markers and using marker aggregation to display record density. Automatically calculates correlations to find trends. Used to spot anomalies and for spatial selections of plotted data.

Click Reset to reset your data. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. Change the open view to a Graph View. Select which fields you wish to see graphed using the X-axis selector at bottom right and the Y-axis selector at upper left. Try graphing various quantities against each other, and using a time/date field (if you have one) as the X-axis. On the Graph View Toolbar, click on the Trends drop-down and tick 'show line of best fit' to see statistics on the relationship (if any) between the values in the fields you are graphing. Use the other View Toolbar drop-downs from left to right, starting with Mode (set to 'lasso select' and try encircling a group of points with the mouse), Zoom (move the X and Y sliders to expand the plots), Colour, Size and Shape all select other fields to use to modify the colour, sizing and shape of the markers on the plot. For more detail, see Using the Graph View.

Tile View:

Used as a simple image browser or as a complex 'tree map', a tile representing every record shows its characteristics using size, order, colour and grouping. Used to display 'heat maps' and convey other image-based attributes of records. Enables selection of records based on related images in the data set.

Click Reset to reset your data. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. Change the open view to a Tile View. From the View Toolbar, select which column values you wish to represent as tiles in various groupings, with sizing and colour used to display variations. Using the View Toolbar drop-down field selectors, try changing the Group, 2nd Group, Size, Sort and Colour fields, the groupings and the sizing and colouring options. For more detail, see Using the Tile View.

Pivot View:

Aggregates record data by two fields, applying various functions (record count, sum, mean, etc.) at the intersection of the visible fields. Tables can be sorted both ways, and display hover plots showing breakdowns of values in specific cells. Widely used in both analysis and reporting.

Click Reset to reset your data. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. Change or open new views to reveal multiple Pivot Views. Using the drop-down field selectors on the View Toolbar, choose different values for the X: (top) and Y: (side) displays. The cells show the number of records (rows) that share each X and Y value. Use the Function drop down to the right of the Y: to show the Sums, Means (averages) etc. Try the sorting by clicking on a given row and column. Clear the sorts by clicking the X in the upper left. Also try switching the axes using the switch arrow to the right of the clear sorts X in the upper left corner. For more detail, see Using the Pivot View.

Tree View:

Presents a hierarchical view of your data. You can change the structure of your hierarchy at any time by re-ordering the fields with your mouse. Useful for display and navigation of both pure hierarchies (like organisation charts and family trees), and comparative hierarchies present in the structure of most data sets.

Click Reset to reset your data. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. By default, the Tree View opens showing a few random categories from your data. On the View Toolbar, to the left of View Tools is a Fields drop-down selector. Click the selector, then un-tick all the field boxes to clear the display. Now select 2 related field boxes and the Tree View will display. Tick another box to add another field to the display. Click one of the boxes to see that branch of the tree. Click on the All box at the top of the tree to Reset, or use the Reset command on the Main Toolbar. You can change the order of the columns by dragging the column headers left or right. You can change the colouring of the tree by clicking the column header you wish to colour by. For more detail, see Using the Tree View.

Map View:

Omniscope allows you to plot coordinates on both online map services, such as Google Maps, or embedded zooming maps with multiple layers users can hide or reveal. Users can switch between mapping sources at any time. comes with a wide selection of maps which can be added into any file. Decimal coordinate columns are automatically plotted on maps or scanned images, allowing easy zooming, selection and editing.

Opening the Map View for a given data file for the first time, you are offered the embedded world map as a backdrop and are asked to specify whether your existing data set already has coordinates. If your data already has decimal longitude/latitude coordinates, select Use existing columns and specify which ones they are. Your data should be plotted automatically. You can switch between Google Maps and the embedded world map. Once you have verified that all coordinates are correct, you can add more detailed country or city maps to the file from our Maps Library.

If you do not already have decimal coordinate columns, select "create new coordinate columns". There are many options for adding decimal coordinate values; 1.) using merge files to import them automatically, 2.) placing markers on embedded vector maps or the online Google Maps, and 3.) by using the Google Earth search engine to look up missing values, setting a place marker, then cutting-and-pasting the decimal coordinates into Omniscope. For more detail, see Using the Map View, and the Knowledge Base section on Maps & Coordinates.

Portal View:

A familiar web-style interface allowing easy searching and browsing of data with a coloured, text-based field breakdown. Global search box combined with text-based selection enables rapid search. Can be configured to show record counts and re-group values dynamically us the number of records under consideration (via Moves and Keeps) is reduced.

Click Reset to return all records to the IN universe. Confirm the reset by looking at the barometer. Switch the open view to a Portal View. Add a Table View using Add View on the Main Toolbar. By default, the Portal View features a global Search Box (it can be hidden). Try typing terms in your data set into the global search box as you would an Internet search engine. In the barometer on the main Omniscope Toolbar you will see the number of 'hits', i.e. records that contain what you have entered, in whole or in part. Clicking on Keep will display only those records in the Table View, and update the Portal View display to reflect the breakdowns of only the records you have kept in the IN universe. Try clicking on several different items on the Portal View. The barometer shows the number of records that share all the values you have selected. If 'no matches' shows in the barometer, click again on selected values to deselect them. For more detail, see Using the Portal View.

Details View:

Whenever just one record is selected, the Details View (or a pop-up details window) displays data and images as configured. The Details view can also provide buttons/links to related content and services, or as an editable form for data correction and input.

Open a Table View and a Details View. If no record is selected in the Table View, the Details View will show all the values for the first record at the top of the Table View (depending on the Sorts which are applied in the Table View). Click on the row header of the second, or a subsequent record in the Table View and the details of that record will appear in the Details View. The Details View is highly configurable, with a drag-and-drop orientation bar and options to display related images. For more detail, see Using the Details View.

Web View:

Omniscope is totally web-aware, with built-in browser functionality. If you are online, any configured links to web pages related to the data file can be displayed in one or more Omniscope Web Views.

By default, upon opening a data file which has no web links configured and associated with the Web View, the Web View will display the Google home page. You can have multiple web views open at any time. Try creating a new, single record (row) Omniscope file containing the URLs of three major websites, then open 3 Web Views and associate them each with a different field (column) in your data. Each view should point to a different page.

Before you can use the Web View dynamically, you need to configure or add web links/services that relate to your data. Omniscope comes with a menu of preconfigured links that use field (column) values as inputs to the web service request, for example a Google or Wikipedia search on names in your file. By adding links to your data file, you can use the Web View to display web-based charts, detail, images, adverts, etc. related to the values in specific records selected by the users of your file. To configure links and web services, go to Tools > Links on the Main Toolbar (see Adding Links).

For more detail, see Using the Web View.

Next section: Using the Side Bars

Time Series

Time Series Data Layout

Omniscope makes use of repeated observations over time in vertical rows, rather than horizontal layouts often used in spreadsheets. To create a multi-line time series, in Omniscope, put your data in the following 'vertical' format:

 

In this example of a time series, we have 5 companies "A" to "E" with historic share prices for each month. Each record in the data file is a price/time point for a company. The Company field contains Category values correlating to different lines in the time series. Let's call this our Category field. The Month field contains Date and Time values representing the time part of the time series, along the X axis. Let's call this our Time field. The Price field contains quantitative Decimal number values for the Y axis. Let's call this our Value field. Don't worry about the vertical repetition in the data...this will be invisible in all views except the Table View and not evident in the time series reports you configure.

 

Check your data types- After importing your data, make sure the Time (here Month) and Value (here Price) fields are the correct format. They must be numeric (decimal or integer), or dates, shown by the red to green colour gradation. Also make sure the Category field is of type Category, shown by the variety of different colours. You can convert data from one type to the other by right-clicking the column header in the Table View and choosing Convert field data type.

My data goes the other way!

Sometimes source data is laid out horizontally when Omniscope would manage it better vertically (e.g. time series), and vice-versa. Sometimes data needs to be exported from Omniscope transposed to an orientation different from that used in Omniscope reports. To avoid the time consuming process of changing the orientation of data from horizontal to vertical (row becomes column) or vertical to horizontal (column becomes row), Omniscope has both a De-pivot and Re-pivot function. Use of these functions is discussed in more detail here.

 

For a continuation on displaying line graphs like time series, see the the Graph View section displaying time series.

 

Back to Configure your data

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