Create Content26% of the exam

Dashboard size, layout containers and floating items

Combine sheets into a dashboard that resizes predictably: pick the size setting for tiled or floating designs, group items in horizontal and vertical layout containers, place and layer floating items with the Layout pane, make sheets transparent, and swap or copy dashboard items without losing work.

Official exam objective
Create dashboards and stories: Combine sheets into a dashboard by using containers and layout options; Add objects (containers, images, text); Create stories using story points.

~7 min read · 9 practice questions ·

What the exam expects

  • Choose Fixed size, Range or Automatic for a dashboard given how it will be viewed and whether it uses floating items.
  • Combine sheets in horizontal or vertical layout containers, distribute them evenly, make related sheets resize on selection, and remove a container.
  • Place floating items by pixel position in the Layout pane, change their layering in the Item hierarchy, and make sheets transparent over a background image.
  • Replace a sheet with Swap Sheets and reuse objects with Copy Dashboard Item, knowing what cannot be copied.

Key terms:

  • Layout container: a Horizontal or Vertical object that groups items so they resize together.
  • Tiled item: part of a single-layer grid that resizes with the dashboard (the default).
  • Floating item: an item layered over other objects at its own size and position.
  • Item hierarchy: the Layout pane list that sets grouping and front-to-back order.
  • Swap Sheets: replaces a sheet on a dashboard in place.

Key facts

Default dashboard size
Detail
Fixed size
Floating items
Detail
Best with fixed size and position on a fixed size dashboard
Distribute Evenly
Detail
Applies to current items and items added later
Collapse on clear
Detail
Exclude all values collapses target sheets under their titles
Position x and y
Detail
Whole-number pixel offsets from the dashboard's top-left corner
Item hierarchy order
Detail
Top of the list in front, bottom behind
Transparent sheet
Detail
Format > Shading > Worksheet background None
Swap Sheets
Detail
Keeps padding, border and background color
Cannot copy
Detail
Sheets, sheet-bound filters, parameters and legends, dashboard titles
Sources for this section (2)
  • Why can an Automatic size dashboard look different from one screen to another?
  • Why does a swapped-in sheet look like the one it replaced?
  • Which floating items are transparent by default?
  • Which dashboard items can Copy Dashboard Item not copy?

The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.

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