Adding tables, maps, and charts to a Digital article in Studio

Info: This feature requires Studio 11.159 or higher.

Data in a Digital article can be visualized by adding tables, maps, and charts using the integration between WoodWing Studio and Infogram.

These visual elements serve as a powerful tool for presenting complex data in a clear and organized manner. Graphs, such as bar charts or line graphs, can effectively communicate trends, comparisons, and patterns, enhancing the user's understanding of information. Tables, on the other hand, offer a structured way to display detailed data, making it easily digestible.

The visual appeal of graphs and tables contributes to a more engaging and user-friendly experience. Well-designed visuals can capture attention, guide navigation, and create a more aesthetically pleasing interface.

This article explains how to add tables, maps, and charts to a Digital article using the integration with Infogram.

Note: For simplicity and readability, this article refers to adding a data component using the Infogram tools. This can be a table, map, chart, or any other component that Infogram may provide.

Requirements and notes

Note the following:

• It is assumed here that the Studio and Infogram integration has been set up by the system administrator and is ready to use.

• An Infogram account is required to access the Infogram functionality. This account can be created directly from within Studio and can be a free or paid account. When a free account is used, a limited number of free tables or other components can be added. Once the limit has been reached, you will be prompted to sign up for a paid plan. Pricing and costs can be discussed directly with Infogram. Any users who will be actively creating and editing tables require a license. The ability to view the table in the article and publish the article will work without being a licensed Infogram user.

• The e-mail address used for creating the Infogram account should be the e-mail address as used in your Studio user profile. When you are prompted to log in to Infogram, this e-mail address is automatically filled in. A different account for logging in can be entered by clicking the 'Already have an account? Log in here' option in the dialog.

• When logged in with your own account, you can see and edit all data components (including those created by other users) within the Brand you have access to.

• The data that is visualized in Infogram is based on data that has been manually added through the Infogram sheet editor or based on a file that is uploaded to Infogram. The following types of files are supported:
• Excel files in .xls or .xlsx format
• Comma-separated files in .csv format

Notes: We highly recommend working with a centralized .xls, .xlsx or .csv file format. Based upon customer research, table design tends to vary between print and digital versions. Using a base XLS file, you can upload the data to Infogram to style the content beautifully. The source XLS file can also be used for placing the table on a print layout. We highly encourage designers to place the source table file and use InDesign table styles to format the content. Note that data components will not be automatically converted for digital to print workflows. The file to upload has be to stored outside of Studio, such as on you Desktop.

• The Data component is not supported for publishing to Apple News. This is related to the way tables in Apple News are embedded and formatted.

Adding a Data component

Step 1. In a Digital article, hover your mouse over an area above or below an existing component where you want to add the new component. From the Component Selector window that appears, access the Data tab and choose the Chart data component.

The component is added to the article.

Step 2. Open the Properties panel by clicking its icon on the right side and make sure that the Data component in the article is selected so that the properties for the component appear in the panel.

Step 3. In the Properties panel, click Create data visualization.

Step 4. (Required when you are not already logged in) Log in to Infogram or, when you do not have an account yet, create an account.

Notes: When creating a new account, use the e-mail address as used in your Studio user profile. When in doubt, contact your system administrator. When you already have an account, the e-mail address is automatically filled in for you. A different account for logging in can be used by clicking the 'Already have an account? Log in here' option in the dialog.

An Infogram example is shown in the window.

Step 5. Click on the example and select the Edit data tab that appears on the right.

Step 6. In the window that appears, manually add or change the data or upload a file from your system by clicking Upload file....

Step 7. Create a table, map, or chart by using the Infogram tools.

Tip: We highly recommend checking out some of Infogram's great walkthroughs and videos.

Step 8. When done, click Insert.

The window closes and you are returned to the Digital article. The data that was created in Infogram is loaded into the component.

Step 9. (Optional) Use the options in the Properties panel to further style the component.

Editing an existing Data component

Step 1. Make sure that the Properties panel is open by clicking its icon in the toolbar on the right.

Step 2. Click on the Data component that you want to edit.

Step 3. In the Properties panel, click Edit data visualization.

A window appears showing the chart in the Infogram environment (you may optionally first have to log in when not yet done so).

Step 4. Edit the data by using the Infogram tools.

Step 5. Apply the changes by clicking Done.

Removing a data component from Infogram

Note: Only remove data components from Infogram when you are certain that the table is not being used in an article or website. Article components that contain data components that have been removed from Infogram will show the text 'Project not found'.

Step 1. Navigate to the Infogram website.

Step 2. Log in using the e-mail address as used in your Studio user profile.

Step 3. Select the project you wish to remove by hovering the mouse pointer over the project and selecting the check box in the top left corner.

Step 4. Click the trash can icon and confirm that you want to delete the component.

Notes

Take note of the following:

• A table in a print layout cannot be converted to a data component. At this time, WoodWing recommends users to save the original source CSV or XLS file of the table. It is not on our roadmap to extract tables from a print layout into a Digital article. Note that it may be possible to create an InDesign plug-in that converts an InDesign table into a .csv file. We recommend reaching out to your WoodWing representative to schedule an engagement with WoodWing Professional Services.

• Moving articles containing a data component to another Brand is not supported. When an article has been moved to another Brand and a user edits that Data component and clicks ‘Save project', an Infogram error is caught by Studio and included in the following notification:

The changes could not be saved to Infogram because the table was created when the article was part of another Brand. (Error 403 "Infographic is locked") Do one of the following: Log in to Infogram.com directly and make the changes to the table in Infogram. Create a new table component in Studio and start over.