Like the standard chart builders the gadget builder provides a separate page for formatting tasks. Figure 18‑18 shows an example of the Format Gadget page displaying the general properties for a linear gauge.

Format Gadget lists formatting properties of each visual part of a gadget. As Figure 18‑18 shows, for a linear gauge, you can format its scale, needle, numbers, regions, ticks, thresholds, and so on. Each gadget has a different set of formatting properties, which change specific aspects of the gadget’s appearance.

The general properties of a gadget control overall appearance, such as color scheme, background and border style, and whether animation is enabled. General properties can also define the radius of a cylinder, the needle position of a linear gauge, or the start and end angles of a meter gauge. For example, Figure 18‑19 shows how changing the Radius, Height, and Viewing Angle properties affects the view of a cylinder gadget. Radius and Height values are expressed as percentages of the gadget area.

Figure 18‑20 shows examples of setting the Start Angle and End Angle properties to change the shape and orientation of a meter. The examples also show how to use the Outer Radius and Inner Radius properties to set the thickness of the arc in the gauge.

Table 18‑4 shows all the general properties and lists the gadgets to which they apply. Some properties appear for only one type of gadget. Other properties are common to multiple types of gadgets.

Scale properties define the range of values and the number of tick marks that a gadget displays. The scale properties affect the numbers displayed on the gadget, not its size. Minimum Value and Maximum Value specify the lowest and highest numbers, respectively. If the data set value (represented by the needle value) is lower than the minimum value or higher than the maximum value, the minimum or maximum value is ignored.

Figure 18‑21 shows scale properties set for a linear gauge.

Table 18‑5 shows all the scale properties and lists the gadgets to which they apply.

Needle properties define the shape, size, and color of a needle. A needle points to a data value and appears only in a linear gauge and in a meter gauge. Figure 18‑22 shows the needle properties set for a meter gauge.

For a meter gauge, the needles properties apply only to the pointer part of the needle. To format the base, or pivot, of the needle (represented by the circle), choose Needle Base/Pivot.

Table 18‑6 shows all the needle properties and lists the gadgets to which they apply.

Needle base or pivot properties define the appearance of a needle base, or pivot. Drawn as a circle, the base is the point around which the needle rotates. A needle base appears only for a meter gauge. Figure 18‑23 shows the needle base properties set for a meter gauge. The size of the needle base is larger than the default size, and the fill color is set to a radial gradient.

Table 18‑7 shows all the needle base or pivot properties. These properties are used only in a meter gauge.

Number formatting properties define how numbers are displayed in a gadget. Use these properties to abbreviate numbers, to add text before or after a number, or to specify the number of digits to display after a decimal point. Figure 18‑24 shows the number formatting properties set for a bullet gauge. Numbers display with the dollar symbol ($) before the number and they appear in abbreviated format, such as $30K instead of $30,000.

Table 18‑8 shows all the number formatting properties. These properties are used in all the gadgets.

Region properties enable the division of the data plot into regions. Use regions to provide more information about values in a gadget. Compare the linear gauges in the following figures. The gauge in Figure 18‑25 does not show regions. The gauge in Figure 18‑26 displays three regions, labeled Fair, Good, and Excellent.

Figure 18‑27 shows the properties set for the region labeled Fair in Figure 18‑26.

Table 18‑9 shows all region properties and lists the gadgets to which they apply.

Tick properties define the size, color, and position of tick marks on a gadget. Figure 18‑28 shows the tick properties set for a linear gauge. Tick marks appear at the top and inside the gauge. The first and last tick values display Min and Max instead of numbers.

Table 18‑10 shows all the tick properties and lists the gadgets to which they apply.

Threshold properties define thresholds, which you use to identify meaningful values. For example, in a linear gauge that displays a sales total, you can add a threshold that identifies the target sales amount, as shown in Figure 18‑29. By displaying this threshold value, the gauge shows whether the actual sales total is over or under the sales target.

Figure 18‑29 also shows the threshold properties set to create the threshold. You can specify a label, create a threshold line or a threshold zone, specify a threshold value or range of values, and format the line and marker. You can create multiple thresholds for a gadget.

Table 18‑11 shows all the threshold properties and lists the gadgets to which they apply.

Anchor properties control the shape, size, color, and visibility of markers, or anchors, in a sparkline gadget. Unlike other gadgets that display only one or two data values, a sparkline gadget plots multiple values and, by default, uses anchors to highlight the first, last, lowest, and highest values. Figure 18‑30 shows the anchor properties set for a sparkline gadget.

Table 18‑12 shows all the anchor properties. These properties are used only in a sparkline gadget.

Plot properties control the appearance of elements in the data plot area of bullet and sparkline gadgets. For a bullet gadget, you can add a border around the gadget or a shadow below it. You can also specify whether to display the value label and whether to display the value indicator as a line or as a dot.

For a sparkline gadget, you can specify whether to display the first, last, lowest, or highest values, change the color and width of the data line, and add bars in the background to represent period blocks. For example, if a sparkline displays daily stock quotes over a year, you can show period blocks that have a length of 3 to divide the stock values into quarters. The value of 3 assumes that each quarter has three months.

For example, Figure 18‑31 shows the preview of a sparkline gadget. The gadget displays period bars where each period contains three values. Alternate bars appear in color.

Figure 18‑32 shows the plot properties specified for the plot that appears in the sparkline gadget example shown in Figure 18‑31.

Table 18‑13 shows all the plot properties.

Value indicator properties control the size, color, and border of the value indicator in a bullet gadget, as shown in Figure 18‑33.

Table 18‑14 shows the value indicator properties. These properties are used only in a bullet gadget.

Tooltip properties control the visibility and appearance of tooltips in a gadget. A tooltip displays a data value when the mouse pointer is placed over a value marker. Figure 18‑34 shows a meter gadget that displays a tooltip and the properties set for the tooltip.

Table 18‑15 shows the tooltip properties. These properties are available to all the gadgets.

Font properties define the type, size, and color of the font used for any text in a gadget. Table 18‑16 shows the font properties. These properties are available to all the gadgets.

Padding and margin properties support the addition of space on all sides of a gadget, between a title and the plot, and between a data value and the plot. Compare the sparkline gadgets in Figure 18‑35 and Figure 18‑36. The gadget in Figure 18‑35 uses default values for all the padding and margin properties.

The gadget in Figure 18‑36 uses the margin and padding properties to add extra space between the elements in the gadget.

Table 18‑17 shows the padding and margin properties.

AddOn properties support the creation of custom objects, called AddOns, to add to a gadget. You can add rectangles, polygons, circles, arcs, lines, text, and images to any gadget to enhance its appearance. You can create any number of objects and arrange objects on top of or behind one another.

Figure 18‑37 shows an example of adding two rectangles with rounded corners behind a meter gauge. To create this image, create one rectangle with a white border, then create another rectangle that is slightly larger. Use the same fill color for both rectangles. Place the larger rectangle behind the smaller rectangle.

Figure 18‑38 shows the AddOns page. AddOns lists the two rectangles added to the meter gauge. The objects are listed in z order, which is the order from front to back.

Figure 18‑39 shows the properties set for the larger rectangle. Notice that the size of the rectangle is not fixed. Rather, the size is a percentage of the gadget’s size. You define an AddOn’s size by specifying values for these four properties: Start X coordinate, Start Y coordinate, End X coordinate, and End Y coordinate. By using a relative size, AddOns adjust to the size of the gadget area.

Table 18‑18 shows the properties for creating the different types of objects that you can add to a gadget.