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... extracted from Control 4 Changes Manual ...



The dashboard component is a new addition to Control, and one that we feel sure you will find useful. One of the real-world challenges brought to the Cyrious team was how to allow the varying users to consolidate what they do and monitor most onto one screen. A dashboard in Control is a window that a user creates (or customizes) to bring together the areas of the program most frequently used.



Like the dashboard in your car, Control dashboards are made up of instruments. The functionality of each instrument varies, but unlike those on the dashboard in your car, Control instruments can let you change the underlying information. (One could extend the analogy to say the gas pedal, brake, clutch, cruise control, and other similar functions are possible with a Control dashboard.)



A dashboard is fundamentally a window in Control. There are several actions associated with this new feature (explained below) that will help to organize the information in the dashboards, so please take advantage of these. You can also customize the instruments that are in the default dashboards for your own view.



These buttons will allow you to **add or remove columns** in the dashboard view. The number of columns you can add is unlimited; however, we suggest having no more than three columns because the information in the instruments begins to get harder to read. Two or three columns seem to work very well for most people.



This button allows you to **add instruments** to the dashboard you are currently viewing. Clicking the arrow button on the right will pop out a list of instrument categories, and each category will have the appropriate instruments listed.



or



If **Not Shared** is visible, this means the current dashboard view is not shared; it is only seen by the creator. **Shared** means it is visible by everyone. A custom dashboard can be created by modifying an existing one and clicking "Save As". A newly created dashboard is __**not shared**__ by default. After the initial Save, you are then allowed to Share it, and must save the dashboard again to put that change into effect.



or



Clicking the **Lock** button will lock all of the instruments in the current dashboard in place. You will not be able to minimize or move any of the instruments until you click the **Unlock** button.



or



Clicking **Float** will bring all of the open instruments into its own window separate from Control, which can then be manipulated as its own entity. You can minimize it, move it off to the side or even close it. Clicking **Anchor** will put the instruments back into Control.



Clicking the Save button at the top right will drop down two options. Save Dashboard will save the changes you have made to the current dashboard under the same name. Save Dashboard As will allow you to save the current dashboard under a new name. 



The Dashboards available to users will be separated into three different sections as shown in the picture below. 



Each section will be described in further detail below this picture. 



{{::2014-05-30_18_14_11-10.0.2.40_-_remote_desktop_connection.png?nolink&|}}



The first section is for Dashboards that are **__created specifically by the user that is currently logged in__**. 
  * //Baton Rouge Accounting// and //My Personal Dashboard// are the only two dashboards that were created by this user. 
  * These dashboards (//as long as they are Shared//) are able to be edited and deleted by other users.



The second section is for Dashboards that are **__created by all other users of Control__**.
  * Shipping Dashboard is an example of one that was not created by this user
  * These dashboards (//as long as they are Shared//) are able to be edited and deleted by other users. 



The third and final section is for Dashboards that are **__created by Cyrious Software__**
  * These dashboards, and the instrument on them are not able to be edited. 
  * You are able to make a Clone of the Dashboard however by using the "Save Dashboard As" option, located in the upper right. 



===== Instruments =====



===== Home Screen Dashboard =====



The Home Screen in Control is a dashboard that each user could customize. For example, if you are the production supervisor, you might want a view of all orders in production on the Home Screen. With Control dashboard technology, you can simply add an Order Explorer Instrument and set it to display this.



You cannot overwrite the default Home Screen, but you can click on Save > Save Dashboard As, enter a new name (for example, Jim's Home Screen), and set this as your Home Screen. Then you can make new changes, but remember to save them before closing Control.



==== Home Screen Instruments ====



The default Control 4 Home Screen uses a number of specific instruments (described in the Control Users Guide). These include the following instruments to mimic the Home Screen behavior in Control 3.x and earlier:
  * **Quick Products Instrument** – This instrument provides the Quick Products list to quickly create an order or estimate.
  * **Quick Lookup Instrument** – This instrument provides the Quick Lookup edit boxes for quickly opening orders, estimates, customer records, etc.
  * **Control Menu Navigator Instrument** – This instrument provides the circle of navigation choices the user can click on. The BMS Menu Navigator Instrument provides a menu system more familiar to BMS 7.x and earlier users.
  * **Tips Instrument** – This instrument provides access to the tips library.



===== See Also =====
  * Backlinks [[include_pagepage_componentbacklinks]]