InstantAtlas is a set of tools for designing, populating and publishing Dynamic Reports:

Templates

Pre-defined views, packed with features including point and area maps, map panning and zooming, dynamic links between charts, tables, maps and legends, hotlinks to external web pages.

Publisher

A wizard-driven easy-to-use, desktop tool that enables researchers and analysts to embed geography in their chosen Templates.

Designer and Stylesheet Editor

Easy-to-use, desktop tools that enable researchers and analysts to configure, layout and style their InstantAtlas reports which you can share on web sites or distribute on CDs.

Data Managers

Microsoft Office Add-ins that enable researchers to populate InstantAtlas stand-alone, dynamic reports directly from for Excel and Access.

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Desktop Benefits

Seven good reasons to choose InstantAtlas

Enhances the value of your data

Make it easy for your audience to see regional and local patterns and trends in performance using InstantAtlas stand-alone, dynamic reports instead of static tables and charts. Bring your data to life and help people make informed decisions.

Makes your data stand out

Your data compete for the attention of staff, partners and clients inside and outside your organisation. InstantAtlas stand-alone, dynamic reports catch the reader's eye and make your data stand out from the crowd.

Quick and easy to implement

You can take data from a spreadsheet, publish an InstantAtlas stand-alone dynamic report and place it on your web site in just a few minutes. You do not need any special technical knowledge. You use familiar tools. If you can use a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and an Internet browser then you can publish and maintain InstantAtlas reports.

Use and re-use as often as you need

Pay once then use, and re-use, an InstantAtlas stand-alone dynamic report for different geographies and different statistics across your organisation. The more you use InstantAtlas the greater the return on your investment.

No need to "re-invent the wheel"

InstantAtlas stand-alone, dynamic reports are created from ready-to-use templates. There is no development required. You only buy the templates that you need to display your data.

Low cost compared to Internet mapping server solutions

InstantAtlas allows you to deliver interactive, web mapping for as little as 10% of the cost of using map server software.

Flexible and portable

InstantAtlas reports are stand-alone web pages. There is no software to install on your web server. You can place them on a web site, in a content management system, make available for download, send by email or distribute on CD.

See examples of organisations that have realised these benefits.

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How it Works

The Publisher guides you through a simple set of wizards to create your stand-alone, dynamic report.

Choose a template »

Select one of the pre-defined views of data. See what templates are available.

Add your geography »

Follow a series of steps to choose the geographies and map background images for a report. If you do not have your own maps you can buy Map Packs for use in InstantAtlas.

Choose your indicator data »

Choose a data file for your report containing your indicator data in XML format. Data files are created using an InstantAtlas Data Manager. There are two Data Managers: one for Excel and one for Access. You choose the format with which you are familiar and which suits your needs.

If you are have a large number of indicators to display use InstantAtlas Server to improve your data management process and stream data 'live' to dynamic reports.

Create your style »

Use the Designer and Stylesheet Editor to change the look and feel of your report. Creating a new look using the Designer can take just a few minutes and does not require any programming skill.

Publish your report »

Save you report to your computer ready to present to your audience on the web or on CD. If you need to publish a large volume of reports, you can automate publication using the Batch Publisher.

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IA Features

Templates

Templates are pre-defined views, packed with features including point and area maps, map panning and zooming, dynamic links between charts, tables, maps and legends, hotlinks to external web pages. See examples and read more about Templates.

Publisher

The Publisher allows you to generate InstantAtlas dynamic reports by picking a template and the geographies of interest.

• Series of screens (wizard) allowing you to step forward and backwards through the publishing process
• User settings are remembered on each screen for the next publishing iteration
• Lists of recently used map files
• Upload of digital map files in ESRI shapefile and MapInfo Interchange File formats
• Upload of XML data files with validation against the InstantAtlas schema
• Publish subsets of geographic features within a map file
• Error checking for digital map files and XML data files
• Publisher help pages accessible from each screen
• Command line mode for batch publication of InstantAtlas reports
• Pick different report configurations and predefined or custom colour profiles

Learn how to use the InstantAtlas Publisher (Video Tutorial)

Designer

The Designer allows you to change the configuration and layout of your InstantAtlas dynamic report.

• Click and drag your InstantAtlas report components (maps, tables, charts, legend, buttons, logos) to change their positions and resize them
• Delete unwanted report components
• Preview changes before applying to reports
• Change styles for each component and general styles of the report without linking to Style Editor
• Change report functionality by configuring report components
• Edit/translate all text that appears in a report
• Change the palettes used to shade the map
• Control column widths in data table
• Add new static images (such as corporate logos or banners)
• Image scaling can be set individually for each image
• Add new buttons that will link to external files
• Add new static text (such as a title for your report)
• Undo/redo options
• Return to default design option
• Link to specific elements in the Style Editor
• Create designs that can be applied across multiple reports
• Designer help pages

Style Editor

The Style Editor allows you to change the style of your InstantAtlas dynamic report.

• Change the colours used for the border and background of report components
• Change the thickness of borders
• Change colour, font and size of text
• Create colour gradients for table header fills, button fills, scroll bars etc.
• Change the colours assigned to each comparison geography
• Add custom styles
• Add custom properties
• Create styles that can be applied across multiple reports
• Style Editor help pages

Learn how to use the InstantAtlas Designer and Style Editor (Video Tutorial)

Data Manager

The Data Manager is a tool for managing your indicator data (or statistics) and exporting these in the correct format for InstantAtlas reports.

• Choice of Excel or Access formats to suit user skills
• Manage geographies and filters
• Structure your data by theme, indicator and date
• Manage your data in multiple worksheets (Excel) or related tables (Access)
• Manage metadata for geographies and indicators
• Export data as XML files for use with InstantAtlas dynamic reports
• Export metadata as HTML files for use with InstantAtlas dynamic reports
• Set your batch publication preferences
• Error checking to help format your data correctly
• Multiple data XML files can be merged for multiple geography reports
• Customise legend breaks, colour schemes and labels per indicator

Learn how to use the InstantAtlas Data Manager (Video Tutorial)

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Requirements

InstantAtlas dynamic reports can be published using either Flash Edition or HTML Edition templates.

To view a stand-alone, Flash Edition dynamic report you need:

• Internet browser compatible with Adobe Flash Player 9+

To view a stand-alone, HTML Edition dynamic report you need:

• Internet browser compatible with the HTML5 Canvas element. Most modern browsers support HTML5 such as Internet Explorer 9+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari.

To create a stand-alone, dynamic report using InstantAtlas Publisher, Designer and Stylesheet Editor you need:

• Minimum Windows XP
• PC (Pentium 3 equivalent processor with 512 MB of RAM minimum, Pentium 4 2+ GHz equivalent processor with 1GB+ of RAM recommended)
• Microsoft Excel 2003 or later
• A Map Pack or your own digital map data in SHP, MID/MIF or TAB format Map Pack