Dashboard
Digest
Upon logging in, every user is greeted with a personalized dashboard showing messages, current workflows, assets checked out, and much more general information.
The Dashboard allows users to customize viewing preferences and manage workflows more efficiently in a workspace environment best suited to the individual user.
The Dashboard, also referred to as the Home Area, is used to supply the user with a summary of the activities that require user attention. The dashboard can be accessed at any time by selecting "Home" from the main menu.
Concept
Introduction to the Dashboard
The dashboard consists of 4 tabs:
- Dashboard - offers quick access for creating content, outstanding items, and recently viewed assets.
- Messages - used to display system messages as well as messages from other users to the user.
- Workflows - displays all the user's active workflows.
- Locks - displays a list of all the assets checked out by the current user.
The dashboard is also available as a personalized RSS feed so that the user can view items from an RSS reader as well as a portal system (as a channel or portlet).
Dashboard Organization
To the left of the Dashboard is the Asset Tree. Under the Base Folder, numerous folders can be created, with each holding a separate site, if desired. Each site folder will contain folders with content elements organized by type (such as images and blocks) and folders with pages organized in a logical structure as they would appear in a site map.
The layout of the Home screen is based on the recommendation that it is typically easiest to organize common elements by type. However, the layout of the Dashboard and the actual structure of content is extremely flexible and entirely up to the user.
Main Window
The main editing window on the right displays the personal dashboard – any workflows or messages waiting, new content wizards, locked assets, and a list of recently visited items.
Starting Page
The Dashboard also shows a Starting Page. The starting page will typically show a list of assets that are available for the user to edit. Administrators are responsible for assigning the starting page, and, depending on how users utilize the system, they may not have the same starting page as other users.
My New Content Wizards
In the section entitled My New Content Wizards, there is a list of pages or assets that can be quickly created from scratch. Because these content wizards are a quick way to manufacture content, they are also known as Asset Factories. The same Content Wizards, or Asset Factories, can be accessed by selecting New on the top menu bar.
Workflows, Messages, Locks, and History
On the Dashboard, there are also sections for Workflows, Messages, Locks, and History. Workflows, Messages, and Locks are available as tabs as well. Clicking on one of these Dashboard Tabs will enable users to view a more comprehensive listing of each category.
Using Workflows Via The Dashboard
The Dashboard offers a central location for users to view any system messages, messages from other users, and all workflows waiting for action.
Workflows will automatically be removed from the dashboard once they are reassigned. Messages, however, will remain under the Messages tab until manually cleared by the user.
Asset Tree
The Asset Tree is located in the left side bar. This is where the site is managed. Under the Base Folder, there are several additional folders (called top-level folders), each of which represents a different site that can be managed independently of the others, with different levels of user access from within one interface. The asset tree can be collapsed by clicking on the grey tab between the two sections.