Create and manage workbook layouts

📘

The following documentation applies to the updated grid layout feature that is being gradually rolled out to existing customers throughout the summer of 2023. Users who do not yet have the new feature will not see what is described here. For more information, please contact your Account Manager. We recommend the blog post Introducing Sigma's New Grid Layouts.

A workbook contains one or more pages, which you can see at the bottom of the workbook screen. Each workbook page provides a canvas and standard element manipulation tools that make it easier for you to design and compose the visualizations you need, especially when a page is to be used as a dashboard.

Default canvas for a new page

When you create a new page in a workbook, the page shows the elements panel and a blank canvas. Above the canvas is a menu bar with the undo/redo buttons. The canvas shows a helpful design grid that by default enables the snap-to feature. A slider on the left adds or deletes rows in the grid.

Workbook settings

Use workbook settings to handle configuration for the page as a whole. Access the settings from the Workbook settings button at the bottom right. 

For more information see Workbook settings.

Responsive design for desktop and mobile layouts

Workbook pages have two different size modes, desktop layout and mobile layout.

A mobile layout design can be the same as a desktop layout, which is called a synced mobile layout. Alternatively, a mobile layout can have its own design, called a custom, unsynced mobile layout.

By default, the synced mobile layout automatically rearranges the elements to stack on top of each other to better fit the narrow dimensions, based on the ordering in the desktop layout from top left element going to the right and down. You can choose to edit the mobile layout and create a custom mobile layout that is not synced with the desktop layout's order of elements.

Change the size of your browser to see the design in desktop or mobile sizes. The breakpoint for mobile is 600 pixels canvas width (note the browser size is larger than the canvas size when you are designing, due to the elements panel).

View synced vs unsynced mobile layouts

When you resize the browser to the mobile size, there is a message to alert you as to whether the canvas is set to synchronize mobile and desktop layouts.

When you choose Switch to customized, the layouts are no longer in sync.

Use the Editing > DEVICE > viewport icon buttons to preview the layout size.

Add elements to a page

Drag-and-drop elements from the ADD NEW ELEMENT panel to the canvas. Toggle the panel each time you add a new element. Drag an element to the left or right to place them next to each other.

Every time you add a new element, its properties panel opens on the left. Each element has its own type of properties. For information about configuring various elements see Intro to control elements, Intro to data elements, and Intro to UI elements. 

Arrange elements

The canvas gives you helpful tools for arranging elements on your workbook page.

Resize

Move

Multi-select and arrange

Press Cmd/Ctrl and click to select multiple elements and move them together. Alternatively, press Shift and click to select a range of elements between a first and last selection, or drag-select around a set of elements.

Use the action icons at the top right to evenly align the elements horizontally or vertically (see video).

Add and remove vertical space between elements

The resizer handle at the left of the canvas adds or removes vertical space. If the resizer crosses an element in a space that you are resizing, the element also changes size.

When the resizer turns red it means that an element has reached it’s minimum height and the canvas cannot resize any further in that direction.

Remove empty vertical space using a button

Drag to swap elements

You can drag an element over another to swap them. They will swap sizing as well.

Drag to insert an element

You can insert an element between two other elements. Notice how the options change as you drag the element.

Drag to split vertical space

You can share or split the space used by an element by dragging and dropping another element onto it. The space taken up by the underlying element must be large enough to accommodate both elements.

Elements menu

Each element has a menu whose options depend on the type of element. Select the element and use its dot menu on the right. For example, here is the menu for a date range control.

Menu options include:

• Comment: Add a comment to the control.
• Duplicate: Create a copy of the control on the same page, below the original element.
• Copy element: Copies the element to the clipboard, for pasting in another page or below another element.
• Paste element below: Paste the element from Copy element to below the selected element.
• Move to: Move the element to a new or existing page.
• Change control type: Changes the type of control to a related type of control.
• Include nulls: Include nulls when displaying the control.
• Delete element: Removes the element from the page.