Welcome to the PopChart+OptiMap Design Guide. This manual will help you learn how to use PopChart+OptiMap Builder to design graphs and maps for use with PopChart+OptiMap.
PopChart+OptiMap is an all-purpose data visualization solution. It allows you to connect your database or data files to dynamic, real-time graphs and maps. These graphs and maps can be used within just about any web page, application, or report.
In this manual, we will focus solely on designing these graphs and maps with PopChart+OptiMap Builder. PopChart+OptiMap Builder, an easy-to-use graphical design tool, allows graphic designers to build graph or map appearance files—templates that define everything about how a graph or map should look except for the data. These files will eventually be placed on a PopChart+OptiMap server, where they will be connected to dynamic, real-time data. A well-designed appearance file can accommodate a large number of data sets, resulting in potentially millions of unique graphs and maps.
Besides allowing you to design the look and feel of your graphs and maps, PopChart+OptiMap Builder also allows you to enhance your graphs and maps with annotations, images, and special effects. This manual will help you use these features as well.
Although this manual does not require any previous knowledge of PopChart+OptiMap, you may benefit from learning a little about how graphs and maps can be embedded in web pages with PopChart+OptiMap. To do this, read the PopChart+OptiMap Quick Start manual. If you don't have much of a development background, try following Chapter 3, "JavaScript Quick Start," as this requires the least technical expertise.
When you are ready, proceed to Chapter 2, "Getting Started," to begin designing your graphs and maps.
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