Omniscope User Guide

Learning to Use Omniscope 

This User Guide is divided into sections, the contents of which are accessible using either the links below or the lower left-side User Guide navigational menu that also displays the sub-sections.

Questions? Always consult our FAQs/Forums page first. Try searching for specific commands, terms or phrases using the search box at upper right to find all references in the Forums, on the site, this User Guide and the KnowledgeBase.

For a printed version of any section, or the entire User Guide, click on ‘printer friendly version’ at the bottom of the first page you wish to print, then use your browser Print function. If available, choose PDF as the printer from your browser to obtain a PDF file version. Alternatively, you can download the PDF file posted here, although it is not aways the very latest version.

Printable PDF version: (11 MB)

User Guide - Table of Contents

See the KnowledgeBase for more technical information on installation, data connections/import, deployment and and refresh options. 

Using Connectors

1: Quick Start - This one-page 'quick-start' overview covers key Omniscope functionality and illustrates typical tasks in 10 steps; install Omniscope, prepare data, load/import data from a spreadsheet, check the data types, explore/check the data, display the details, add/change views, create report tabs, add links, and save the configured Omniscope .IOK file for distribution to others.

2: Install & Activate - Describes the Omniscope installation process on Windows. Details regarding administered desktop and network installation options, and installation on non-Windows operating systems, are covered in the KnowledgeBase.

3: Using .IOK files - Covers navigation of an example Omniscope .IOK file already prepared for you. It introduces the navigational icons/buttons on the Main Toolbar, as well as the basics of selecting and filtering using the Side Bar. It also provides links to documentation of the Main Toolbar command menus, which are primarily used for creating new .IOK/.IOM files, rather than exploring/navigating existing files prepared by others.

4: Using Views - Links to the pages detailing the commands and options available for each of the different views in Omniscope. Also provides an introduction to using the commands common to most View Toolbars within views. If you wish to go directly to the section relating to a specific view, click the links below (or visit the Views Reference page).

*To try these new views in development in version 2.5, go to Settings > Application-wide - Advanced > Show experimental features

5: View Details - Explains the options for displaying some or all the values associated with individual records or selected groups of records - the Details pop-window, the Side Bar details display options and the Details View. The highlighting function, which shows the position of selected records in all open views, is explained and illustrated. Automatic record cycling and slide show image displays that provide file recipients with automatic, unattended 'tours' of the data are also covered.

6: Queries & Subsets - Introduces the related concepts of Named Queries and defined Data Subsets to generalise the concepts of data universes and the basket used in earlier versions. The Main Toolbar Named Queries menu options are introduced, as is the Data Subsets selector that appears on View Toolbars immediately to the right of the view name for all views.

7: Use Your Data - Covers importing your own data into Omniscope to create and save .IOK files for your own use and distribution to others. Explains importing data from spreadsheets and other types of data files, maintaining links to source data, editing your data and refreshing the data from or to linked sources. Also provides links to sections dealing with connecting directly to database tables/views.

8: Configure Data - Outlines the four main steps to configuring a new Omniscope file; 1.) confirm data typing column order and settings, 2.) configure Side Bar display, 3.) configure opening views and 4.) modify the appearance (optional). Explains the useful and powerful Edit > Manage fields dialog, together with Side Bar filter/query device configuration and use. Also covers the most common data management issues (format, layout and orientation) with links to more detail. Introduces each of the 14 available views, with links to more detailed documentation of the options available for each view (see also the Views Reference section).

9: Main Toolbar - This section documents the navigational functions located on the Main Toolbar, and introduces the command menus available on the left side of the Main Toolbar (see also the Command Reference section).

Version 2.4:   | File | Edit | Tools | Reports | Page | Appearance | Help |
Version 2.5: | File | Data | Tab | Layout | Toolbars | Settings | Help |
   (click links above to go directly to the Commands Reference page)

10: Controls & Side Bars - Shows how to use the Controls drop-down menu on the Main Toolbar to reveal or hide the Side Bars and the Cycling Toolbar. Provides detail on configuring the filter/query devices displayed on the Side Bars with the Devices and Tools Side Bar drop-down menus, using the functions available on the filter/query devices, and the commands accessible by right-clicking on the devices. Also provides detail on using the Cycling Toolbar to set Record, Value and/or Report cycling options to animate your files on opening.

11: Create Reports - Introduces the process of creating and modifying Reports Pages, the Reports Navigator, the importance of committing or reverting changes to Report Pages, how to exit Reports Mode and using various menus for managing all the Report Pages already configured in a given file.

12: Formula Fields - You can define the values in a new Formula column to be evaluated according to mathematical functions and logical expressions using the values in other columns. In addition to the same functions used in most spreadsheets, Omniscope also features powerful SUBSET functions that operate on entire data sets. This section introduces the use of Formula fields (columns) and provides links to more detailed sections on defining your own formulae and using Variables (assumed values used for sensitivity analysis) and the Functions Guide, which provides more detail on using the specialised SUBSET functions.

13: File Appearance - Highlights a few of the more commonly used options for branding the overall appearance of a given file using Cover and Back information pages together with your own corner logos, etc. Options for adding your corporate identity to installations of Omniscope itself, simplifying display menus, and adding banner advertising displays to Omniscope files are also referenced.

14: Refreshing Data - Explains options for refreshing data from linked sources, introduces the Automatic refresh option (new in version 2.3), and provides some guidelines for editing data in Omniscope then exporting the changed data. This section also introduces options for linking Omniscope files to other Omniscope files (or even itself) as a linked data source, permitting many differently-configured distributed copies to be refreshed from the same Omniscope file, itself being refreshed directly on the server from the data warehouse. Also explains how to unlink and re-link Omniscope files from source data files.

15: Useful Tools - Introduces some of the most commonly-used commands available on the Main Toolbar Tools> menu; such as specifying the display mode for individual record-level details, and selecting Tooltips to display key values or images whenever individual or small groups of records are selected. Options for switching and editing languages are also explained.

16: Adding Links - Explains the process for adding local links, using pre-configured links to free web services and creating custom web links launched by clicking on specific cells/values in your files.

17: Adding Images - Explains the process for associating folders of images (image sets) with your files and referencing them for display in various views. Omniscope can associate more than one image with each record (row), and can associate more than one image set with a file, either embedded or for delivery via the web. If multiple images are available for some records, slide show mode can display a sequence of these images for each record selected.

18: Using Maps - Introduces the Map View and various ways of adding maps and geographic coordinates to your data sets.

19: Creating DataPlayers - DataPlayers are exportable, data-bearing, interactive Flash 'dashboard' .SWF files which can be created, refreshed and exported from Omniscope to web pages and documents such as PowerPoint, Excel, PDF ...with full interactivity. This section explains how to create, combine and export many different, highly-configurable DataPlayer view types using the DataPlayer View of Omniscope.

20: File Security Options - Omniscope files can be saved with extensive file security options controlling who can open Omniscope files, for how long and under what circumstances. 'Layered' security options are available for securing data against unauthorised copying (not even cut-and-paste) and for implementing highly-secure deployment options such as domain locking and/or 'walled gardens'.

21: Views Reference - Summarises the available and experimental views still under development and provides links to the detailed section(s) documenting each view.

22: Command Reference - Summarises the Main Toolbar command menus and provides links to the section(s) on each for both version 2.4 and version 2.5.

23: Functions Guide - Link to KnowledgeBase section documenting standard Omniscope functions, the specialised SUBSET functions, and examples of expressions for performing common tasks with Formula fields.

24: Connector Overview - Connectors are used to provide high-performance data import, refresh and synchronise features for data hosted on remote 'cloud computing' SaaS platforms, data base feeds or client-premise installed applications using Omniscope as the local reporting/presentational interface. This section provides an overview of the web and direct connectors currently available (and some still classed as experimental features) for use with activated editions of Omniscope. 

Using Connectors:

25: Bloomberg Connector - If Omniscope is running on a computer with access to Bloomberg, Bloomberg fields added can be added and refreshed directly into the Omniscope file, either on opening of on-demand using Refresh from Source (Ctrl+F5). This section documents the options for using the Bloomberg connector wizard to import and refresh Bloomberg data within Omniscope files (not available in free Viewer).

26: Email Connector - Connect and download e-mails using either POP3 or IMAP protocols.

27: Google Spreadsheets - Connect to any Google spreadsheet and edit it online in the browser or off-line in Omniscope. Changes will be synchronised bewtween Omniscope and Google Spreadsheets in real time. Permits collaborative compilation and maintenance of data sets delivered in branded, highly-visual Omniscope files with the possiblity of live refresh and banner ads inside the file.

28: Facebook -

29: Google Analytics -

30: Website Mapper -

31: Salesforce Connectors - Omniscope is integrated with Salesforce and the Force.com cloud computing platform. If you have a Salesforce account and security token, you can go to File > Open online source andchoose to open either a Report (read-only) or Data Object/Tabledirectly from Salesforce. Using the direct connector, you can you canvisualise, analyse, save offline, add/edit data and synchronise yourchanges with Salesforce. There is also a free web connector forSalesforce listed on the AppExchange.Your Administrator can install a 'Visokio Reports' tab into yourSalesforce accounts to enable pre-configured downloads of Reports andData Objects/Tables that open in the free Viewer. Using an activatedOmniscope, you can also modify the default templates provided for eachReport and Data Object/Table, and upload your customised files to the'Visokio Reports' tab in Salesforce to modify the online DataPlayerdisplayed or provide alternative templates for future downloads. Thefree web connector can be installed in Group accounts, but the directconnector involves API access which Salesforce permits only onProfessional, Enterprise and Unlimited Editions.