Resources

This page catalogues a growing number of available connectors, useful downloads (maps, language editing files, merge files, image sets, etc.) and available web services you can incorporate into your formulas and files. Links to Omniscope learning resources; screencast video tutorials, the User Guide, KnowledgeBase, Functions Guide, etc. are also provided below. Have a question? Be sure to check for answers to frequently-asked questions (FAQs) in our User Group Forums.

Connectors to hosted data platforms

Connectors enable Omniscope to import data from sources other than delimited spreadsheet data files or database tables supporting open standard connectivity protocols. Some connectors are available with pre-configured Omniscope template files that open ready to help you perform specific data management tasks. Most direct connectors are available only from the Professional, DataManager and Enterprise Editions. Some web connectors, such as the AppExchange-listed Omniscope Connector for Salesforce, are installable free web services that permit even free Viewer users to download the latest version of their remotely-hosted data using pre-configured templates.

We are steadily adding to the number of remote data platforms Omniscope users can connect to. We can also develop high-performance connectors for bundling with your proprietary, customer-premise installed applications. For more information on integration options, see our KnowledgeBase. If you would like to discuss development of connectors for your ASP/SaaS/'Cloud' platform or application, please contact us.

Tutorials, User Guide, KnowledgeBase & Functions Guide

Tutorials - numerous video screencast tutorials are available, divided into chapters, with audio narration. Links to some of the most useful screencast tutorials are featured below:

Video: full screencast - Using Omniscope: - over two hours of narrated Flash video in chapters

 Video: Omniscope Reports in 5 minutes: - from raw data and image folder to a presentable final report in 5 minutes.

Omniscope User Guide - the searchable, printable, and chaptered User Guide provides both contextual introductory chapters and comprehensive reference documentation for views and commands.

KnowledgeBase - an online repository of articles on technical issues, solutions, work-around and best practise. We welcome your comments and input to the KnowledgeBase either directly or via the Ideas and Power Tips Categories in the User Group Forum.

Functions Guide - Omniscope includes an extensive menu of functions for creating new formula fileds (columns) from values in existing columns. In addition to the same functions and syntax typically used in spreadsheets like MS Excel, there are also additional powerful, multi-column, multi-value functions specific to Omniscope, for example the SUBSET functions documented here.

Maps, Language files, Merge files & Web services links

Maps library

All editions of Omniscope include a multi-layer vector world maps (Mercator projection). We also provide free maps for every country in the world, as well as a growing number of city maps down to street level. If you use our maps to create a file, then send the file to others, the maps you used will be downloaded to the recipients of your file automatically, assuming they are online.

• We maintain a library of free maps, by countries and cities.
• To learn how to use mapping, consult these sections of the User Guide and KnowledgeBase.
• To obtain geographic coordinates for merging into your own files, consult our Merge Files listings.
• To offer/add specialised maps or map layers for use with Omniscope, please contact us.

Language editing/translation files

Changing menu/dialog languages in Omniscope is easy, just select the language you or your users prefer. Language options are currently available for English (US & UK), Spanish, French, Italian and German. Languages are being continuously added although many are still less than 90% complete and only visible if you enable Settings > Advanced > Show experimental features. We are always looking for users to help complete the translation of Omniscope menus into languages not yet available. We provide Translators a free Omniscope Professional to edit the translations file containing all the existing translations. Translators need only export the existing translations file, then add their new/improved text to the file to complete the column for each language. The process is fully explained in our Translations Guide. If you would like to help us add your language, or you want to improve the existing translations you work with, please send us a Translation Enquiry.

Omniscope supports non-Western data, provided the system font is set to one that supports the data set's encoding, as explained here.

Merge files

We would like to build a library of useful Merge Files for adding columns of reference data into your Omniscope files quickly. Omniscope's Merge Data wizard makes it quick and easy to add missing fields to your data sets from spreadsheets or .IOK merge files. If you have two multi-column files sharing a common column (e.g., country and city names, post codes, securities identifiers, etc.), you can use the Merge Data wizard to automatically match and join data from both files, adding missing fields (e.g. decimal longitude & latitude columns, different securities identifiers, etc.) to your data. If you know of a specific merge file that you would like to have in Omniscope .IOK file format for merging without the need for a database, please contact the content owner, or contact us.

Web services links

Omniscope includes a menu of pre-configured links to free Web Services. These links combine the contents of a selected column cell with the input string for the service to be requested, such as a Google search on a name, or the Reuters or Bloomberg price quote/chart for a selected security ticker/identifier. Single-value web service requests can be added as buttons or links on any Details page. Omniscope can also send lists of identifiers or even user-selected tables of inputs to remote computers requesting additional web services. The result pages can be displayed in one or more Omniscope Web Views, or in the users' default browser.  

We also maintain a list of web services links you can add to your files, provided your data includes a column of values which are acceptable as input parameters.  We will be continuously adding to this list. For more information on web services and how to use them, consult the Omniscope User Guide section on Web Services. If you provide a web service that you would like to have listed, please contact us. 

Image sets

We maintain an Image Set Library containing useful image sets (including hi-resolution image sets matching embedded demos) you can download and associate with your files. We plan to add image sets most useful for files our customers typically create, e.g. currency symbols, etc. If you have image sets you would like to contribute or license, contact us.

Visokio Graphics for display on your site

If you are publishing Omniscope files, you will want to display Get Omniscope buttons linked to the free Viewer installer file download, the Omniscope Online Web Start download and/or file icons indicating .IOK/.IOM files for download using our official Visokio graphics.