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8.6 Text and Pictures

Text boxes give a workbook headings, explanations and dynamic information such as the current filter. AI commentary boxes let the AI comment on the figures. Pictures add logos and illustrations.

Text Boxes

Insert a text box from the Visuals palette, or simply double-click an empty spot on the sheet in design mode. Type directly in the box. Format the text with the HOME tab: font, size, bold, italic, underline, colours, lists, alignment and rotation.

Text can only be edited in design mode; in normal view it is read-only.

Dynamic Fields

Right-click a text box → Insert field ... to insert a field that is filled in automatically:

Field Shows
{Filter} The filter criteria – e.g. a subtitle saying which period and customers are shown
{Date}, {Time} The current date and time
{User} The name of the user
{File} The workbook's name
{Location} The workbook's folder
{Sheet} The name of the sheet
{Page}, {Pagecount} Page number and total number of pages, for printing
{Countdown} Time left until a display switches to the next sheet
{LastPageNumber}, {MasterPage} For printed reports with page groups

{Filter} is particularly useful in reports and distributions, so readers can always see what the figures cover.

AI Commentary Boxes

New in build 20147.

An AI commentary box is a text box in which the AI comments on the data of the workbook – e.g. the key points of a dashboard, or early warnings. The box is written again each time the data is loaded: when the workbook opens, after a filter change and after Refresh. While the data loads, it shows Waiting for the data..., then Writing the commentary.... If the data hasn't changed, the earlier answer is reused.

  1. In design mode, click AI commentary in the Visuals palette.
  2. AI commentary settings opens. Write the instructions, or start from Templates..., and click OK.

To change the settings later, right-click the box → AI commentary settings....

Setting What it does
Instructions to the AI What the AI should comment on, e.g. "The three most important changes compared to last month."
Templates... Ready-made instructions to start from, e.g. Executive summary, Early warnings or Top sales opportunities. Choose Replace instructions or Insert at cursor, then adapt the text.
Comment on the data of Entire workbook (default – also covers visuals added later), or the sheets, tables, charts and gauges you tick. Text boxes are listed too: they give the AI context, e.g. an explanation next to a chart (build 20225 and later).
Language (Language of the application) (default), (Language of the instructions) or a language from the list
Max. rows per table/chart How many data rows per visual are sent to the AI (default 200). More rows give the AI more detail, but cost more and take longer.
Fill the box The AI writes the commentary to fill the box: it writes three lengths and the longest that fits is shown (new in build 20159). Off (default): your instructions decide the length, and a longer text gets a scroll bar.
Font, border, fill... The look of the box

Font, size, font and fill colours, borders and margins can also be set from the ribbon, as for other visuals, and undone with Undo (build 20152 and later).

New in build 20162.

The AI can link to the visuals it mentions. Click a link to go to the visual's sheet and select the visual. In print and PDF, the link shows as the visual's title.

Printing, Exports and Distributions

The commentary is printed and included in PDF and HTML exports, with the box's border (build 20149 and later). When a distribution sends the workbook, Acinta Server writes the boxes for each report – see AI Commentary Boxes in the Workbook in 18.6 AI Commentary.

Each commentary is a request to the Acinta AI service, which is charged, and the report's data is sent with it. So the box needs:

To see exactly what was sent, right-click the box → AI request (JSON)... or AI response (JSON)... (new in build 20161). If your organization keeps the audit log, each request is recorded there.

Common Issues – AI Commentary Boxes

Problem: The box shows No customer key for the AI service in the project options. - Solution: Ask your administrator to enter the AI customer key in the project options.

Problem: The box shows Not allowed by the project's AI data policy. - Solution: The project's AI sensitivity data policy is Never. Only an administrator can change it.

Problem: The box shows You have not allowed sending report data to the AI service. - Solution: You chose Never allow under Data analysis consent, or cancelled the consent dialog. Your choice applies until you close Datashop: start Datashop again and choose Always allow or Ask me each time.

Problem: The box shows No AI commentary: followed by a reason. - Solution: The AI service couldn't write the commentary, e.g. No instructions for the AI commentary or a message from the service. Check the instructions, then Refresh.

Pictures

  1. Insert a Picture from the Visuals palette. It starts empty.
  2. Select it and choose IMAGE → Load image to pick an image file, e.g. your logo.

Double-click the picture's name in the Element Structure panel for Picture settings, where you can change the image, size and print settings.