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Creating multi-layout documents

A multi-layout document contains multiple documents, each in its own layout, creating a "book" of documents. Each layout functions as a separate document, with its own grouping, page setup, and so on, but the layouts are generated into a single PDF document.

For example, each member of a team of document designers creates complex documents for his own department, such as human resources or finance. The documents must be worked on simultaneously, so that they are finished at the same time. But the documents must be presented as a single document.

The solution is to create a multi-layout document, which means that each document is placed into its own layout within the same document. This creates a "book" of documents. Each layout functions as a separate document, with its own grouping, page setup, and so on, but the layouts are generated into a single PDF document. The pages can be sequentially numbered through all the layouts, and the table of contents shows all the layouts.

In the table of contents for the document, the first-level headings are the different layouts. Each was a separate document that was imported into a single multi-layout document. The pages are numbered sequentially, from the beginning of the document to the end. For instructions on importing existing documents into a multi-layout document, see Importing layouts.

To see the entire table of contents for all layouts, you must export the document to a PDF. PDF View does not show entries for all layouts.

In another example, two documents must be sent as one PDF. The first document contains a wide Grid/Graph that must be printed in landscape view. The second document, which uses a different dataset report, is a narrower document that should be printed in portrait. If you put them into the same document, extra blank pages are printed.

A multi-layout document solves this problem, by combining the two documents into a single document. Each layout has a separate orientation, so that the wider layout can be set to display in landscape, while the narrower layout can be set to display in portrait.

You can also create a cover page for a document. The cover page does not display a page number or any of the information from the following pages (which are placed into a second layout). The cover page could display the title of the document, print date, and other information. To print the page numbers and document title on the remaining pages, place the information in the second layout's Layout Footer or Layout Header.

For images of these examples, see the Document Creation Help.

In Design View and PDF View, the layouts are displayed as tabs, so that you can easily switch between layouts. Tabs are also displayed in all modes in MicroStrategy Web.

If you do not create a layout in a document, tabs are not displayed and you do not see any changes in the way the document works.

To create a multi-layout document, you simply add a layout to a document, although you can also import the layout of an existing document.

Properties: Layout vs. document

Each layout of a multi-layout document is as powerful as a single document. You can edit the contents of each layout separately, without affecting the contents on other layouts in the document.

Prerequisite

This procedure assumes that you have created a document. For instructions, see Creating documents.

To add a layout to an existing document

  1. Open the document. How?

  2. Select Layout from the Insert menu. The New Document dialog box opens.

  3. Select a template and click OK.

    • When you add a layout to a document, two tabs are added, with the default names of Layout1 and Layout2. Layout2 is now active, and the original document is Layout1.

    • If you add a layout to a document that already contains multiple layouts, the new layout creates a new tab.

For information on renaming the layouts (and therefore the tabs), see Renaming layouts.

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