An object is either tiled or floating. If it is a tiled object, it will snap into the dashboard or layout container where you drop it. If it is a floating object, it will float over the dashboard in layers. You can change the order of the layers for a floating object.
You'll notice the Tiled or Floating buttons directly beneath the Objects pallet in the preceding screenshot. These buttons define the default setting for objects that you place on the dashboards, but you can change whether any given object is tiled or floating.
As you become experienced in designing dashboards, you'll likely develop a preference for designing using a predominately tiled approach or a predominately floating approach. (You can mix tiled and floating objects on any dashboard). Many designers find one design method or the other fits their style. Here are some considerations:
- Precision: Floating objects can be sized and positioned to exact pixel-perfection, while tiled objects will depend greatly upon their containers for position and size.
- Speed: Many designers find a tiled layout much faster to create as they don't have to worry about precision or layering.
- Dynamic resizing: Floating objects work well on a fixed-size dashboard, but a dashboard that dynamically resizes based on window size will shift floating objects, often into undesirable locations. Tiled objects move and resize more reliably (but not always perfectly!).
- Flexibility: Certain design techniques can be accomplished with one approach or the other. For example, transparent visualizations can be layered on top of background images using a floating technique. However, sheet swapping (which we'll consider in Chapter 11, Advanced Visualizations, Techniques, Tips and Tricks) is often accomplished with a tiled approach.
Experiment with various design techniques and feel free to develop your own style!