Creating Report Designs

The design panel is the white area (or white with blue grid lines) in the Report Designer window. This is where you place items to be included in your custom report.

The panel represents an area 6.5" by 8" (for portrait mode) or 8" by 6.5" (for landscape). On actual reports, a 3-pixel border displays and prints at this margin. To avoid butting items against the border, allow additional margins of at least one quarter inch all around. (See Positioning By Eye.)

As you select and define items for your report, TMLS displays a preview of the item in the yellow border above the design panel. Use this as a guide when choosing font type, size, color, and so forth.

Before you begin, choose portrait or landscape orientation for your report. (A custom page option is coming soon.) Once you start adding items to your report you cannot change the page orientation.

Portrait Mode: (6.5" x 8" text area on a 8-1/2" x 11" page). The centre point for portrait orientation displays as a magenta notch on the ruler at 3.25". Designs in portrait orientation are taller than the browser window, and when first opened, reports are scrolled to the top. If you want to work with your report centred vertically (between the top and bottom margins), double-click on the side ruler to reposition the report at the centre of the ruler.

Landscape Mode: (8" x 6.5" text area on a 11" x 8-1/2" page). The centre point for landscape orientation displays as a magenta notch at 4". Designs in landscape orientation are both wider and taller than the browser window, and when first opened, reports are scrolled to the top left corner. If you want to work with your report centred horizontally (between the left and right margins), double-click on the top ruler to reposition the report at the centre of the ruler. Double-click on the side ruler to centre the report vertically.

You can use a small, medium, or large background grid to help you arrange items on your report. Select the grid tool , and then, if desired, click to decrease or increase the grid size. The grid is a design aid and does not display when you view or print the custom report.

Snap Items to Grid is a convenient tool for quick placement. Rather than requiring you to precisely locate the item, Snap Items to Grid automatically positions the item at the closest grid intersection to the left and down from your set location. Place the item "in the ball park" and Report Designer does the rest.

The key design items are labels, values, and images.

Labels are text items. A label can be associated with a value (e.g., "List Price" followed by the List Price value); or can be stand-alone text (e.g., a banner, or office information).

Click the Label button and then enter the label’s text. Assign the font type, size, color, and other font attributes. Click , Add Item. Move the crosshair onto the design panel by moving the mouse downward without pressing the mouse button. As the crosshair moves onto the design panel, the label becomes visible, with the crosshair at its bottom left corner. Continue moving the mouse to position the label, and then click to set its location.

Values are items from the TMLS data dictionaries (e.g., list price, address, type). Choose from a list of values. Choose only fields appropriate for the class for which you are designing the report.

Click the Value button , and then select a value from the drop-down list. Assign the font type, size, color, and other font attributes. Click . Without pressing the mouse button, move the mouse downward toward the design panel. When the crosshair enters the design panel the value marker appears. Guide the value to its desired location. Click to set its position.

For Multiple Features such as Exterior, if you want the report to display multiple features, you must select all the relevant output fields (e.g., both Exterior1 and Exterior2) to provide space on the report for all values.

A grey shaded space holder displays on the design panel to represent each value. It is set for the maximum width of the value. The actual data for that value is provided by the search. (See "Values Aren't Always as Wide as They Seem")

Images are: listing photos (full or thumbnail size), salesperson photos, and brokerage logos.

Click the Image button , and then select an image from the drop-down list. Click Add Item, . Move the mouse, without pressing the mouse button, toward the design panel. When the crosshair enters the design panel the photo marker displays. Place the photo anywhere in the panel. Click to set its position.

If you want to move an item after you set its position, place the mouse pointer over the item, hold down the mouse button, and then drag the item to the preferred location.

• See Aligning Items for guidance on aligning and justifying items in your design.
• See Positioning Items for guidance on setting and changing the location of items in your report.
   
• See Layout Basics for guidance on making changes to items on the design panel, and for formatting instructions.

1. Select the Reports tab at the top of any TMLS page.
2. At Report Tools, click Report Designer.
3. At Page, click portrait or landscape .
4. If you want to display a background grid to help you position items on your report, select the Grid tool .

   Click to decrease grid size, or to increase grid size.

   If you use a grid, you may click to choose Snap Items to Grid. You can turn this feature on or off any time while creating your design.

5. Add labels, values, and images to your report:

   To add a label

   1. Click and then type text for the label at the text box.
   2. Assign the font type, color, and size. You can italicize, underline, or make any text bold. TMLS previews the label above the design panel.
   3. Go to step 6.

To add a value

1. Click and then choose the value from the drop-down list.
2. Assign the font type, color, and size. You can italicize, underline, or make any text bold. TMLS previews the value above the design panel.
3. Go to step 6.

To add an image

1. Click and then choose the image type from the drop-down list.
2. Go to step 6.
6. Click . The mouse pointer transforms into a crosshair .
7. Using the mouse, move the crosshair onto the design panel (do not click or hold down the mouse button, just move it). The item (label, value, or image) appears. Position the item on the design panel, then click to set its location.
8. Continue adding items. (See Aligning Items, Positioning Items, and Layout_Basics for guidance.)
9. Click to preview your report. (See "To Preview a Report", below.) Make corrections as needed.
10. When your report design is complete, click . At Save this report as, enter a name for the report. Then click Save. Click OK at the confirmation message. Then click to close the Report Designer window.

1. Click .
2. Enter an MLS# (or leave the text box blank - TMLS will choose an MLS# for you) and then click Preview.
3. TMLS displays the listing using your report design in a separate browser window, presenting the MLS# in the title bar.
4. Click to close the preview window when you are finished previewing the report.

It is a good practice to periodically save your report while creating (or editing) it. After saving the report you can continue working on it or close the Report Designer window and navigate to other TMLS functions.

1. To save your report, click .
2. If this is the first time you're saving the report: At Save this report as, enter a name for the report. Then click Save. Click OK at the confirmation message.

   If the report was previously saved: TMLS displays the report's name. Click Save. Click OK to overwrite the previous report, then click OK at the confirmation message.