Shared Views

Introduction to Shared Views

Shared Views are a way to share live and historical portal data in a map view with anyone while maintaining tight control of what people are able to see. Users have control over the visibility of data history, Assets, Places, Geofences,

Shared Views can also be used with social sharing sites, or embedded in other pages for a number of purposes.

In addition to granting data viewing access to outside parties, Shared Views come with a heap of analytical tools to help users keep track of the traffic generated by their Shared View. For users with commercial purposes, Shared Views can be an excellent way to monetize Assets and their position maps.

Shared View Fields

When creating and editing Shared Views, there are a number of properties, settings, and fields that users will be able to control and customize.

Details

  • Name: of the Shared View, will display in the List Panel and on the label that visitors see to let them know it is a Shared View
  • _Description: optional field, appears on the label that visitors see when they hover over the ? icon
  • Color: displays in the List Panel of the Shared Views Module, helps distinguish from other Shared Views, has no effect on the visual experience for visitors

Sharing

Date Range of Data
This field controls the data history that will be available in the Shared View that users will be able to view if they toggle History Mode settings, and can be set to include any single continuous date range. Note that if your account has limits on the number of data points that can be pulled and displayed at once, the Shared View will have those restrictions as well. * Most Recent allows users to set the Shared View to always display the most recent number of hours, days, weeks, or months they wish to display. This setting is best for adventure sharing. * Custom allows users to specify specific date ranges, and is best for users that need to share position history from a specific time period, or for adventure sharing of past excursions. For “all positions until” settings, leave the Begin field empty. For “all positions after” settings, leave the End field empty. * All-time allows users to give access to any available history data their visitors wish to see.

Permissions
Users must select a minimum of one object to share in their Shared View. Any objects with a check mark in the box next to its name will be displayed in the Shared View. * Assets: Users can select which Assets will be displayed in the Shared View. Minimum selections: none Maximum selections: entire ecosystem * Places: Users can select which Places will be displayed in the Shared View. Minimum selections: none Maximum selections: entire ecosystem * Geofences: Users can select which Geofences will be displayed in the Shared View. Minimum selections: none Maximum selections: entire ecosystem * Groups: Users can select which Groups will be displayed in the Shared View. Minimum selections: none Maximum selections: entire ecosystem * _Drivers: Users can select which Drivers will be displayed in the Shared View. Minimum selections: none Maximum selections: entire ecosystem

Access Controls

Shared Views come with a number of options and settings that help users control the ease of access to the shared material.

  • Status
    Enabled/Disabled toggle determines whether or not the link will work at all. This is the quickest way to turn off sharing from a Shared View link without actually deleting it.
  • Availability
    Public/Private toggle determines whether or not the Shared View will be password protected. This gives users the ability to put some control on links falling into the wrong hands.
    • Password: if set to private, visitors will have to input this password to access the Shared View
  • Expiration Date
    Allows users to control how long their links will work, as a means of automatically shutting off visibility. In addition to the obvious benefit of not allowing unlimited access to the portal data for people with the link, this can be a valuable tool if there is a contract or subscription arrangement that needs to be managed.
  • Two-way Messaging
    If enabled, people visiting the links will be able to take advantage of the messaging features for any devices that support receiving messages.

Map Modes

Map Modes gives users the ability to set the default map mode for visitors, and can be either Live Mode or History Mode. If set to History Mode, the default viewing experience for Visitors will be to see the entire Date Range of Data selected by the user.

Map Settings

Map Settings controls give users the ability to customize the viewing experience for their visitors, and provides control of the following options.

  • Default Map Type: select from a drop-down menu of map tiles
  • Fade Historic Positions by Time: displays more recent positions with less opacity, and older positions appear more transparent
  • Group Positions on a Map: determines whether positions close together are grouped or displayed individually
  • Remove Roads from Satellite Map: only relevant if a Sattellite map tile has been selected, allows users to remove the raods from the visualization

Preferences

  • Language: set the language of the Shared View from a drop-down menu
  • Timezone: set the timezone of the shared view from a drop-down menu
  • Lat/Lng Format: set the coordinate system of the Shared View from a drop-down menu
    • Decimal Degrees
    • Degrees, Minutes, Seconds
    • Degrees, Decimal Minutes
    • MGRS
    • UTM
    • UK Grid Reference
  • Speed Display: set the speed units for the Shared View from a drop-down menu
    • mph
    • kph
    • knots
    • knots (avionics)
  • Fuel Units: set the fuel units for the Shared View from a drop-down menu
    • mpg
    • mpg (imperial)
    • km/L
    • L/100km

Sharing Options

The primary function of Shared Views is to make portal data available to people without access to it by other means. Users have the abilty to distribute their Shared Views directly from the portal via Email, Link, or Social Media posts.

Email Sharing

Users can share the access to the Shared View in a number of ways, with direct email messages from the portal as one of those options. Emails sent from the portal will include a link to the Shared View, along with instructions and any necessary information for accessing the Shared View.

Link Sharing

Users can share the access to the Shared View in a number of ways, with link-only sharing as one of those options. For this option, users will be able to copy the link to the Shared View, then distribute that link in whatever channel they choose.

Shortened URLs

The link to Shared Views is automatically given as a shortened URL, which is important for sharing in the form of Social Media and text messages, where character count can be an issue. It also helps with verbal and visual recognition of a link if that is the preferred method.

Social Media Sharing

Other Sharing options for Shared Views are three major Social Media outlets. The portal has integrated directly with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn so that clicking on a share-to link for each site will open a new browser tab with a pre-populated message that includes the link. Users will be asked to log in if they are not already. Social media authentication in the separate browser tab does not connect that social media account to the user’s account with the portal. The portal will not receive any of the login information used in the new tab.

Viewing Shared Views

In the Shared Views Module

The Shared Views Module is a unique map view module, as it gives users a demo view of their Shared View in the map interface. Users will see their Shared View and be able to understand how visitors will experience it when they land on the page.

When opening the Shared Views Module, users will see a pop-over indicator on the map interface that lets them know they are in editing mode for Shared Views, and gives them the option to click the big plus button to create a new Shared View.

Shred Views List Panel

Shared Views in the List Panel will display as a list of all Shared Views and their date ranges with cog icons for opening the Shared View Options.

Shared View Options

Users have a number of interactive buttons and tools in the Shared View Options tab.

  • Copy Link: users can click this button to copy the link to the selected Shared View to their clipboard and share it thorugh any external channel they wish.
  • Visitor Details: opens the Visitor Analytics page (see section on Visitor Analytics below)
  • Disable: removes access to the Shared View until the user enables it again. visitors actively viewing the link will lose access to the Shared View and its data.
  • Email: shortcut button that opens a form that allows users to email the link to the Shared View in a custom message directly from the portal to the recipient.
  • Facebook: shortcut button that opens Facebook in a new tab with a pre-populated post that includes a link to the Shared View.
  • Linkedin: shortcut button that opens Linkedin in a new tab with a pre-populated post that includes a link to the Shared View.
  • Twitter: shortcut button that opens Twitter in a new tab with a pre-populated post that includes a link to the Shared View.

The Shared View Options page also allows users to customize and edit any of the fields and settings for the selected Shared View. For more information, see the Shared View Fields section above. * Details * Sharing * Access Controls * Map Modes * Map Settings * Preferences

Delete Shared View gives users the ability to delete the Shared View (cannot be undone) which immediately removes access to anyone with the link in the same way disabling it does. It is recommended that users disable first, and then delete when they are certain they no longer need the Shared View.

Shared View Details Panel and Notifications

Similar to other Details Panel options for objects, Shared Views have the tabs for the Notification types that occurred during their date range of data, allowing users to browse the entire list of each Notification type. (See Notifications for details on each). * Positions * Alerts * Events * Status * Chats * Messages * Activity Log

As a Visitor

When a visitor lands on a Shared View, they will see the map interface with the customizations laid out in the fields above. There will also be a label across the bottom of the interface that clearly identifies it as a Shared View and provides some summary information.

Shared View visitors will have access to a map view that looks identical to the portal view for standard users, with all Modules clickable, position hisory clickable, and control over Map Modes, History ranges, and Map Tools. The only difference between a Shared View visitor experience and a portal user experience is the ability to edit objects, as well as any Access Control settings made by the user who created the Shared View.

Visitor Analytics

In the Analytics pages for each Shared View, users will find status audit information for the link itself (status, created-updated-expiration dates, privacy, and last visit).

The main window in the Analytics page for each Shared View will display a line chart of the daily visit count for the Shared View from creation to the current date. Users can view this chart and data in the portal, or they have the option to export it to PNG, JPG, SVG, or PDF file formats for use externally. These options are in the hamburger menu .

Additionally, users will see a summary of the visitors and their visit count below the chart in the Analytics Panel. It shows the name of the visitor, the total number of visits from that visitor, and the last time that visitor viewed the Shared View.