Customization Tool
Overview
The Customization Tool is a newly introduced interface designed to simplify the editing of key configuration—global.txt, customStyles.css, and translation files—directly from within the system. This user-friendly tool removes the need for manual file edits, streamlining customization workflows.
Available from Version 5.3.6 This release supports full editing of global.txt and translation files. Partial editing is available for customStyles.css, with full support planned for a future update.
Key Features
Add and manage custom palettes
Add and manage custom fonts
Modify individual settings in global.txt
Edit individual translated texts in translation files
Switch between available languages
📌 Note: After configuring your settings, make sure to click Save Changes in the top-right corner. The changes will only reflect in the visualizations once this step is completed.
Clear your browser cache to ensure the updated customization appears correctly in the visualizations
Adding a Custom Palette
Enter a name for the new palette.
Click the “+” button to add and customize colors.
Click Save Palette.
Your palette will now appear in the saved list:
Enable it using the checkbox.
Use Set as Default if needed.
Click Save Changes (top-right) to apply it to your charts. To update an existing palette, click Edit, adjust the colors, and hit Save.
Define and Add a Custom Font
Ensure the font file is placed in the following directory:
For MSTR Web : webapps\MicroStrategy\plugins\VitaraCharts\custom\fonts
For MSTR Library : webapps\MicroStrategyLibrary\plugins\VitaraCharts\custom\fonts
Note : If the fonts folder does not exist under the custom directory, users can manually create it and then add your font files.
Steps :
1. Enter Font Details
Specify the Font Name.
Provide the source font file
Click Add Font to save it. The font will now appear in the list of saved fonts.
2. Set the Font as Default
To apply the newly added font as the default:
Locate it in the Saved Fonts list.
Enable the Set as Default option.
The selected font will now be used as the default across all visualizations.
Refer to the attached GIF below for a demonstration of custom palette and custom font configuration.
Modifying global.txt Settings
Toggle individual settings within the tool to replicate the effects of manual edits to global.txt, presented in a more intuitive format.
Refer to the attached screenshot for details.
Translation
The Translation tab allows users to:
Edit individual entries in the translation files
Switch between multiple language options
Below the screenshot for your reference
File Access Path
Access the customization interface from the following locations:
For MicroStrategy Web Application: /MicroStrategy/plugins/VitaraCharts/utils/customizations.html
For MicroStrategy Library Application: /MicroStrategyLibrary/plugins/VitaraCharts/utils/customizations.html
📌 Note: Customizations must be applied separately for Web and Library environments.
Available from Version 5.3.10
The customization interface can be accessed from the following locations starting from version 5.3.10.
For MicroStrategy Web Application:
/MicroStrategy/plugins/VitaraCharts/utils/customizations.jsp
For MicroStrategy Library Application:
/MicroStrategyLibrary/plugins/VitaraCharts/utils/customizations.jsp
IBCS Settings and Chart Styles
IBCS Settings and Chart Styles have been introduced in this version.
The IBCS Settings option is available under the Settings tab.
A new Styles tab has been added to support customization of Chart Styles.
Detailed information about both features is provided below.
IBCS Settings
The Customization Tool allows you to define keyword mappings for identifying IBCS scenarios such as Actual, Forecast, Planned, and Previous. These keywords help VitaraCharts automatically detect and classify metrics into the correct scenario.
Enable IBCS by Default
Turn this on to apply IBCS formatting automatically to charts.
IBCS Metric Mappings (AC, PL, FC, PY)
The configuration file defines how VitaraCharts detects which metric belongs to which IBCS scenario based on the metric name. These mappings are also used for automatic metric identification.
Examples:
AC = AC, Actual
PL = PL, Planned
FC = FC, Forecast
PY = PY, Previous Year
Meaning: If a metric name contains the defined keywords (e.g., AC or Actual), it will automatically be classified under the corresponding scenario.
Purpose: Used for scenario detection and metric identification across Actual, Planned, Forecast, and Previous Year.
Note: We currently have the capability to rename data labels for IBCS deltas. This feature will soon be added to the Customization Tool. For now, you can add these mappings directly using the IBCSglobal.txt file.
For more details and examples of these mappings, please refer to the official VitaraCharts documentation: IBCS User Guide – Mapping IBCS Scenarios.
Applying IBCS Custom Styles in the Customization Tool
To apply IBCS styling to your charts using the Customization Tool, follow these steps:
Open the Style tab in the Customization Tool.
Under Scope & Chart Component, choose Change Customization.
Select IBCS Custom Styles from the list.
Once selected, you will see two options available under Scope:
IBCS Standard View
Waterfall
Chart Component Options
Depending on the component you choose, several IBCS styling options will be available, such as:
Actual Data
Forecast Data
Previous Data
Planned Data
Delta View (Positive/Negative)
For some components, you can configure background color and line color, while others include only line styling options, as defined by IBCS guidelines.
After customizing the styles, simply save your changes. The chart will update immediately, reflecting the enhanced IBCS-compliant visual appearance.
Example for Reference:
To help you understand how IBCS styling works, the image below shows a customized Planned Data element. The line stroke color has been modified to match the IBCS guidelines, giving the chart a cleaner and more standardized appearance.
Custom CSS Styling in Vitara Charts
Starting from version 5.3.10, users can apply custom CSS styles to Vitara Charts directly through the Customization Tool. This enhancement replicates the functionality previously achieved through manual edits in the global.txt and CustomCSS files, but now provides a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. A new Style tab has been introduced in the Customization Tool to support this capability.
Within the Style tab, users can choose between Chart Custom Styles depending on their requirements.
Once a style type is selected (for example, Custom Styles), users can define the scope by selecting the specific charts to which the custom styles should apply. In the Scope ,we can see all the chart names
Additionally, under the Chart Component section, users can customize individual elements such as axes, data labels, legends, and more. The available styling options include:
Text color
Font size
Text formatting
Letter spacing
And other visual properties
After configuring the desired styles, users must save the changes using the Save button located in the top-right corner of the tool.
To ensure the updated styles are applied, clear your browser cache. Once done, the chart will refresh and immediately display the enhanced visual appearance.
Example for Reference:
To illustrate how custom styling works, the screenshots below demonstrate how to customize a Grid/Micro chart by applying a subtotal header.
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