Where can I find information on how to install the plugin

You can find details on how to install for Web, Library and Mobile in the respective install guide


I’ve replaced the license file but it is not being read

Please restart the web server after deployment of Vitara charts. Additionally browser caches need to be purged and a new session needs to be started. If issue persists, use the following link (after substituting your server and port numbers) to check if the license key was replaced correctly and compare it with the key provided to you.

https://<server>:<port>/MicroStrategy/plugins/VitaraCharts/license.txt

If you notice any unrecognizable character in the beggining of the file (as displayed in the browser), you should make sure that character is removed. You can just copy the contents without the character and paste it back into your license file. Then retry loading the document/dashboard.

If the issue is still unresolved, please contact support.vitaracharts@vitara.co with details of the version, web server, steps taken and license key used for our tech support team to troubleshoot.


How can we define a custom color palette?

Please refer to our customization guide

Customization Guide - Custom color palette


How can we define and use a new font?

Please refer to our customization guide

Customization Guide - Custom Fonts


How can customers reach Vitara technical support team?

See our Contact Us page for details


How can we show\hide EDIT by user group?

Below is the link to the document in which how to hide the edit button is explained in detail. Enable/disable edit button


How can I find the version of Vitaracharts installed?

Hover the cursor on any of the vitara chart to get ‘Edit’ button. When we click on ‘Edit’ button properties popup window will be displayed on the screen. Click on ‘About’ tab in the properties window. The “About” tab will display details like; name of the chart, vitara charts version number, OS details of the client machine, browser details and time stamp etc.

aboutPage


Seeing a blank screen on mobile

1. Check your deployment

This issue is typically caused by wrong configuration/deployment of charts.

First, please check to make sure the proper VitaraCharts plugin is deployed; In the case of mobile, the plugin to download is called VitaraChartsMobile.zip

Follow all the installation steps listed in the install guide for mobile.

Note that after deploying, the plugins folder will have several Vitara related folders (one for each type of chart) mobile install directory

  • In case a cluster of mobile servers are being used, it is critical to ensure Vitaracharts is deployed to all nodes in the cluster.

  • Also please verify that the version of Charts deployed in Mobile and Web both are same.

  • If you are using VitaraCharts for Documents please make sure that Display widget option in (iPhone, iPad,Android..etc) is enabled for the widget. </br>Mobile Configuration Editor

2. Clear mobile/library application cache

You deployed charts correctly and still you are seeing a blank screen on mobile/library application in IOS or android device, please delete the chache of the application and reload the dossier/document. Generally, you need to do this when you deploy new vitara build or after Setting web configuration url to library/mobile application’s Vitara Charts config file.

To clear cache in the library application on iPad please follow the below steps: Mobile Configuration Editor
Step 1:

Mobile Configuration Editor

Step 2:

Mobile Configuration Editor

Step 3:

Mobile Configuration Editor

Step 4:

Mobile Configuration Editor

To clear cache in the MicroStrategy mobile application on iPad please follow the below steps: Mobile Configuration Editor
Step 1:

Mobile Configuration Editor

Step 2:

Mobile Configuration Editor

Step 3:

Mobile Configuration Editor


We are seeing errors while trying to export to PDF

Please note MicroStrategy only supports export to PDF of custom visuals from dossiers. When you export report services documents to PDF, custom visuals will be shown as a grid.

For MicroStrategy server versions 2019 Update 2 or newer

Please note that starting with MicroStrategy version 2019 Update 2, MicroStrategy has made changes to how the pdf export works and how it should be set up for custom visuals. You need to set up the visualization files locally on the export server.

Instructions on how to set up local resource folder

IMPORTANT : Please use the web version of the VitaraCharts to set up the local resource folder on the export server

There are further troubleshooting steps made available by MicroStrategy. You can find them here

Troubleshooting the new export engine

For older MicroStrategy Servers (prior to MicroStrategy 2019 update 2)

With dossiers, you may also see error messages when the export happens. For instance, the message could be something like Failed to display visualization: HCStackedBarChart because failed to get pluginsVisList from Failed due to NetworkError: Failed to execute ‘send’ on ‘XMLHttpRequest’: Failed to load

This is typically because of network configuration/permissions. You can also confirm this by trying to export a dossier with some other custom visual (like the D3WordCloud provided by MicroStrategy in the first row of the custom visuals). You will see the export fail with the same reason.

The access issues may arise from the type of user and authentication used on both machines. Here are couple of relevant links from MicroStrategy that describe this problem and also suggest some workarounds.

MicroStrategy Community - Export error

MicroStrategy Community - Windows Authentication export issue

Please review and let us know if these apply to your case. In this scenario it is best to contact MicroStrategy to make sure best practices are being followed for setting up the network for export.

If the export is failing because of a different symptom then please contact Vitara support.


Charts created in 4.1 and prior releases lost formatting after upgrading to version 4.2 and newer.

Prior to 4.2 font sizing was a little inconsistent and too small to be readable in most circumstances. In the 4.2 release version the styling in vitara charts is modified. Due to this the charts created 4.1 or prior version does not look the same when we open in 4.2 or above versions.

However, there is an easy way to revert to the old defaults.

Open customStyles.css located in VitaraCharts/custom folder. As shown below there is a section specifically available to revert to 4.1 styles.

You’ll have to just uncomment this section. For uncommenting, remove the leading /* mark and the last */ mark as shown below.

customStyles


Where can I find the chart state information?

On the ‘About’ (as shown below) tab of the properties editor of the chart for which you want to find details, please click on the ‘Copy Chart Info For Support’ and paste into a text file and send it to the support team.

aboutPage


How to protect VitaraCharts license on the network and allow access to specific users

By default access to the vitara license from client browsers is left open using a URL of the format below.

http://host_name:port/MicroStrategy/plugins/VitaraCharts/license.txt


However, access to the vitara license can be blocked by implementing the security constraints in the web.xml file.
The web.xml file will be available in the following directory.

/<Webserver>/webapps/MicroStrategy/WEB-INF/


Edit the web.xml file and copy and paste the below given security constraint just before the closing </web-app> tag.

  <security-constraint>
          <display-name>Security constraint for Vitara license</display-name>
          <web-resource-collection>
              \** <web-resource-name>Protected Area</web-resource-name> \** 
              <url-pattern>/plugins/VitaraCharts/license.txt</url-pattern>
          </web-resource-collection>
          <auth-constraint>
              <!--uncomment role-name to allow access for specific roles-->
              <!-- <role-name>admin</role-name> -->
          </auth-constraint>
          <user-data-constraint>
              <transport-guarantee>NONE</transport-guarantee>
          </user-data-constraint>
  </security-constraint>

At this point, the file is not accessible to any user. Now you need to make sure the right role still has access to this file

  • Uncomment the role-name tag in the auth-constraint section
  • Replace “admin” with the right tomcat role corresponding to your MicroStrategy Web application deployment.

Save and close the web.xml file and restart the webserver.


For your reference, below is the screenshot of the web.xml file after adding the above security constraint code.

secureLicense


Is there a way to only install a subset of the charts

In order to make only a subset of the charts available to the users, one of the configuration (xml) files needs to be modified. Under the VitaraCharts folder (under MicroStrategy Web plugins folder), you will see the following set of folders and files. The specific file to be opened for editing is VitaraCharts/WEB-INF/config/visualization.xml

installSelectedChartsOnly1

Please make a backup of this file before making any changes.

This file lists all the visuals that VitaraCharts includes. There are separate sections for each type of client (Web listed as ‘ajax’, ‘ipad’, ‘iphone’ etc) You can make changes under the ‘ajax’ visualization-list to restrict dossier authors from seeing all of the vitara plugins

Under this list, comment or remove specific visualizations that you don’t want to show your users. For instance, if you do not want to use the Vitara Bar chart, the highlighted section below should be commented or deleted.

installSelectedChartsOnly2

You do not need to make changes in any of the other sections (like ipad, iphone etc) because once the chart is removed from the ‘ajax’ section, it is not available to dossier authors. The other sections are only used for rendering the authored dossiers.

Once all changes are made, save the file and restart the web server. Please read through the error logs and make sure MicroStrategy did not have any issues with loading the file (in case there was an error in editing the file and the format of the xml becomes invalid).

Upgrades

When it is time to upgrade to a newer version of VitaraCharts, you will need to make sure you make the same changes on the latest version of visualizations.xml

For reference the structure of the visualizations.xml file is documented here MicroStrategy Visualization xml spec


Is there any change required to deal with the log4j vulnerability?

VitaraCharts does not use or have any dependency on log4j. So there is no change required with respect to the specific vulnerability for Vitara plugin.
The below article contains MicroStrategy recommended actions to help maintain the security posture of your MicroStrategy environment against log4j vulnerability.
MicroStrategy Response to CVE 2021


We are facing the data limitation error with groups in the Vitara Charts. How to fix it?

If we draw the chart’s series using an attribute, for example, an attribute in ‘Color by’ or ‘Break by’ drop zones, Vitara charts will draw the series if the elements in the attribute are less than 50. If the elements of the attribute in the ‘Color by’ or ‘Break by’ drop zones are more than 50, then Visualization will display a warning message “Too many elements”.

aboutPage

However, we can increase the series limit by modifying the global.txt file. The location of global.txt file is: webapps/MicroStrategy/plugins/VitaraCharts/custom/

aboutPage

Default number given is 50. Increase this number to a number greater than the elements in the attribute in the ‘Color By’ or ‘Break By’ drop zone.

IMPORTANT: After updating the global.txt file, clear the browser cache and reload the dossier/document.

Also, please note that the limit is enforced to avoid rendering performance issues. The more the number of groups that need to be rendered the longer the chart would take.


When we try to import custom visualizations in MicroStrategy Workstation, we sometimes get an error message -Custom visualization import failed. Please select the correct file”. workstationError

workstationError

This issue occurs when the user who is currently signed in to the computer does not have administrative access to the installation folder for the MicroStrategy Workstation. On a Windows computer, you can typically find this folder at the path mentioned below.

C:\Program Files\MicroStrategy

Step:1 In order to fix this problem, kindly follow the procedures below. Right-click on the workstation folder and select ‘Properties’.

workstationError

Step:2 Open the “Security” tab in the Properties window.

workstationError

Step:3 In the “Group or user names” pane select the user name with which you currently logged into the machine. workstationError

Step:4 The permissions that the user presently holds on the folder “Workstation” are displayed in the “Permissions for Users” pane.

workstationError

Step:5 An error relating to custom visualizations on the workstation is displayed when a user doesn’t have the “Modify” and “Write” permissions on the “Workstation” folder. We must provide the user with certain access in order to remedy this problem. Click on the “Edit button.

workstationError

Step:6 In the “Permissions” window select the proper user name in the “Group or user names” pane and enable the check box “Allow” for the “Full Control” property.

workstationError

Step:7 Click “Apply” and then click on “OK”.

workstationError

Step:8 Re-check; Right-click the “Workstation” folder, choose “Properties” from the menu, and then pick the “Security” tab to double-check that the proper user has been granted the proper permissions. Choose the user that is presently logged onto your computer. You can now see that the user has Full Control, Modify, and Write permissions enabled.

workstationError

Now try importing the custom VitaraCharts visualizations into the MicroStrategy Workstation application on your computer. The import of the custom visualizations will go well.


How to Customize the Value Axis in Your Chart

Customizing the value axis in your chart enhances readability and ensures accurate data representation.By adjusting settings such as the tick interval, you can make your chart easier to understand and visually appealing.

Steps to Customize the Value Axis:

1. Access the Value Axis Settings:

  • Go to the “Axes” tab in your chart settings.
  • Locate the value axis options.
2.Adjust Tick Interval:
  • Set the “Tick Interval” to match the range of your dataset.

    infoWindow

Example:

The tick interval is like the spacing between marks on a ruler. For instance, if your data ranges from 0 to 20 million, you might set the tick interval to 2 million. This means you will see marks at intervals of 2 million units (0, 2M, 4M, 6M, …, 20M). Adjusting the tick interval based on your data’s range ensures that the chart remains clear and easy to read.


How we can use Custom Editor in Grid?

1. Activate Customization:

  • Keyboard Shortcut: Hold down “Ctrl” and left-click on a metric or attribute header.
  • Hamburger Menu: Open the menu and select “Format.”

2. Tabs for Formatting:

  • Column Content Tab: Format content within a column.
  • Header Content Tab: Format the column header.

3. Custom Editor Menu:

  • Images: Insert images via the “Insert” property tab.
  • Links: Add URL links using the “Insert” property tab.
  • Tables: Build tables with the “Insert” tab and customize each cell.

4. Format Menu: Apply text formatting, including bold, italics, alignment, and more.

5. Toolbox Panel: Quick access for text adjustments and inserting elements like emojis and tables.

6. Applying Changes: Click “Submit” to apply changes and click anywhere on the grid to exit the editor.

7. Creating Metric/Attribute Groups:

  • Hold “Ctrl” and left-click on headers to group.
  • Use the “Column Grouping” button in the editor.

For detailed instructions, visit the full documentation.https://docs.vitaracharts.com/guideGridFeatures/customeditor.html


1. Create a Chart:

  • Create the Vitara chart you want to link to an information window.

2. Add an Information Window:

  • Click on the small “i” icon in the menu bar to add an information window.

    infoWindow

3. Select the Target Information Window:

  • Click on the three dots on the visualization.
  • Choose the “Select Information Window” option.
  • Select “Information Window 1” as the target.

infoWindow

4.View Information:

  • Click on any series in the Vitara Chart.
  • A small information window will open, displaying the relevant details.

infoWindow


How can I enable or disable URLs in Vitara Charts globally?

To control URLs globally, update the global.txt file:

  • Path for MSTR Web Application: webapps\MicroStrategy\plugins\VitaraCharts\custom
  • Path for MSTR Library Application: webapps\MicroStrategyLibrary\plugins\VitaraCharts\custom

Add the property:

security.allowURLLinks = 0 or 1

  • 0 - URLs are disabled (default setting).
  • 1 - URLs are enabled.

How can I enable or disable URLs for individual charts?

In each chart’s properties window:

  • Go to the “Security” tab.
  • Set Allow URL Links to Default (follows global.txt settings), Enable, or Disable for that specific chart.

What happens if I don’t configure URL settings?

If neither the global.txt file nor individual chart settings are configured, all URLs in VitaraCharts will be blocked by default.

Handling Relative URLs

For XSS protection, ensure relative URLs in href or src attributes start with a forward slash (/). This is required for proper encoding.

For more details, please refer to the Vitara Charts URL Security Documentationhttps://docs.vitaracharts.com/guideCommonFeatures/allowURLs.html


What is the use of Reset Button in Web Libraries?

Have you ever made changes to your web, only to realize that those changes are not reflecting in your web library/ Ipad library app? It can be frustrating when you spend time customizing charts on your web, only to have them appear differently in your web library/Ipad library app.. But fear not, there is a solution - the reset button.

What is the Reset Button?

The reset button is a simple button that allows you to sync the charts from your web to your web library. By clicking on the reset button, you can ensure that the charts in your web library accurately reflect the changes you have made on your web.

How Does it Work?

When you make changes to your web, such as updating data or customizing the appearance of charts, those changes may not automatically be reflected in your web library/Ipad library app. This is where the reset button comes in. By clicking on the reset button, you trigger a process that syncs the charts from your web to your web library, ensuring that they are consistent and up-to-date.

reset