Output Designer Basics
The output designer is the visual report builder in Report Forge. It combines page layout, data-bound components, format controls, and a live preview into one workspace. Use it to design the report output that will be generated from each edition's data.
Opening the Output Designer
- Open a blueprint in the Blueprint Designer.
- Click the Outputs tab in the header.
- Click an existing output template to edit it, or click + New Output to create one.
- The output designer workspace opens.
Main areas
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Ribbon | Top toolbar — undo, redo, save, publish, preview, export, page settings, zoom. |
| Canvas | The central design surface. Pages are shown in order with visual margins. |
| Page panel | Left sidebar — page thumbnails, page add/reorder/delete controls. |
| Component picker | Left sidebar tab — all component categories and types available for insertion. |
| Build panel | Right sidebar — data binding, field configuration, series/rows setup for the selected component. |
| Format panel | Right sidebar tab — visual properties for the selected component (typography, colours, borders, spacing). |
| Preview | Top right — switches canvas to a read-only rendered preview using live edition data. |
Canvas layout modes
The canvas supports two layout approaches:
| Layout mode | When to use |
|---|---|
| Grid layout | Structured column-and-row grid. Components snap to a 12-column grid. Best for consistent report pages with aligned columns. |
| Freeform layout | Components float freely and can be positioned anywhere. Best for cover pages, infographic layouts, or custom page designs. |
Switch layout mode per page in Page settings → Layout mode.
Adding a component
- Click + Insert in the ribbon, or open the Component picker in the left sidebar.
- Browse by category or search by component name.
- Click a component to add it to the canvas at the default position.
- Drag to reposition. Drag handles to resize.
- In the Build panel, bind the component to a data source.
Data binding workflow
After placing a component on the canvas:
- Open the Build panel (right sidebar).
- In the Data tab, select the source section from the blueprint.
- Map fields to the component's data wells:
- For tables: drag fields into the Columns well.
- For charts: drag fields to the X axis, Y axis, and Series wells.
- For KPI cards: select the value field, label field, and optional comparison field.
- The canvas updates to show a preview of the binding.
Format panel overview
With a component selected, open the Format tab in the right sidebar:
| Format setting group | What you can control |
|---|---|
| Typography | Font family, size, weight, line height, alignment. |
| Colours | Background, border, text, accent colours. |
| Spacing | Padding, margin, gap between elements. |
| Borders | Width, style (solid/dashed/dotted), radius, colour. |
| Visibility | Show/hide based on a field condition (conditional formatting). |
| Component-specific | Chart axes, legend position, label format, zone colours, table gridlines, etc. |
Pages
A report output can have multiple pages:
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Add a page | Click + in the page panel thumbnail list. |
| Reorder pages | Drag thumbnails in the page panel. |
| Duplicate a page | Right-click thumbnail → Duplicate page. |
| Delete a page | Right-click thumbnail → Delete page. |
| Page settings | Right-click thumbnail → Page settings — set size, orientation, margins, layout mode, header/footer. |
Headers and footers
Configure headers and footers per page or for all pages:
| Element | Options |
|---|---|
| Logo | Upload a static image or bind to a workspace branding setting. |
| Report title | Static text or bound to a blueprint field. |
| Project name | Bound to a field (auto-updates per edition). |
| Page number | Auto-inserted as Page N of M. |
| Date | Report generation date, or bound to the edition period end date. |
| Custom text | Static text in any header/footer zone. |
Saving and publishing
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Save | Saves the current design as a draft — does not affect generated outputs. |
| Publish | Publishes the output template — new output generation uses this version. |
| Preview | Shows the output rendered with live data from the most recent edition. |
Always preview before publishing to catch binding issues, truncated text, or layout overflow.
Quick start checklist
| Step | Task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Add a cover page with an info grid (project metadata) and a RAG grid (health summary). |
| 2 | Add a progress page with a table bound to the schedule section. |
| 3 | Add a cost page with a KPI card (budget vs actual) and a waterfall chart. |
| 4 | Add a risk page with a risk matrix and a filtered table. |
| 5 | Preview with the latest edition — check for layout overflow on each page. |
| 6 | Publish the output template. |
| 7 | Generate output from the edition page. |