---
title: "User-defined dashboard tool"
description: ""
url: "https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/7.11.0/visualization/active-dashboard/user-defined-dashboard-tool/index.html"
---
## Overview

When a new workspace is created, it has a set
 of tools defined in the Active Dashboard. These
 are the basic tools required to build any dashboard. However,
 the Active Dashboard allows you to create your own tools and import these into the dashboard palette. This section describes how these
 functions work.

## Use toggle tool creation mode

The new tool can include shapes, groups,
 modifiers, and widgets, such as charts and gauges.

1. To create a new tool in Active Console, click **View > Active Dashboards**.
2. Use any existing shapes or figures from the dashboard palette to create your own new tool.
3. Click **Toggle Tool Creation Mode** ![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/Icons/toolCreationMode22x22.png "icon") once your new tool is completed.
4. Drag and drop the tool into the **Active Dashboard Palette** to edit its properties. This opens the Tool Configuration dialog:

![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-dashboard-toggle-tool-creation-mode.png)

<div class="table-container">
<table class="legacy-table" style="width: 100%;margin-left: 0;margin-right: auto;mc-table-style: url('../../Resources/TableStyles/ref_2_col_table.css');" class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table" cellspacing="0">
                    <col class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1">
                    </col>
                    <col class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1">
                    </col>
                    <thead>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Head-Header1">
                            <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadE-Column1-Header1">Field</th>
                            <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadD-Column1-Header1">Description</th>
                        </tr>
                    </thead>
                    <tbody>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Name</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Name of the tool that must be unique in the workspace. This does not affect the functionality of the tool.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Description</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Used as reference in the tooltip of the tool.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">System tool</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Determines whether the tool is a system tool. This setting is not accessible to the user.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Licenced</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Determines whether the tool is licenced. This setting is not accessible to the user. All tools are licenced if the user is in an evaluation period or has accepted the dashboard licence.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Visible in toolbar</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Determines whether the tool is available in the toolbar of the dashboard. If not selected, it will only be available when suitable data items are dropped into the dashboard.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Icon</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Icon that appears in the command bar and drag-and-drop menu. It must be 22x22 pixels. If an image is selected that has a different size, it is automatically scaled.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyB-Column1-Body1"> </td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyA-Column1-Body1"> </td>
                        </tr>
                    </tbody>
                </table>
            
</div>

## Import and export user-defined tools

You can export user-defined tools from the workspace
 to an `.adt` file. These can be imported into other
 workspaces. To export a tool, you can:

- Right-click the tool in the
 dashboard tool bar and click Export.
- Select one or more tools in the
 Active Dashboard Palette and click Export Tool.

To import an `.adt` file, go to **File > Import**.
 Imported tools are added and subsequently saved
 with the current workspace.


**Note**

  The standard tools that are available 
 in a new workspace are available in the
 `UserResources\DashboardTools` directory in the Active Console install directory as .adt files.


## Use dropped item paths

All paths are converted into `droppeditem()` paths when a tool is created in the dashboard palette through drag and drop.

During tool creation, you can link the information to a single cell or data item from the dataview. This feature allows the tools created to automatically infer paths, so you can reuse this for similar data sets:

![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-dropped-item-paths-example.png)

Each shape represents a value from the dataview. You can display the values in the tool by selecting the cell and dragging it to their corresponding shapes.

In this example, the following columns from the dataview are displayed:

- `processorTime`
- `userTime`
- `privilegedTime`

1. Click **Toggle Tool Creation Mode** ![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/Icons/toolCreationMode22x22.png "icon") to create a new tool.
2. Drag and drop the tool into the **Active Dashboard Palette** canvas after setting the values.
3. When the **Tool Configuration** dialog appears on the screen, enter the tool name in the **Name** field.
4. Click **Add** ![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/Icons/addItem16x16.png "icon") in the Path group to set the object's path.
5. Click **OK** to save the changes in the **Tool Configuration**. The new shape appears in the Active Dashboard Palette group.

![A new tool is created in the Active Dashboard Palette group](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-dropped-item-paths-example-new-tool.png)

7. Select a new cell or data item to be used.
8. Drag and drop the cell or data item into the Active Dashboard. The **Tools & Modifiers** dialog appears on the screen.
9. Select the tool you have created.
10. Click **OK**.

![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-dropped-item-paths-example-new-tool-created.png)

When you select the next data item in the `processorTime`column, it automatically gets the other values that were used in the first tool created:

![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-dropped-item-paths-multiple-data-items.png)