Use Nested Panes
- Last UpdatedJul 13, 2023
- 3 minute read
A pane can display a page that includes its own set of panes, creating a multi-level arrangement of nested panes.

In the example above, Pane_A on the master page is configured to display a page called "Page_1".
Page_1 includes its own sets of panes:
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P1_Header
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P1_Content
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P1_Footer.
The P1_Content pane is configured to display a page called "Page_2_Content", which in turn has two panes:
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P2_Left
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P2_Right.
When displaying content, you can address nested panes using dot (.) notation. For example, you could use the following to address the P2_Left pane:
Pane_A.P1_Content.P2_Left
To use nested panes, you need to perform the following tasks:
Create a page that includes nested panes
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Open Graphics Builder.
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Create a page using the Style "situational_awareness" and the Template "blank".
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Display the Page Properties.
From the File menu, select Properties.
Or:
Right-click on the page and select Properties.
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On the Environment tab, Add a variable.
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Enter the following values in the Edit Property dialog box:
Property: HasPanes
Value: 1
This setting instructs the workspace to initialize the panes, display their default content, and consider them when contextual updates occur.
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On the Appearance tab, use the View Area settings to define a size for the page that is appropriate to the pane that will host it.
Note: If you need to create a large number of pages for a custom-sized pane, consider creating a page template that matches the pane's size.
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Configure the remaining properties for the page as required.
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Click OK.
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Save the page.
You can then add panes to the page using the procedure described in Create a Master Page for a Customized Workspace. Use the page you have just created, and start at step 3.
Configure the pane that will host the page
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In Graphics Builder, open the page that will host the nested panes.
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Double click on the pane that will display the nested panes. The Pane Properties dialog will appear.
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In the Default Page field, enter the name of the page you created.
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Configure the remaining properties as required.
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Click OK.
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Save the page.
Enable autofilling
To enable Autofill in nested panes you use Content Types. For example, you could use Pane_A in the diagram above to display a report for a piece of equipment that is currently in context. To do this, you would use the following settings:
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The pane Pane_A will have its Content Type property set to 'Report'.
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The page Page_1 will have its Content Type set to 'Report'.
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The pane P2_Left will have its Content Type property set to 'Report_Text'.
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The pane P2_Right will have its Content Type property set to 'Report_Chart'.
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Pages that appear in P2_Left (for example, "Report_1"), will have their Content Type set to 'Report_Text'.
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Pages that appear in P2_Right (for example, "Chart_1"), will have their Content Type set to 'Report_Chart'.
If you then want to display a report for a piece of equipment, you need to enter the names of the associated pages as a comma-separated list in the Content property for the equipment. In the example above, this would be "Page_1, Report_1, Chart_1".
For more information, see the following:
See Also
Create a Pop-up Window with Panes
Workspace_ShowContent