Editing Group Layout Page and Panels

Editing Panels on your Group layout page

Group admin have the ability to edit the group layout page to create and manage panel locations, settings and the content displayed within each panel. Admin will need to enter Edit mode to access the editing functions.

A group admin can click the "Edit" button in the bottom right corner of the Group Layout Page to enter Edit mode

Group Layout and Panel Location

The Group layout page is made up of various locations where you can add panels that will display different types of content such as events, articles, questions, links, videos, photos and downloadable docs, contacts and more. The various locations give admin the ability to place  panels on different parts of the page and move panels around to achieve the desired look and feel.

Panel Location

The purpose of panels is to allow admin to present a variety of information, needed communication and opportunities for participation to group members and visitors. This content may be articles, events and questions that they have created in MissionBox, or it could be links, downloadable documents, videos and survey links that they would have otherwise emailed.

The panel location options for the group layout are -

• Header: Displays content at the top of the group layout page under the group title and top nav. This panel expands to the full with of the group layout page so that no other panel can be placed alongside it. It's appropriate for a welcome message and image/video, an important notification, or event. You can have multiple header panels on a group layout page. 
• Left: Displays content in a far left column directly under the header column or at the top of the group layout page if a panel in the header location has not been added to display on the group layout page. This panel leaves space for secondary column in the "Right" panel location
• Right: Displays as a center column directly to the right of panels in the "Left" panel location.
• Center: Displays the full width of the "Left" and "Right" panel locations combined, taking up two thirds of the width of the page and will leave room for panels in the "Sidebar" location. Center panels display directly under left/right, if panels in the left/right  location are added to the 
• Footer: Displays content at the top of the group layout page under the group title and top nav. This panel expands to the full with of the group layout page so that no other panel can be placed alongside it. It's appropriate for a welcome message and image/video, an important notification, or event. You can have multiple header panels on a group layout page. 
• Sidebar: Displays on the far right of the page directly under the right side of a panel in the header location, or at the top right of the page if there is no header.

The content that you've loaded into a panel will reformat itself to fit into any panel location so that an admin can move an existing panel into any location and not have to recreate it.

While you can have unlimited panels displaying in any location, you cannot move a lower panel location to display above a higher panel location (i.e. make a center panel display above a right and left panel.) The width of each location is fixed and cannot  be adjusted.

The purpose of panels is to allow admin to present a variety of information, needed communication and opportunities for participation to group members and visitors. Content 

There are various types of panels you can add to a group:

Content – to content that you have created inside of MissionBox including articles, questions, events and group members displays

Gallery – to add a photo gallery to your group holding up to 50 images

Custom Panel – to add adhoc text  videos, images, links to outside content, etc. directly into this panel type to have content display on the group layout page.

Widget - Whiteboard - The whiteboard widget panel is a panel that you can add to your layout page to directly add content to the panel without entering into edit mode. This panel makes it easy to add and remove simple messages such as bulletins and motivational messages.

Adding Content Panels

Users will start the process of creating a new content Panel by entering the basic details - Location, Panel Title, Content Type

Content Type will display all of the type of content available in MissionBox.

Once the user has selected a content type, they will see the full Editor menu for the Panel expand.

Users will select a Content Selection value to indicate if they want to "Automatically" pull content based on filters or if they want to "Manually" select the content that will display in the panel.

If the user selects "Automatic" then they will see a preview box of the panel filters with a count of matching items and the option to update the filters. A default filter for the current Community and the Group are added automatically for new panels but can be updated as needed.

If the user clicks "Update Filter", they will be taken to the Content Search page where they can apply various filters to further refine the panel content.

If the user selects "Manual" for the Content Selection dropdown, they will see a button to "Select Content", and they can manually choose the content they want to include. Keep in mind that "See All" links are not available for manual selection panels.

Users can click "Apply" at the bottom left side of the Panel Content selection screen to save their selections.

Once a user has clicked "Apply" and returned to the Panel Edit mode, they will not be able to select "Done" to save and exit Edit mode until they have published the panel changes or cancelled them. Users will see the following warning message if they do not select publish or cancel for the Panel Edit changes before clicking the Done button.

Adding Gallery Panels

Gallery panels are panels that you can upload up to 50 photos into that will display directly on the group layout page.

Once a gallery panel has been added admin will can set the attributes for the panel.

Panel Attributes:

• Location: Left, Right, Center, Footer or Sidebar

• Panel Title (optional): name of the panel – will be displayed at the top left corner

• Adjust Content: Select the images to display in your panel

Creating Custom Panels

Custom panels allow admin to add ad-hoc text, videos, images, files, and links that will display directly on the group layout page for group members to interact with.

Custom text can be formatted as well as hyperlinked

Embedded videos that are added will play directly on the page.

Admin can set attributes for Custom Panels.

Panel Attributes:

• Location: Left, Right, Center, Footer or Sidebar

• Panel Title (optional): name of the panel – will be displayed at the top left corner

• Click to add content 

   

  

Formatting Options for Custom Panels

Set format: Normal, Subtitle, Heading, Sub Heading, Quote, Quote Citation

• Insert image

• Insert file

• Insert video (the video needs to be loaded in a player, such as youtube, vimeo, etc.)

• Insert table

• Horizontal line

Adding Widget-Whiteboard Panels

The Widget Whiteboard panel will allow you and other group members to write ad-hoc messages directly onto your Group layout page. 

The Whiteboard will allow you and other group members to write ad-hoc messages directly onto your Group layout page. 

Once a Whiteboard panel is added, group members can type directly into the Whiteboard box to leave messages, edit text, or delete content in the Whiteboard.

The Whiteboard can be added to any panel location on the Group layout page.