Understanding Storyboard Editing: Modify Mode and the Tile Configuration Panels

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Prerequisites: Introduction to Storyboards – read this article first

What you’ll learn

By the end of this article, you’ll understand:

• What Modify Mode is and how to enter and exit it.
• The core actions available while editing – repositioning, resizing, and configuring tiles.
• What each of the four tile configuration panels (Define, Design, Discover, Describe) does.
• Which panel to open based on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Overview

Before you can change anything on a Storyboard such as adding a tile, adjusting a query, change a colour, or add an annotation - you need to enter Modify Mode. Think of Modify Mode as the editing layer that sits on top of the normal viewing experience. Viewers see the finished Storyboard; editors toggle into Modify Mode to make changes, then toggle back out when they’re done.

Once inside Modify Mode, most of your detailed work happens in one of four configuration panels: Define, Design, Discover, and Describe. Each panel controls a different aspect of a tile. You don’t need to use all four every time - some tasks only require one. This article explains the overall editing environment so you know where to go for any task.

Entering and exiting Modify Mode

To enter Modify Mode, open a Storyboard and click the Edit (pencil) icon in the top toolbar. The interface changes to show the editing controls: the Add (+) button appears, tiles become draggable, and hovering over a tile reveals its options menu.

To exit, click Save to keep your changes and then Exit Modify Mode. If you want to discard everything, exit without saving - you’ll be prompted to confirm.

Note: You need Storyboard edit permission to enter Modify Mode. If you don’t see the pencil icon, check with your Admin about your Data Access Role or Storyboard sharing settings.

What you can do in Modify Mode

Modify Mode gives you access to three levels of editing:

Canvas-level actions

These affect the Storyboard as a whole, not a specific tile:

• Add a tile - click the Add (+) icon and choose a tile type.
• Reposition tiles - click and hold a tile to drag it to a new location.
• Resize tiles - drag the arrow on a tile’s corner to make it larger or smaller.
• Manage pages - add, rename, reorder, copy, or delete pages using the page menu at the bottom of the screen.

Tile-level actions

Hover over a tile’s header to reveal the options menu. The available options vary by tile type, but commonly include:

Panel-level actions

When you click Settings on a tile (or the Settings icon on the Tile Configuration Panel), you open the panel view. This is where the four configuration panels live. Each panel is a tab you can switch between.

The four tile configuration panels

Each panel answers a different question about your tile. The table below summarises what each panel does and when you’d open it.

Not every tile type supports all four panels. Text tiles and image tiles have their own simpler editing interfaces. The four-panel framework applies primarily to chart, table, and KPI tiles.

Tip: If you’re not sure which panel to open, start with Define (to check the data) and then move right through Design, Discover, and Describe. They follow a natural workflow: data first, then appearance, then AI features, then commentary.

Quick reference – where to go for common tasks

Saving your work

Changes are not saved automatically. When you’ve finished editing, click Save at the top right, then Exit Modify Mode. If you’ve been making significant changes, save periodically – you can stay in Modify Mode and continue editing after saving.

Tip: For major redesigns, copy the Storyboard first (from the Library action menu) and experiment on the copy. When you’re happy with the result, use Replace Storyboard Contents to swap it into the original without changing the URL.

Next steps

Now that you understand the editing environment, you’re ready to start working in the panels:

• How to build queries using the Define panel – your first stop for adding or changing data in a tile.
• Introduction to Chart Types in One Model – controlling series types, stacking, and mixed chart configurations.

• How to customise Storyboard appearance – colours, fonts, and layout refinement.