Use Excel IMAGE Function to Show Logos or Pictures in Solver Templates
Do you have multiple entities in Solver and create separate report templates because each entity has a different logo? If so, consider using the Excel IMAGE function to include an image in a cell from a https URL – eliminating the need for duplicate Solver templates. The formula renders correctly in Solver Cloud and is available in Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel for the web, Excel for iPhone, and Excel for Android phones (compatibility important when reports are exported from Solver Cloud).
Walkthrough of the Functionality (use case of displaying an entity logo in the header of a report)
- Identify a source to store the images in a https URL.
- Add an attribute to the Entity dimension named “logo URL” and for each entity, add the URL’s from step 1 to the “logo URL” attribute.
- Open a Solver template in Designer.
- Drag the “logo URL” attribute to a helper cell in Excel.
- In the cell where the logo should appear enter the IMAGE function referencing the helper cell for the source:
=IMAGE(source, [alt_text], [sizing], [height], [width])
- The image does not extend beyond the cell which may require using merged cells in rows or columns to get desired look or placement of logo in heading of a report.
This functionality can be leveraged beyond entity logos. Consider using it with fixed asset, product or employee images as well. Since the images are in Excel cells, they will sort\filter with data in rows.
Learn more about the IMAGE function from Microsoft by clicking this link.
