Using an attachment source for dynamic dash images

Adding images to a dash can be done in two different ways; statically or dynamically. This article will explain how to configure dynamic images, so that the newest image sent to an attachment source will automatically appear on the dash.

As a starting point for this example, we have an attachment source that already contains two images:

And we will create a new, empty dash:

To add an image to the dash, click the Add tile button and choose Attachment image from the choice of tile types:

At this point, we could just select one of the existing images from within the attachment source, and drag it onto the new tile. We will demonstrate by selecting img01.jpg for this:

However, having put img01.jpg onto the dash, it will now remain a static image. That is, sending more images to the attachment source results in no change to the dash, which will continue to show img01.jpg:

This static configuration is not suitable if we want to see those newer images appear on the dash dynamically. So we will restart the example from the point of having a new image tile, but this time, instead of dragging a specific image onto the tile, we will select the attachment source itself and drag it onto the tile:

Sending more images to the attachment source now updates the dash dynamically by displaying the latest image. In our example, each new image to arrive shows flooding at this site becoming more extreme; in fact, by the time img08.jpg has arrived, the rail lines are almost completely submerged:

As a final note, keep in mind that if you do have a need for a static image on a dash, then having that image located within an attachment source may not be the best choice. That's because images in the attachment source may eventually be removed, either when they get too old, or when a certain number of images has been reached (depending on the specific configuration of the attachment source). Instead, first protect the static images by moving them from the attachment source into a folder, and then drag them from the folder onto the dash as required.