Symbol Flexibility - more symbol colors

Julie Becker

I agree with you all, and this is my work around as we/I dont care much for the limited options we do have available. Maybe this will get you all by for now.

I used the links below to make my own drop-down symbols (I replace the emoji code name in the formulas if used in place of Harvey balls). I tested them in formulas (some work, some do not) and now use in our sheets.

Here are a few images to show you them in action. Not sure if this is what you're after, though...

https://emojipedia.org/symbols

https://emojipedia.org/objects

https://emojiterra.com/

Salèha El D.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/361230#Comment_361230

I currently use this with my WorFlow, it's brilliant, it serves it's purpose.

Now, I also need the Symbols, and I often find that I require more options (symbols/colours) so I would love to see:

• at least a Symbol column-type with five colors options
• and I would also like to use conditional formatting to color code arrows appropriately

Carla S

It would be great to have an option that includes all 5....

Gray - Not Started

Green On track

Yellow - At risk

Red - In trouble

Blue - Complete

Julie Becker

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/402997#Comment_402997

As much as i would agree with this, I believe it would be more useful for all users to be able to have the programs Conditional Formatting Features choose the colors we tell it too based upon the statuses we list in our sheets since many of us use similar but not exact status names & colors.

For example, green for us = completed or approved while gray = voided or relocated (construction uses), blue = in progress, & red (#F87E7D) = not started.

So while it would be awesome to have those options, from a software standpoint on a program used by many different types of businesses/needs, it would be in their best interest (& cheaper IMO) to add additional requested symbols and then have/allow the program to change their symbols to a color we choose in the Conditional Formatting rather than try to provide a standard one for us all to use. I can't 😔 use some of their symbols for this reason (see example above), which is why I had to use the drop-down feature, adding my own.

But regardless, everyone's wants/needs in this current discussion has extremely valuable ideas/solutions that I hope Smartsheets R&D team is actually following & working on, so that we can see requests like this go from being ignored to implemented 🙂

Carla S

Julie - I think just having more options would be great, they do not have to relate directly to a specific status across the board, everyone could use the 5 symbols to represent what they want them to represent, mine was only an example of how I would use it. :)

Carla S

Dan B SS

I can select symbols for RAG status and my company use Red, Amber, Green, Blue and Grey for on hold/paused. I don't have the ability to select a choice that has all 5, I either have blue or grey.

Jeff Bratcher

Hello,

The dropdown symbols are adequate in most cases, but I wish we could have at least one more stoplight options that has more than just 4 color options. Specifically, how feasible would it be to have red, yellow, green, blue and grey stoplights? Some of the other symbol options have 5 symbols, so shouldn't be a crazy update. Yes I know you can add emojis and create your own symbols, but they don't show up when you go to print…If you can fix that problem, then problem solved. 🙂

SoS | Dan Palenchar

@Hi everyone,

Here is a published Sheet that illustrates some workarounds. I do want to give credit to the other members that posted similar solutions prior to this comment (@Mike Wilday @Julie Becker).

Mike Wilday

Beautiful. @SoS | Dan Palenchar

Julie Becker

Thanks @Dan Palenchar for providing that sheet. I have been slowly working on one as well and if anyone wants a version to copy to their own plan, please give me your email and i will send the link to save as new for 24hrs (after that, if i remember, the link will expire, so please save as new so you can add to it as you like).

Here is a published view of 2 random ones i started but too busy to finish. The 1st one has drop downs to copy to your other sheets if you like with links to the main Emoji site that i use in all our sheets/reports/dashboards now. The 2nd link you can use to copy as well which includes dingbats, and other forms of characters. Both sheets have safe legit links to their respective historical info as well, but as mentioned, this is no longer maintained, so maybe some of you have use for it.

📌 Emoji & Symbols ⬇️ Dropdown Lists

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=2f1a8fd90bb74b2c8088c7a7339520c6

🔖 ALL EMOJIS (Copy & Paste)

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=61e8d1664911435d99354f68b1a6cda9

Below is an example of how i am using in a massive portfolio setup and other folders. I have blurred out the company name, but you can see how i set it up.

1st img: label names for documents

2nd img: Column/cell names in a sheet

3rd img: Email Automation to Staff using in a message

Once i am done with the Dashboards, i will post those so you can see how i incorporated a larger version of 3D Emoji versions similar to a powerpoint presentation display/layout.

Julie Becker

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/434881#Comment_434881

Hi @Jeff Bratcher

What do you mean when you go to print, they dont show up? When i print reports with the ones i show in the examples in the post above this, they all show up in PDF's as you see them live. The only program that may show some of them differently is Excel, but we only use that program to create highly advanced metrics/dashboards for executives that Smartsheets is not capable of doing at this time.

Can you provide an example or explain what is happening so i can see if there is something i can do to help you (only if you want that)? If not, no big deal, just offering.

SoS | Dan Palenchar

Very nice @Julie Becker

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/comment/442332#Comment_442332