MyDesk is based around a series of tabs, which you are allowed to create and name yourself.
To select a tab simply click on it. The content you have selected to display on that tab will be displayed. Each tab can have 1, 2, 3 or 4 columns :
The column widths can be resized by clicking on, and dragging left or right, the vertical bar that separates each tab. When the column is at the required width let go of the mouse button, the columns will resize and the settings be saved for your next visit.
MyDesk enables you to create your own tabs, simply click on the last tab, which is labelled "New Tab". You will be presented with a new tab :
Type the name you want to label your tab as in the box provided. Select the number of columns to display on the tab, from the drop down list. Up to 4 columns are allowed. Click "Save" to create this tab.
To display your new tab simply click on it. Your new tab with empty columns will be displayed. Parts can now be added to the columns on this tab from the Content Finder (see next page). To change the name of the tab, or even delete it, simply click on the tab to select it, then click on it again to switch to edit mode. The tab changes to display a box where the name can be changed. Click the "Delete" link to delete the tab.
MyDesk stores the content in the Content Finder on the left hand side of the screen. Click it to slide it out.
The content is grouped according to type. Click the arrow to display the content for each type.
Here we have expanded the LME Data content. Each item has a series of icons depending on how you want to open the content. If you see a padlock, it simply means your subscription level does not give you access to this content; contact your account manager to arrange access. To open content in a popup click the icon, the content will launch in a popup window.
To add content to a column on the currently selected tab click one of the tab icons. Each icon has a number on it indicating which column the content will be added to. So clicking the icon will add the content to the second column of the currently selected tab. You may need to close the content finder to be able to see the content you have added. When you have finished, close the content finder by clicking on the "Content Finder" in the top right of the Content Finder. The content finder will slide back over to the left hand side of the screen.
Each column on a tab contains many parts. In fact it can contain as many parts as you want. Each part holds a specific piece of content. The colour of the border of the part indicates the type of content:
Some parts (News & Prices, LME Warehouse Stocks, LME Official Prices) will refresh their data automatically. You will see two green lights blinking on the right hand side of the part indicating when the part is requesting and receiving data.
Each part has a menu accessed from the icon. The options on the menu will vary depending on the part type but may include the following:
Parts can be easily moved to other columns on the screen. They can be inserted in between other parts, at the top or bottom of any column. To do this simply click on the header of the part and keep your mouse button pressed. The cursor will change to a move cursor.
Now move your mouse over the column you want to move the part to. As you move over parts in that column a space will appear as a dashed box for you to drop the moving part into to. Release the mouse button to drop the part into the space provided. In this example we are moving a price part from the left hand column and inserting into the middle column. The settings will be saved for your next visit.
MyDesk allows you to create your own Price Parts, where you decide which instruments to display in the price part, and the order they are to be displayed in. This would enable you to create your own price part with all the contracts you are most interested in and place it on your MyDesk home tab. You can create as many price parts as you have space for.
MyPrice price parts are saved and accessed from the Content Finder. Just like other content parts, they have the same icons to add them to columns on your tabs or open as popups. Click the icon to delete the price part, if you no longer need it.
To create your own MyPrices part, click the next to the Create my own customised prices link.
There are only 4 steps required to create a MyPrice part. The first is to select a name for it, which will be used in the content finder.
The next step is to select and add the instruments to your MyPrices part.
Instruments are grouped according to type, which can be selected from the Instrument Catalogue.
Some instrument types have a lot of instruments, so these are sub divided further by for example commodity or currency. Click each group to expand it and discover more groups or instruments.
When you have found the insturment you require, simply click on it to add it to the list of selected instruments.
In this example we have selected two instruments. They will be displayed in you MyPrices part in the same order you add them to this list. To remove a selected instrument from the list, click on it, then click the "Remove Instrument" link
Click "Next" to go to the next step
This step allows you to decide which fields to display data for, and the order these fields are to appear.
Click a field to select it, then enter a number to indicate the order that field should appear. In this example we have selected three fields to appear in the order Bid, Ask, Bid Size.
To de-select a field simply click it again
The final step is an optional step and can be skipped. It allows you to adjust the colours and fonts that should be used on this MyPrices part.
Colours and fonts can be set differently for the field headings, the instrument names and the actual data.
Click the "Save My Prices" link to save your new MyPrices part. You will get a popup message when it has been created. The content finder will automatically close and refresh, then you can find your new MyPrices part under MyPrices heading in the Content Finder.
MyDesk allows you embed third party websites as External Link Parts. These might be websites that show specific data that MyDesk may not normally carry, but you still want to be able to see that data along with the rest of your data.
This can easily be achieved by creating an external link part, from the Content Finder.
Each part can have a specific height and width, can have the scroll bars switched off, and can be set to automatically refresh its content.
In addition, if the data you want to display only forms a small portion of the website, you can set the Scroll Left and Top values so only that portion of the page you are interested in is displayed.
Once the link part is created you can edit the settings by choosing "Edit External Link" from the Link Part menu.
From time to time we will send you messages that will automatically appear on your desktop in the Messages tab, on the left hand side of the screen.
The messages will slide out from the left hand side. To access your messages at any time, simply click on the Messages tab to slide it out.
Messages you may receive could be about new features on our services, exchange information, or notifications of any issues we may be experiencing.
We use it as an important mechanism to keep in touch with our customers.
Click the right hand edge of the messages tab to slide it across to the left and hide it.
You can access details of your account by clicking on the "Account" link in the top right hand corner of your screen.
You will see what features you have access to, who your account manager is and how to contact them, plus when your account is due to expire.
If you have access to our SMS alert service, you will also see how many SMS credits you have remaining.
Thank you for you interest in MyDesk, we hope you enjoy it.
We really appreciate your feedback, so if you do have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact us either via your account manager or MyDesk@FastMarkets.com
