Storage Map
Specs
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.1.0 (updated on 2026-10-29) |
| Developer | Labii Inc. |
| Type | Section |
| Support Configuration | Yes |
Overview
The Storage Map widget renders an interactive 2D grid view of a storage unit, enabling laboratory professionals to visualize occupied and vacant positions at a glance. By linking directly to a Storage table, the widget reads the configured row count, column count, and header orientation to generate an accurate spatial map of stored samples, reagents, and other inventory items. Users can assign records to individual cells, drag and drop items to new positions, rearrange items, and download the map or list for reporting — making it an essential tool for freezer management, well-plate tracking, and agricultural field-plot layouts.
Only the Storage table can be used with this widget.
Use Cases
- Freezer and Refrigerator Management: Visualize which shelves, boxes, or positions are occupied in a multi-compartment storage unit.
- Well-Plate Tracking: Map sample positions in 96- or 384-well plates using transposed numeric column headers.
- Field Trial Layout: Display agricultural research plots and their assigned treatments in an organized grid during ARM studies.
- Inventory Organization: Quickly identify empty positions and efficiently assign incoming samples to available locations.
- Compliance and Audit: Generate a downloadable map or list view of stored items to support regulatory documentation and chain-of-custody records.
Interface
Read-only View
The read-only view displays the fully rendered storage map as a 2D grid. Column headers are labeled with letters (e.g., A, B, C) and row headers with numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3) by default. Each cell is identified by a coordinate (e.g., A1, B2). Cells that contain assigned records appear as clickable links showing the record name and, optionally, the created date and owner. Empty cells are shown as blank positions.
The read-only view renders the storage grid with occupied cells displayed as clickable record links
Edit View
The edit view is the same interactive grid used in read-only mode, but with additional action buttons enabled — including Assign, Arrange, Randomize, List view, and Download. Clicking an empty cell reveals the Assign action to place records into that position. Items can also be dragged from one cell to another to change their storage location.
Configuration
Initial Setup
Add the Storage Map widget to a section of a Storage record by clicking Add Section and selecting Storage Map
Click the Configure (gear) icon in the section header to open the configuration panel
Map the required column configuration fields to the appropriate columns of your Storage table
Adjust display settings to control how cell content is rendered, then click Save
Column Configuration
These settings link the widget to the structural columns of the Storage table that define the grid dimensions and orientation.
- Column (Number of rows): Choose the column (Number of rows) of the storage table.
- Column (Number of columns): Choose the column (Number of columns) of the storage table.
- Column (Should transpose header): Choose the column (Should transpose header) of the storage table. When the referenced column value is
true, numeric labels are used for columns and letter labels for rows — the standard orientation for well-plates such as the 96-well plate.
All three column configuration fields are required for the widget to render the grid correctly.
Display Configuration
These settings control the visual appearance and content of each cell in the map.
- Should display name: If you would like to include the record name in the map, please check this box.
- Should display date: If you would like to display the created date of the record, please check this box.
- Should display owner: If you would like to display the owner of the record, please check this box.
- Should reverse vertical display order: If you would like to display the vertical order in reverse, please check this box.
- Font size: The font size of the text in the cell.
- Min width: The minimum width of the cell, in pixels.
- Max width: The maximum width of the cell, in pixels.
- Should truncate: If you would like to truncate the text in the cell, please check this box.
Enable Should truncate together with Max width to keep cells uniform in size when record names vary in length.
Additional Functions
Assign
Any existing records (samples and reagents) can be assigned to a storage position directly from the map.
From the Storage Map, click an empty cell or well
Click the Assign to [coordinate] button that appears
Select one or more records from the pop-up window
Click Submit to confirm the assignment
Clicking an empty cell reveals the Assign button and a record selection pop-up
Drag and Drop
Items already stored in the map can be moved to a different position by dragging them to a new cell.
Hover over an item in the Storage Map — the cursor changes to a hand to indicate it can be dragged
Drag the item onto the target cell — the cell is highlighted with a dashed blue outline
Release to drop the item — its storage coordinates are updated to the target cell immediately, without reloading the page
Drag and drop is only available to users who can edit the record. It is disabled when the record is read-only, as well as in print and share views.
Arrange
Labii supports arranging items within the Storage Map widget to redistribute all assigned records in a structured order.
- Arrange from Left to Right: Redistributes all items row by row, from left to right.
- Arrange from Top to Bottom: Redistributes all items column by column, from top to bottom.
Randomization
In the Agricultural Research Manager (ARM) application, randomization of plots based on treatments is a critical step in designing field trials. The Storage Map widget supports randomized redistribution to ensure unbiased treatment assignments across plots.
- Randomize by Rows: Randomly redistributes items within each row independently, maintaining row structure while shuffling column assignments.
- Randomize by Columns: Randomly redistributes items within each column independently, keeping column structure intact while shuffling row assignments.
- Randomize All: Completely randomizes all items across the entire map with no spatial constraints — ideal when full randomization is required.
List View
Click the List view button to switch from the grid layout to a flat list of all items stored in the storage unit, making it easier to scan or search for specific records.
Download
Click the Download button to export the storage contents. You can download either:
- As a map — exports the grid layout with coordinates
- As a list — exports a flat list of all stored records
Best Practices
Data Organization
- Define consistent column names for number of rows, number of columns, and transpose header across all Storage records to simplify configuration reuse.
- Use the Should truncate and Max width settings to maintain a clean, uniform grid layout when record names are long.
Performance Optimization
- For large storage units (e.g., 96-well plates or 384-well plates), enable Should truncate and set a reasonable Max width to prevent the grid from overflowing the page.
- Limit displayed fields to only what is necessary for the workflow — enabling all three display options (name, date, owner) on dense grids can reduce readability.
Related Widgets
Complementary Widgets
- Storage: Column widget that lets a record capture and display its own storage coordinates with a visual map picker. Use together with Storage Map for end-to-end storage tracking.
- Storage Coordinates: Column widget that stores the specific coordinate value (e.g., A1) of a record within a storage unit.
Integration Scenarios
- Combine Storage Map + Storage column widget for a complete inventory workflow: the Storage Map shows the overall layout, while the Storage column widget on each sample record shows its exact position.
- Use Storage Map alongside the Section Display dashboard widget to embed a live storage view directly on a laboratory dashboard.