Dimension Setup

How to create and edit Dimensions

Based on Tags

Just like Units, Dimensions are based on Tags. In fact, a Dimension is a Tag: an Abstract Tag with Concrete Children.

For example, Sales Region could be an example of an Abstract Tag, which has 4 Concrete Tag Children (North, East, South, West).

For a more detailed explanation of Abstract and Concrete Tags, see here.

Selecting Dimensions

In the Variable wizard Setup Step, you can select/create/edit any Dimensions to apply to your Variable.

In the example screenshot below, the user is shown a list of Dimensions:

  1. By default, the list is filtered to just show Dimensions (Abstract Tags) with children (1). Remove this filter if you want to search through all Tags.

  2. Dimensions that are already used in your Model are indicated with an asterisk, and shown at the top of the list (2), for easy access.

Screenshot showing the Dimensions step of the Variables wizard
Dimension step of the Variable wizard

Selecting repeated Dimensions

You can select the same Dimension multiple times. When you do so, you will be asked to select a Tag Property for each instance of the Dimension, as shown in the screenshot below. Each instance must have a different Tag Property selected - this enables Models to differentiate between the two instances.

Screenshot showing the Dimensions step of the Variable wizard. Two "Widget Supplier" dimensions have been selected - one has had the "From" Tag Property applied, and the other has had the "To" Tag Property applied.
Selecting repeated Dimensions

To select a Tag Property, click on the dropdown and select from an existing Tag Property, or create a new one, as shown in the screenshot below.

Screenshot showing the Tag Property dropdown control available when multiple instances of the same Dimension are selected
The Tag Property control

These Tag Properties will be visible in the Variable preview, and will indicate how the heading of each Variable item should be interpreted.

In the below example, the Variable calculates the movement of customers between three suppliers - from each of the three suppliers, to each of the three suppliers. The titles of each row in Values table (2) can be interpreted as the "From" supplier followed by the "To" supplier, as indicated by the Dimensions description at (1).

Preview of Variable with repeated Dimensions

Creating/Editing Dimensions

To create a Dimension, just add a new item to the list. Choose a name for the Dimension, and the Namespace the Dimension should belong to. By default, the new Dimension will be added to the same Namespace as your Model.

When you create a new Dimension, you are actually creating a new Abstract Tag. You can use the Tags Application to manage Tags (and their associated Dimensions) all in one place.

As shown below, you can enter new Child names for your Dimension directly into the text box (1), and a new Concrete Tag will be created for each one. You can edit existing Children by hovering over the Child, and clicking on the Edit Tag button that appears (2). This is where you can edit the Short Name property of the Tag, which is the name that will be displayed when the Child appears in your Model.

Screenshot showing the Dimension editor
Editing a Dimension

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