Using SpotlightXL-Model

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Overview

The Model task in Excel lets you manage all aspects of your models, such as creating models, setting the model type, adding dimensions, changing aggregation values, creating model formulas, copying models, updating dimensions, and loading data. With Model, you can:

Select a model and run the views or reports associated with it (all users).
View and edit the model's structure, such as dimensions and attributes (all users with access to the model and dimensions).
View and edit calculations, formulas, and scopes are associated with the model (Power and Contributor users with access to the model).
View and edit how data flows into and out of the model and the associated maps (Power and Contributor users with access to the model).

Note:

In the Web version of Spotlight, you use the Model Manager to create, view, and maintain models. See here.

Available SubTasks

When the Model task is selected, several subtasks become available. You can display multiple tabs for a model subtask. You can have one tab open for each Model Subtask unless you open a second Excel instance. Instructions on how to open another Excel instance are provided here. Model Subtasks include all subtasks available when the Model task is selected, as shown below.

The image below shows 3 Model subtasks each open in a separate tab.

How to Display Multiple Tabs for A Model Subtask?

This example uses the Map Subtask.

In SpotlightXL, navigate to Model > Map.
Click to add a new sheet.
Navigate to Model > Calculation.

Now, you can toggle between the tabs to view each map selected on each.

How to Enable Multiple Tabs for A Model Subtask?

The ability to have multiple tabs for a model subtask is not enabled by default. Follow the steps below to enable this functionality.

In SpotlightXL, navigate to Manage > Application Administration > Application Settings.
Scroll down to the Model Property section of the screen.
For Enable SpotlightXL Multi-Tab, select Yes as the Default Value as shown below.

How to Open a Second Instance of SpotlightXL?

Opening multiple instances of Excel allows users to work on several Excel windows simultaneously. This is convenient for handling different tasks without interfering with each other.

Right-click on Microsoft Excel.
Select Excel.
When you click Excel while holding the alt key, a prompt will appear to start a new instance.
Click Yes.The second instance of SpotlightXL will appear.

Subtasks Described

Each subtask is described below with a link to more detailed information.

Task	Description
Setup	Define a model's structure including model type and dimension types (key, value).
Dimension	Define a model’s dimensions, dimension members, and member properties.
Attribute	Set up Attributes, which are characteristics associated with dimensions and are most commonly used to create alternative roll-ups for analysis and reporting. Dimension Security supports attributes in views and reports.
Map	Create, edit, or delete a map, which transfers metadata and data from one model to another or within a model. This includes model data from within the Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting applications to Dynamic Planning, one model to another model, within a single model, and Dynamic Planning back to the Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting applications.
Scope	Define filters for a model’s dimension members. Defining a scope for each model improves performance and scalability by automatically refreshing and clearing temporary dimension member data (like statistical accounts for example) while executing the Calculation to ensure accurate reports.
Formula	Create, delete, and edit formulas for the model.
Calculation	Define the execution order for formulas, maps, and aggregations. Run the calculation.
Data	A convenient way to copy and paste data to enhance a model. This data is generally not data from the Planful Structured Planning, Consolidation, or Reporting applications because that data can be mapped. This data is likely to come from a source external to Planful.
Import / Export Data	Import and export Model data in text and CSV formats.
External Source Model With data source integration, you can import data from an external source (such as Salesforce.com) to Dynamic Planning. Data can be imported from an Excel file, a CSV file, or a TXT file using copy and paste (Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V) actions. There are three subtasks under the External Source Model subtask. For details on Data Types, Expressions, and Formulas, see External Source Model Field Types, Expressions, and Formulas.
Source Model	Define the structure of the Source Model in the order of the fields in the external data source, and optionally clear the Source Model.
Source Map	Define a map, which will connect the Source Model to the Master Model.
Source Data	Load the external data into the Source Model.
Model Administration
Validation	Validate a selected model and get information on invalid objects.
Lookup	Lookups enable you to customize dimension member labels for display within a model or an analysis.
Substitution Variables	Define substitution variables for use within a selected mode. Substitution variables are model-specific. There is no limit to the number of substitution variables you can define per model.
Data Locking	Specify data in one or more models that should be locked. Locked data cannot be modified by user inputs or other operations. Dimension members and member intersections are used to define which data is locked.

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What's Next

Using SpotlightXL-Model Setup Subtask

Table of contents

Overview
Available SubTasks
Subtasks Described