Set Dimension Build Operational Instructions
Select the appropriate build method to match source data, enable shared/alternate hierarchies or duplicate members, influence ASO view selection, set solve order, control adds/sorts, allow/disallow updates to member properties, UDAs, formulas, and attributes, and change the behavior of accounts or attributes dimensions.
If you are not performing a dimension build, skip this section.
If you’re performing a dimension build, you can define operations to be performed after the data source has been read. These operational specifications are always available in the dimension properties for the rule. Some changes affect all members of the selected dimension, some affect only the selected dimension, and some affect all dimensions in the rule file.
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Select a field.
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Click Dimensions.
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Select an existing dimension, or type and add one, and then select it. For example, click Product.
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The properties are available to edit. All dimensions have General and Advanced properties you can modify. Only accounts dimensions have Measure properties, and only attribute dimensions have Attribute properties. Existing means the dimension build will not affect this property.
General Dimension Properties
The following properties help you build or update dimensions and members, select a build method, enable shared/alternate hierarchies or duplicate members, influence ASO view selection, define solve order, and more.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Information type of the dimension. |
| Storage | Data storage property for members in the dimension. |
| Config | Dense or sparse configuration of the dimension. |
| Unique | The uniqueness setting for all member names in the cube. |
| Hierarchy | The type of aggregate storage outline hierarchy for the generation 1 member of this dimension (the dimension member itself). |
| Update Option |
Incremental dimension build update options include Merge, Remove Unspecified, and Reset Dimension. Incremental dimension building is the process of updating existing dimensions by adding, moving, deleting, and/or reordering members.  Merge is the default update option. This option adds the new members to the dimension while retaining the existing members. Remove Unspecified removes members that are not specified in the source file. Removing unspecified members is available only with the generation reference, level reference, and parent-child reference build methods. Outlines are invalid if removing members results in level 0 Dynamic Calc members without formulas. Reset Dimension (available only for Index-based rules) enables you to perform the following operations during the dimension build as you make incremental updates, and the placement you selected for the members in the hierarchy will persist (instead of members being moved to the end).
Reset dimension option rebuilds the entire dimension. To use Reset Dimension, leave Moves set to Not OK on the Advanced tab (otherwise, you cannot build shared member hierarchies). |
| Aggregate Level Usage | View selection properties, applicable only to aggregate storage cubes. |
| Share | Whether the dimension includes shared members. |
| Build Method | The build method of this dimension (editable only for new dimensions). |
| Member Name |
Parent member name under which to add children. Used with Add as child of build method.  |
| Solve Order | The solve order of the dimension. |
Advanced Dimension Properties
The following dimension build properties control how members can be added, sorted, and moved, as well as whether the dimension build is allowed to update member properties, user defined attributes, outline formulas, and attribute members or their associations.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Allow Association Changes | Changes member attribute associations to the associations specified in the source data (For example, if the source data associates the 100-10 member with the 8 Ounce attribute and the outline associates the 100-10 member with the 12 Ounce attribute, Essbase associates the 100-10 member with the 8 Ounce attribute.) |
| Allow Property Changes | Changes member properties to the properties specified in the source data; makes the Allow UDA Changes option available. |
| Allow Formula Changes | Changes member formulas to the formulas specified in the source data. |
| Allow UDA Changes | Changes UDA values to the values specified in the source data (If the option is not selected, source-data UDAs are added to existing UDAs). |
| Create Attributes | If unchecked, prevents Essbase from creating attribute members. |
| Incremental Sort | Whether to sort members after Essbase has processed and added all members from the source data. |
| Added | Select if this is a new dimension that does not yet exist in the outline. If left unchecked, the dimension build will fail for a new dimension. If checked, the new dimension will be created during the dimension build. |
| Sort | Whether and how to sort children in hierarchies: None (do not sort), ascending, or descending. |
| Moves | Whether to allow moving of members and their children to new parents. Recognizes primary members and matches them with the source data. Not available for duplicate member outlines. Leave as Not OK if using the Reset Dimension update option. |
Measure Dimension Properties
The following dimension build properties enable you to make changes to the behavior of the Accounts dimension as you build it.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Currency Name | If the dimension is associated with a currency conversion application, the currency name. |
| Currency Category | If the dimension is associated with a currency conversion application, the currency category. |
| Two-Pass | Whether the dimension is tagged for two-pass calculation. |
| Skip | If you set the Average value (for time balance) as first, last, or average, then set the Skip property to indicate what to do when missing values or values of 0 are encountered. See Skip Properties for Time Balance. |
| Average | The time balance property, if used. |
| Variance Reporting | Whether to treat accounts members as expense items |
Attribute Dimension Properties
The Attribute Properties of a dimension build rule enable you to modify the behavior of any attributes dimensions being built.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Base Dimension | Name of the associated base dimension. |
| Type | Attribute type. Attribute dimensions have a text, numeric, Boolean, or date type that enables different functions for grouping, selecting, or calculating data. Although assigned at the dimension level, the attribute type applies only to level 0 members of the attribute dimension. |
| Modified | Select if this dimension build requires modifications to a dimension's properties, such as solve order or aggregate level usage. |
Some of the dimenson properties correspond to fields and values described in Understand Dimension Worksheets.