Level Indicators on Nodes
Basic Overview
The Visual Level Indicators feature enhances the Model Editor by visually representing where dimensionality changes occur within driver trees. Color-coded level indicators in model nodes and operation editors help users instantly identify which levels are involved in each calculation—streamlining model navigation and improving clarity when working with multi-dimensional data.
This feature supports transparent modeling practices by embedding dimension-level awareness directly into the visual layout of the Model Editor.
Key Benefits
With Visual Level Indicators, users can:
- Instantly understand dimensionality at a glance via color-coded level bubbles
- Identify where levels are added or dropped within calculations
- View and manage level details below the operation editor with informative tags
- Customize the display to fit individual preferences or modeling needs
Example Use Case
A car manufacturer is modeling production planning across various product categories and time levels (e.g., Year, Quarter, Month). Using Visual Level Indicators, the planning team can easily track how time-based dimensions evolve throughout the driver tree—enabling faster validation and clearer communication across stakeholders.
Setup and Usage
Recommended Preparation
To ensure optimal use of Visual Level Indicators:
- Work with a model that includes multi-level dimensions (e.g., time hierarchies or product categories)
- Ensure the dimensional structure is well-defined in the Dimensions Manager
- Keep model complexity manageable to benefit most from the visual enhancements
Activating Visual Level Indicators
Visual Level Indicators are not created manually but are enabled as a visual overlay within the Model Editor.
To activate:
- Open a model in the Model Editor
- Click the ”…” (More Options) button next to the Add Annotation button in the bottom-right corner
- Enable “Show Colors for Levels” from the dropdown
Once activated, the following elements will appear:
- Color-coded bubbles in the bottom-left corner of each node
- Color-coded tags below the operation editor
Interacting with Visual Level Indicators
Node Indicators
- Each color bubble represents a level within a dimension (e.g., Year, Quarter, Month)
- Colors are automatically and consistently assigned across the model, unique per level within a dimension
- A number inside the bubble indicates its position in the hierarchy (e.g., “3” for Month after Year and Quarter)
Truncation
- If a node includes more than 5 levels, additional levels collapse into a “+X” bubble
- Hovering over the collapsed bubble reveals the full list
Operation Editor Tags
- Tags are shown below the operation editor and are alphabetically sorted
Managing, Configuration and Limitations
Supported Configuration
- Levels are automatically assigned colors per dimension
- Up to 5 level bubbles can be displayed per node before truncation
- Up to 20 level tags are shown below the operation editor before truncation
- Tooltips are available on hover for both tags and truncated bubbles
System Limitations
- Long labels are truncated to maintain visual clarity but can be inspected on hover
- Excessively large models may impact readability but do not affect functionality
Data Synchronization and Integration
- Display settings are saved per model view, similar to annotations and frames
- No additional user rights are required—any user with edit permissions can enable or disable the feature
- Visual Level Indicators are a client-side visualization layer and do not affect the underlying data model
Summary
Visual Level Indicators provide a clear and structured way to understand how dimensions are used throughout a model. By combining node-level color bubbles, operation editor tags, and dynamic truncation logic, this feature improves model readability, accelerates validation and debugging, and brings transparency to complex driver trees.