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.