Suppressing selected dimensions

[SApple]

Hey gurus -- I have a cube that has about 20 dimensions. I want to design a report that allows the end-user to only see 10 of those dimensions. I can't (of course) fit them all on the worksheet, so I want them to be at the bottom of the worksheet in the Slice Dimension Panel so that the users can select the members they want. But how do I not display the 10 dimensions I DON'T want them to see?

Thanks...

 

[r1ch]

I've heard that the ability to do this is coming in Crystal Analysis version 9, but it's not available yet as far as I know - try asking your Crystal rep. If you can't wait until then you may be able to hide them at the cube level instead - what OLAP database are you using?

 

[SApple]

Thanks, Rich. I had seen it working, but now you mention it, I bet it was a CAP 9.0 demo.

We're using a MS Analysis Services-created cube off a SQL data warehouse. I was trying not to hide some dimensions during cube creation, because I'd like to use a cube for more than one business unit, and would like to hide some of the dimensions depending on the business need. But that may not be the best way...

 

[r1ch]

If you're using MS Analysis services then you could create one main cube that contains all of your dimensions then create a virtual cube (based on the main cube) for each buisiness unit that only contains the required dimensions.

 

[JEX]

Hi guys,

Correct - the ability to hide dimensions is available in Crystal Analysis version 9. Due to be released any minute -so hang on.
cheers...J

 

[SApple]

Anybody have any wisdom as to when CAP 9.0 is due out? It seems to have alot of features I'm waiting for (it also has a rudimentary querying tool as well which our endusers would love)...

and thanks for the help!

 

[JEX]

Beginning of April - so within a couple of weeks.
cheers...J

 

[SteveRemington]

My comment is a little more esoteric. I wonder about the efficacy of presenting users with as many as 10 dimensions. Research has found the most business users have trouble truly understanding information delivered to them by a cube that has more than 5-7 dimensions.

Maybe it would make more sense to give your users access to 2 cubes each with a different but relevant sub-set of dimensions.
Regards,
Steve Remington
Wave Business Solutions
steve.remington@wavebusiness.com.au

 

[SApple]

We are in the process of converting all our end-users from individual MS Access tables and Impromptu files. They are accustomed to being able to select from a lot of data. We are in the development phase, with just a handful of pilot users. Once we start getting some feedback from the end-users, I think we'll have more information to help us be more clever in our cube construction.