Cube Views

Cube View Fundamentals

Updated March 7, 2026

Cube Views are pre-defined, reusable report layouts that query cube data through a fixed combination of POV dimensions, rows, and columns. They serve as the primary reporting and data-entry surface in OneStream — distinct from Quick Views (ad-hoc analysis) and dashboards (interactive UI containers). This guide covers the fundamental concepts, object hierarchy, and rendering locations.

Cube Views vs Quick Views vs Dashboards

Each surface serves a different purpose. Choose based on who needs the report, how structured it should be, and how it will be consumed.

Criteria	Quick View	Cube View	Dashboard
Purpose	Ad-hoc, one-off analysis	Pre-formatted, sharable reports and data entry	Interactive applications with multiple components
Row/Column complexity	One row dimension, one column dimension	Multiple row and column dimensions, nested expansions	N/A (hosts CubeView or BI Viewer components)
Formatting	Minimal — default grid	Full control — headers, conditional formatting, suppression	Component-level styling
Calculations	None	GetDataCell, CVC/CVR math, dynamic member formulas	Via hosted CubeView or Business Rules
Data entry	Yes (simple)	Yes (full control with security, formulas, suppression)	Yes (via CubeView components or custom forms)
Sharing	User-specific	Shared via Groups and Profiles	Shared via Maintenance Units
Rendering	Data Explorer only	Data Explorer, Report view, Excel/Spreadsheet	Dashboard Viewer
Best for	Quick answers, ad-hoc drill-down	Standardized reports, formatted output, controlled input	Multi-component applications, interactive workflows

💡Tip

Use Quick Views when you need a fast answer. Use Cube Views when the report needs to be reused, shared, formatted, or used for controlled data entry. Use dashboards when you need an interactive application with multiple components working together.

Object Hierarchy

Cube Views are organized in a two-level hierarchy that controls organization and visibility.

diagramCube View Object Hierarchy

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Cube View Groups

A Cube View Group is a container for related Cube Views. Each group has:

Name — Unique identifier
Description — Purpose of the group
AccessGroup — Controls which users can see and use the Cube Views in the group
MaintenanceGroup — Controls which users can modify the Cube Views in the group

Groups are the primary unit of security. A user who does not belong to the AccessGroup cannot see any Cube Views in that group.

Cube View Profiles

A Cube View Profile controls which groups (and therefore which Cube Views) are visible in specific contexts:

Excel/Spreadsheet add-in — The profile determines which Cube Views appear in the CubeView Connection dialog
OnePlace — The profile determines which Cube Views appear in the reporting tree
Data Explorer — Users can browse Cube Views by group

Profiles reference one or more groups. A single group can appear in multiple profiles.

The POV Bar

Every Cube View has a Point of View (POV) that defines the fixed dimension context for the report. The POV bar appears at the top of the Cube View and shows the current selection for each dimension.

Cube POV vs User POV

Cube POV — The dimension members hard-coded or defaulted in the Cube View definition. These are the starting selections when the report opens.
User POV — The dimension members the user selects at runtime by clicking on the POV bar. User selections override the Cube POV defaults for that session.

The POV contains all dimensions that are not placed in rows or columns. For example, if Account is in rows and Time is in columns, then Entity, Scenario, Consolidation, and any custom dimensions remain in the POV bar.

POV Slider

The POV slider on the Cube View designer controls how many dimensions appear in the POV bar. Moving the slider left reduces the number of POV dimensions (pushing them into rows or columns). Moving it right increases the POV dimensions.

ℹ️Info

Members placed in the POV are fixed for the entire report — one member per dimension. Members placed in rows or columns expand to show multiple members. This is the fundamental distinction: POV filters, rows/columns expand.

Rendering Locations

Cube Views can be rendered in three contexts, each with different capabilities:

Context	Description	Data Entry	Formatting	Linked Views
Data Explorer	Interactive grid in the OneStream client	Yes	Partial (no report headers/footers)	Yes
Report View	PDF-style rendered output	No	Full (headers, footers, page breaks)	No
Excel/Spreadsheet	Rendered in the Excel or Spreadsheet add-in	Yes	Excel-native formatting	Limited

Data Explorer is the most common context for day-to-day work — users interact with the grid, enter data, drill down via linked views, and toggle suppression.
Report View is used for formatted output — CubeView Extender rules can add dynamic headers, logos, and page numbering.
Excel/Spreadsheet renders the Cube View in a familiar spreadsheet environment and supports the Retain Formulas feature for preserving Excel formulas during data submission.

Rows, Columns, and Member Filters — Next guide in the series: configuring the row and column structure
CubeView and BI Viewer Components — Embedding Cube Views in dashboards via CubeView components and adapters
Data Input with Cube Views — Configuring Cube Views for data entry
Report Books — Compiling Cube Views into distributable PDF, Excel, or ZIP packages