Cube Views

Data Input with Cube Views

Updated March 7, 2026

Cube Views serve as both reporting surfaces and data-entry forms. Unlike dashboard-based input forms that require custom Business Rules for write-back, Cube Views write directly to the cube through the standard data submission pipeline. This guide covers input cell configuration, security, Excel/Spreadsheet integration, and the Retain Formulas feature.

When to Use Cube Views vs Dashboard Forms

Criteria	Cube View Input	Dashboard Form Input
Write-back	Direct to cube — no custom code	Requires Dashboard DataSet Business Rule
Layout	Row/column grid — structured, dimension-driven	Free-form — any layout with TextBoxes, ComboBoxes, etc.
Validation	Confirmation Rules at workflow level	Custom validation in Business Rules
Security	Scenario/Entity/DataCellAccess security	Dashboard Maintenance Unit security + custom logic
Best for	Financial data entry (budgets, forecasts, adjustments)	Non-financial input, workflow-driven forms, custom UX

Use Cube Views for data entry when the input naturally maps to a cube intersection (account by entity by time). Use dashboard forms when the input requires custom UI, non-cube storage, or complex user interaction.

Input Cell Configuration

A cell in a Cube View is editable when all of these conditions are met:

Scenario security — The user belongs to the scenario's ReadAndWriteDataGroup (not just ReadDataGroup)
Entity security — The user has write access to the entity at the current workflow profile level
Data cell access security — The DataCellAccessSecurity settings (if configured) allow write access at the specific dimension intersection
Cell type — The cell represents a base-level, input-capable intersection (not a calculated or consolidated value)
Workflow status — The workflow unit is not locked or certified (unless the user has override permissions)

ℹ️Info

Cell editability is determined at runtime by the intersection of multiple security layers. A cell that is editable for one user may be read-only for another, depending on their group memberships and entity assignments.

Calculate and Consolidate from Grid

Cube Views can expose Calculate and Consolidate actions directly in the toolbar, allowing users to trigger calculations after entering data without switching to the workflow.

Property	Description
AllowCalculateFromGrid	Show the Calculate button in the Cube View toolbar
AllowConsolidateFromGrid	Show the Consolidate button in the Cube View toolbar

These properties can be restricted to administrators or made available to all users. When a user clicks Calculate, the engine runs the scenario's calculation rules for the current entity and time period — equivalent to running Calculate from the workflow.

⚠️Warning

Enabling Calculate/Consolidate from grid gives users the ability to trigger processing outside the normal workflow sequence. Consider whether this is appropriate for your process — in tightly controlled workflows, you may want to restrict this to administrators.

Retain Formulas

The Retain Formulas feature preserves Excel/Spreadsheet formulas during data submission. Normally, when a user submits data from Excel, the cell values (resolved formula results) are written to the cube, and subsequent retrievals return the stored cube values. With Retain Formulas enabled, the formulas themselves are stored alongside the values.

How It Works

User enters an Excel formula in a Cube View cell (e.g., =B5*1.05)
User submits data — the formula result is written to the cube, and the formula text is stored as Cube View Content
On next retrieval, the formula is restored in the cell instead of the raw cube value
The formula recalculates against current data, and the new result can be submitted again

Configuration

Enable Retain Formulas on the Cube View's general settings. The setting applies to the entire Cube View — all cells in the view support formula retention when enabled.

Use Cases

Budget templates — Growth formulas (prior year * 1.05) that persist across retrieval cycles
Allocation formulas — Distributing a total across months using percentage allocations
Cross-cell calculations — Referencing other cells in the same Cube View for derived values

💡Tip

Retain Formulas works best for simple, cell-reference formulas. Complex formulas that reference external workbooks or volatile functions (NOW, RAND) may not behave as expected across retrieval cycles.

Data Entry with Suppression

Suppression and data entry interact in important ways. If suppression hides a row because it has no data, users cannot enter data into that row — unless AllowInsertSuppressedMember is enabled.

AllowInsertSuppressedMember	Behavior
`False`	Users cannot access suppressed rows — no data entry possible for hidden intersections
`All`	Users can right-click and insert any suppressed member to make it visible for input
`Nested`	Users can insert suppressed members at any nested dimension level
`Innermost`	Users can insert suppressed members only at the innermost dimension level

For data-entry Cube Views, set this to All or Innermost to ensure users can reach every intersection they need.

Excel and Spreadsheet Integration

The Excel and Spreadsheet add-ins render Cube Views in a familiar spreadsheet environment, making them the preferred surface for many finance users.

Cube View Connections

Add a Cube View to Excel/Spreadsheet via a Cube View Connection:

Open the OneStream ribbon in Excel
Select "Add Cube View Connection"
Choose the Cube View from the Profile/Group/View hierarchy
The Cube View renders in the worksheet

Stacking Guidelines

Multiple Cube Views can be placed on a single worksheet. Follow these rules:

Vertical stacking — Place Cube Views one below another with at least one empty row between them
Horizontal stacking — Place Cube Views side by side with at least one empty column between them
Never mix directions — Do not stack both vertically and horizontally on the same worksheet; the add-in cannot reliably manage overlapping resize operations

Insert/Delete Rows and Columns

When a Cube View expands (due to member expansions), it inserts rows or columns in Excel. When it contracts, it removes them. Be aware of this when placing other content on the same worksheet — content below a vertically expanding Cube View will shift down.

Multiple Cube Views on One Worksheet

When placing multiple Cube Views on a single worksheet:

Ensure they do not overlap — leave buffer rows/columns
Consider expansion — a Cube View with member expansions may grow beyond its initial size
Vertical stacking is simpler to manage than horizontal stacking

Security Considerations

Data entry in Cube Views is governed by multiple security layers:

Security Layer	Controls
Scenario ReadDataGroup	Users in this group can view data but cannot edit
Scenario ReadAndWriteDataGroup	Users in this group can view and edit data
Entity security	Assignment of users to entities at specific workflow profile levels
DataCellAccessSecurity	Fine-grained control over which dimension intersections are editable — can restrict by account, flow, origin, or custom dimensions
Workflow locking	Locked workflow units prevent data entry regardless of other security settings