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cchoy
Participant
This blog covers some of the latest new features and enhancements in SAP BusinessObjects Cloud and SAP Digital Boardroom release 2017.08. Please note that with this release, the SAP BusinessObjects Cloud agent remains at version 1.0.51, with the following exceptions:

  • If you require data acquisition from a SAP ERP / SQL database, the version remains at 1.0.53.

  • If you require data acquisition from SAP Business Warehouse (BW), please upgrade to version 1.0.55.


Highlights of this release include:

Learn with our latest video tutorials

 

Core: Modeling


New calculation functions for modeling


The MIN, MAX, ROUND, FLOOR, CEIL, MOD, and TRUNC functions are now available in the Modeler formula editor.


 

Search functionality in Modeler for accounts and measures


You can now search for account members when you are looking at an account dimension in the Modeler.


 

Core: Data Integration


Data integration enhancement for geo enrichment


In SAP BusinessObjects Cloud, you can enrich your data so that you can take advantage of the platform’s geospatial analysis capabilities. And in the previous release, we introduced the ability for you to update latitude/longitude data from the Import Data from File workflow. Now in this release, we expanded this update capability to include geo enrichment by area.


Don’t forget to select the option to “update dimension with new values” in the Mapping Options dialog if you want the data import process to geo enrich any new dimension members and update existing members.




 

Core: Infrastructure


Connect to SAP HANA server without a specific authentication method


You can now create a live data connection to an SAP HANA server and set the authentication method to “None”. Use this if you have already configured your remote SAP HANA system to authenticate end users in a way that is transparent to SAP BusinessObjects Cloud (e.g., X.509 client certificate authentication, or Kerberos SPNEGO).


 

Core: Data Analysis, Stories, and Tables


Responsive page layouts


Responsive page types are here! As of this release, you can now easily create fluid layouts that resize and reflow when you view your pages on different screen sizes.


And while you are building your pages, you can use the handy Device Preview feature to see how your layout looks on different devices.




  • Create up to six “lanes” per page which will determine how your story looks as you change screen sizes. Lanes will reflow from left to right, and widgets within each lane will reflow from top left to bottom right.

  • Formatting and other options for responsive pages are set using story preferences.

  • Learn how to create a new story

  • Learn more about story preferences


 

Blended calculations: Calculations based on multiple datasets


A powerful new feature in this latest release of SAP BusinessObjects Cloud is the ability to create an arithmetic calculation based on measures from multiple models. To set up these kinds of calculations, use the handy Link Dimensions dialog to choose one or more dimensions to link between two different models.

In the example below, we have linked on the Location / City ID dimensions so that we can visualize and correlate drink sales with marketing events by location.


The new feature allows you to create calculations based on measures from multiple datasets and use them in blended charts and tables. Please note that the linked dimensions must be within the chart or table.


Limitations regarding blended calculations (BC) include:

  • Existing blending limitations apply to BCs (i.e. dynamic time calculations are not supported, asymmetric tables are not supported, etc.)

  • IF and ResultLookup are not supported

    • Measures with required dimensions are not supported when the measure being used is from the secondary model, and has measures with required dimensions set up.



  • BCs cannot be used to create a variance

  • BCs are not visible within Explorer

  • Error bar support is limited

    • User can create error bars for BCs

    • User can use a BC for a low/high error bar range as long as the chart is a blended visualization



  • BCs display data only when the linked dimension is within the visualization

    • Users can only drill down on a linked hierarchy dimension



  • BCs work in all cases for waterfall charts as they require a hierarchy with a root node (trivial cases will work)

  • Remote HANA is not supported

  • BCs cannot be used within geo maps as the linked dimension is required to be within the visualization


Related info:

 

Table formatting options in Story Preferences


Wouldn’t it be great if you could format all your tables in the same way across your story? In this release, we added a new Tables section in Story Preferences that has several new formatting options including:

  • Alternating Rows styling template, in addition to the Standard and Report-Styling templates

  • Ability to format the Table widget at the widget level (i.e. background color, font color, etc.)

  • Table text will now automatically lighten or darken to help people see your text more clearly, when background colors are changed.

  • Learn more about story preferences




 

Color picker with transparency setting for charts and tables


Background images can liven up stories, if chosen carefully to suit the content. But what good are images if widgets that sit on top obscure the image underneath?

Meet the new opacity slider in the Color Picker. Using the slider or by specifying a percentage, you can strike the right balance in your stories between visual appeal and clarity.


 

Planning


Copy & paste between shared private versions


In the previous release, we introduced the ability for you to copy and paste cell values from version to version. Now in this release, we have expanded on this so you can now also copy and paste across two different versions when one or both versions are shared private versions.


 

Ignore hidden members when pasting


Copying and pasting data to multiple table cells is more flexible than before. With this new enhancement, you can now paste to a target area that contains different sets of members for more than one dimension.


In the bottom table shown above, the cells for Units Sold in 2015 and Orders in 2018 form a valid target area for copying and pasting from the source.

 

Planning: Model and role based toolbar for planning


Planning tools on the model toolbar are now greyed out (i.e. not unavailable) if you don’t have the maintain privilege for the model.


 




Additional resources:



Previous feature summary blogs:


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