Synchronize objects in a book or sheet

Synchronization allows you to keep identical data values across objects or widgets. A change in one value impacts all of the synchronized widgets. You can set the level of synchronization that you want between views, visualizations, and other widgets at a group level, sheet or tab level, or book level.

You can set synchronization for hierarchies, sandboxes, and certain gestures under visualization properties.

Note: Synchronization is off by default, except for hierarchy selectors, which are synchronized.
Synchronizing sandboxes, hierarchies and gestures

Suppose that you have an exploration (table) view and a column chart visualization of the same view side-by-side on a sheet. You want to focus on car sales in the month of May. With synchronization enabled, when you select May in the Month dimension in the exploration, this selection is reflected in the column chart.

You can disable synchronization for specific hierarchies in a widget. For example, suppose that you have a Regions dimension with Europe selected as a hierarchy. If you want to see Europe in the exploration, but view France in the column chart, you would turn off synchronization for the Regions hierarchy.

Same hierarchies that are in different Planning Analytics databases can also be synchronized.

Dimension selections, such as drilling down on a member, set editing or selecting, can be synchronized. But actions such as swapping dimensions from row to column cannot be synchronized.

Similarly, if you are using sandboxes to experiment with multiple scenarios, and you want views and websheets to synchronize to a new sandbox selection, you can enable sandbox synchronization.

Important: Sandbox hierarchies do not synchronize across different databases.
You can also synchronize the following gestures under Properties > Synchronize > Gestures.
  • Expand/Collapse
  • Keep
  • Hide (and Unhide all)
Much like synchronizing hierarchies, when you enable synchronization for a gesture, that gesture takes place in all the widgets that are a part of the same group and each widget updates its hierarchy accordingly.
Member keep / hide

Use Member keep / hide to keep or hide the hierarchy in multiple widgets. A hierarchy might be on a row in one widget and a column in another. When you synchronize Keep or Hide, the widgets update based on where the synchronized hierarchy is located in the widget.

Member expand / collapse

Use Member expand / collapse to expand or collapse a consolidated hierarchy in multiple widgets. A hierarchy might be on a row in one widget and a column in another. When you synchronize Expand/Collapse, the widgets update based on where the synchronized hierarchy is located in the widget.

You can synchronize only those gestures that are symmetric. For example, if you used Target selection (or F7) to make asymmetric selections on rows and columns, you won't be able to synchronize the widgets using Member keep / hide. Similarly, if you expanded or collapsed rows and columns asymmetrically, you can't use Member expand / collapse to synchronize the widgets.

Note: Synchronization gestures are not available for synchronized tiles and websheets. You can synchronize gestures in selector widgets if the widgets are showing a list of members.

For information about how to enable synchronization, refer to Setting synchronization for objects.