Top Questions of the Month - December

Month after month, Pigmenauts share challenges, ideas, and solutions that help us all learn and grow together.

To celebrate this knowledge sharing, here are December’s top 5 questions. We’re highlighting the ones that sparked the most interest and views from fellow members 💡.

Whether you faced the same challenge or want to learn new tips, these threads are a great place to explore, contribute, and connect.

1. Merging Text & Date Dimensions

Question - ​@Matthieu Wallet:

“How can you merge a Text dimension and a Date dimension into a single Text dimension to create a unique ID?”

Best Answer - ​@Laszlo:
Pigment doesn’t support directly concatenating dimensions into a new dimension. The recommended approach is to:

• Add ID properties to both source dimensions and the target dimension.

• Generate IDs using CUMULATE().

• Pre-create placeholder items in the target dimension.

• Use a formula that combines the text value and formatted date, then assigns the result using ID mapping.

This approach ensures stable, scalable dimension generation even when dates are involved.

 Read the full discussion here:

2. Calendar Best Practices

Question - ​@Kevin Leadbeater:

“Should calendars be created per app, or shared from a central Data Hub? Can properties from the hub calendar be referenced elsewhere?”

Best Answer - ​@Laszlo:

Best practice is to maintain a single shared calendar in the Data Hub and reference it across all apps. There’s no need to recreate calendars per app, except in rare cases like daily cash-flow planning. Calendar properties from the hub can be referenced directly in formulas across apps.

Read the full discussion here:

3.  Calculating Month over Month Variance in Show Values as Metric

Question - ​@ljanowski:

“How can you calculate MoM variance when using “Show Values as % of,” without the variance being treated as a percentage?”

Best Answer - ​@CDALMAY:
The workaround involves adjusting both formatting and the order of calculations.

Read the full discussion here:

4. Questions about conditional input and aggregated-level input in Pigments

Question - ​@Amel:

“Can input be restricted by version and time? And is it possible to input values at an aggregated level?”

Best Answer - ​@Johnson Akinpelumi:

• Conditional input is achieved using a helper Boolean metric combined with Write Rules in Access Rights, allowing cells to be editable only for certain periods or versions.

• Aggregated-level input (also known as break-back or splashing) is supported, as long as the metric aggregation is set to Sum and the distribution logic is valid.

Read the full discussion here:

5. Do model snapshots factor in Access Rights?

Question - ​@tgilbert:

“When a snapshot is taken, does it include all data or only what the user has access to?”

Best Answer - ​@Julien:
Snapshots always capture the entire model, but Access Rights still apply. Users viewing the snapshot will only see data they were permitted to access at the time the snapshot was created.

Read the full discussion here:

These questions reflect the curiosity and creativity of the Pigment Community, and your insights can make them even more valuable. If you’ve faced similar challenges, drop your ideas, solutions, or tips in the threads.

Have your own question? Start a new thread and let the community help!

We’re looking forward to the conversations and challenges you’ll bring in 2026. 🎆