These set of instructions will explain how to choose Forecast Kinds and how to specify their values. 

There are three types of Forecast Kind:


To specify Periodic Forecast Kind

  1. Select Periodic as the Forecast Kind.
  2. Specify From Date by doing one of the following:
    • Click , or Alt+Down, and select an already existing date from the list.
    • Click , and select a date from the opened Date and Time Settings dialog.
  3. Specify forecast periods in the Number of Periods field.
  4. Select Length Unit: Years, Months, or Days.
  5. Specify Period Length of the forecast according to the Length Unit.

When Forecast Kind property value is Periodic, in this case the periods of this forecast begin from 2016-09-23, it has three periods, the duration of each is one year. All specified data is displayed in the table as columns.

An Example of a Periodic Forecast Kind.

All data defined in the Time Periods dialog is displayed automatically in columns for each period.

The forecast begins from 2016-09-23, it is divided into three periods with the duration of each one year and displayed as three columns in the SV-9 table after specifying data in the Time Periods dialog.

Example of Periodic Forecast Kind in the Model

Specified Dates

For Specified Dates Forecast Kind, you only need to specify the Forecast Dates. The previous fields are uneditable.


To specify Specified Dates Forecast Kind

  1. Select Specified Dates as the Forecast Kind.
  2. Under Forecast Dates, click  to open the Select ISO8601 Date Time dialog.
    The Edit button in the Forecast Dates property value box of the Time Periods dialog. One or more specific date(s) for the forecast can be defined in this property value box.
  3. Select the existing ISO8601DateTime element (date) from the List. You can create a new one by taking the following steps. 
    • In the Select ISO8601 Date Time dialog, make sure Creation Mode is on.
    • Select the appropriate package from the list in which you want to store a new ISO8601DateTime element (date).
    • Click the Create button. The new date element's specification window opens automatically.
      When creating a new date in the Select ISO8601 Date Time dialog, you need to select the package wherein you want to store the new date (b.), turn on the creation mode (a.), and click the Create button (c.).
    • In the Value field, click Edit, and select an appropriate date from the Date and Time Settings dialog.
      After the new ISO8601DateTime element is created, its specific date must be selected from the Date and Time Settings dialog which opens automatically when trying to edit the Value property box.
    • Click Close, or create more dates by repeating steps c. and d.
  4. Click OK.

An Example of a Specified Dates Forecast Kind.

All data defined in the Time Periods dialog are displayed in columns in the table. In this case, three dates (2016-09-23, 2017-09-23, and 2018-03-23) were automatically divided into two columns (from 2016-09-23 to 2017-09-23, and from 2017-09-23 to 2018-03-23).

The forecast is divided into two periods and displayed as two columns in the the SV-9 table after specifying them in the Time Periods dialog.

Example of Specified Dates Forecast Kind in the Model

To specify Specified Periods Forecast Kind

  1. Select Specified Periods as the Forecast Kind.
  2. In the Time Periods field, click  to open the Select Time Period dialog.
  3. In the opened dialog, you can do the following:
    • Click the Tree  button and expand the tree until you find an existing Timeline element () with existing , and double-click on each one. Skip to Step 4.
    • Click the List  button and double-click each existing Time Periods (). Skip to Step 4.
    • Create a new Timeline element with Time Periods. Here's how:
      • Ensure that element Creation Mode is turned on.
      • Select the appropriate package from the list in which you want to store a new Timeline element.
      • Click the Create button. The Specification window of the newly created Timeline opens automatically.
      • Type a name for the new Timeline, and click Close.
      • Select the newly created Timeline element.
      • Click the Create button, and select Time Period. The Specification window of the newly created Time Period opens automatically.
      • Specify a Name, Start Date, and End Date.
        The Specification window of the newly created Time Period with its Name, Start Date, and End Date properties defined.
      • Click Close.
  4. Click OK.

When the Forecast Kind property value is Specified Periods, in this case three time periods of forecast are defined. These periods are displayed in the Forecast table as its columns.

Example of a Specified Periods Forecast Kind.

All time periods defined in the Time Periods dialog are displayed in the table as columns. In this case, three periods (2016 period, 2017 period, and 2018 period) with their specific start and end dates were defined and displayed as columns in the SV-9 table.

The forecast is divided into three time periods and displayed as three columns in the the SV-9 table after specifying them in the Time Periods dialog.

Example of Specified Periods Forecast Kind in the Model