Model IDE Orientation
Omni does a lot of work on your behalf to understand how to navigate your database. This allows for both accelerated initial deployments and long term scalability as the underlying schema changes. You will notice that several files are automatically generated when you connect your database and initialize a data model. This section will walk through the different types of files in the model and orient you on how to use them.
Model IDE Overview
In this video tutorial, we provide an overview of the key features of Omni's model IDE, which offers powerful tools for managing data models at scale. You'll learn about the different types of files—model, relationships, and view files—and how they streamline tasks such as defining topics, managing relationships, and curating data fields. We highlight the flexibility of the platform with features like schema refresh, automatic updates from your data warehouse, and customizable metadata for both dimensions and measures. The tutorial also introduces valuable tools like branch-based development for safe model testing, model history for version control, and the content validator, which simplifies error correction across your content within dashboards and workbooks. These features make Omni a robust solution for scalable data modeling and management, allowing users to work efficiently while ensuring data integrity.
Model File Overview
In this tutorial, we explore the powerful customization options within Omni's model file that enable a highly curated experience for end users. Key features such as the inclusion and exclusion of schemas, views, and fields allow you to control what users see, streamlining their navigation and reducing complexity. You'll also learn how to define SQL join paths and manage filtering with features like Always Where SQL, providing users with pre-set logic and filters. With options to add group labels, descriptions, and topic-level customizations, Omni empowers data modelers to create a tailored, intuitive environment that enhances user self-service and optimizes data exploration. These features allow you to present a refined dataset while hiding unnecessary complexity, ensuring that your end users can quickly access the most relevant information.
Relationships File
In this tutorial, we explore the powerful Relationships file within Omni, which encodes all joins created by users or automatically generated when setting up a model. This file allows you to define key elements of table relationships, including join types, join conditions, and cardinality, as well as control reversible joins to guide user query paths effectively. We highlight advanced features like aliasing with the JoinToViewAs parameter, which allows for more complex, repeatable joins for tables with multiple roles (e.g., buyers and sellers).
Omni's relationship management provides a global solution that allows users to leverage pre-defined joins without needing manual updates. Any changes made in the Relationships file are propagated automatically to end-user queries, preventing disruptions and maintaining consistency across all workflows. This flexibility enhances data exploration and simplifies the maintenance of join definitions, empowering users to explore data without worrying about underlying structural changes.
View File Overview
In this tutorial, we explore the customization options available within viewfiles in Omni, which allows for a highly curated experience on a table-by-table basis. Key features include the ability to add labels, group labels, and formats to create a user-friendly interface, hiding irrelevant fields for a cleaner field picker, and using the links parameter for seamless navigation between dashboards or external pages.
View files also support customizations such as defining drill fields for deeper data exploration, and the use of tags for easy organization and identification, like labeling PII data. Additionally, descriptions can be pulled from dbt or manually defined to provide helpful tooltips for end-users, enhancing clarity and self-service. These features, combined with the flexibility of Omni’s parameters, empower admins to create a tailored experience that ensures users can access the data they need without being overwhelmed by unnecessary information.