What is a global?
A global is a named value that can be used in several places in a budget. Change the global once, and every formula that references it recalculates.
For example, a six-week production could use the symbol TW for Total Weeks and the value 6. A line with the formula =TW * 1000 would evaluate to 6000. If Total Weeks changes to 7, the line recalculates to 7000.
Saturation 3.0 stores reusable globals in the Library. Workspace globals are sources that can be copied into projects. Project globals can be changed for one production without changing the workspace source or other project copies.
Steps to use globals & formulas
1. Open the Globals table
To work with globals for the current project:
Open the project's Budget.
Select Library in the budget toolbar.
Select Globals.
To create globals that can be reused across projects:
Go to Projects.
Select Library.
Select Globals.
Members with budget edit access can change globals. Viewers can open the table but cannot edit it.
2. Set up a global
In Workspace Globals, select Add. In Project Globals, select Add > Add new global.
Complete the new row:
Column | What to enter |
Symbol | The name used in formulas, such as TW or SHOOT_DAYS. It must start with a letter and can contain letters, numbers, and underscores. |
Description | A plain-language name, such as Total Weeks. |
Unit | The unit represented by the value, such as Week or Day. This label does not change the calculation. |
Value | A number or formula. The cell displays the evaluated result and shows the formula when you edit it. |
Global formulas can reference other globals. For example, if PW is Prep Weeks and SW is Shoot Weeks, the value for TW could be =PW + SW.
Saturation marks invalid symbols and formula errors in the table. A global cannot refer to itself. Circular references between globals also return an error.
Changes save when you confirm a cell or leave it. There is no separate Save button.
3. Add a workspace global to a project
Open the project Library and select Globals.
Select Add.
Search for the workspace global and select it.
Saturation creates a project copy. Changes to the project copy do not change the workspace source or existing copies in other projects.
If you select a workspace global from a formula's suggestion list, Saturation creates the project copy automatically.
4. Use a global in a budget formula
Globals and formulas are available in the numeric estimate fields Qty, Rate, and X.
Select a supported budget cell.
Type = to start a formula.
Begin typing a global symbol.
Select the global from the suggestions, or finish typing the symbol.
Add numbers, other globals, parentheses, or the operators +, -, *, and /.
Press Enter or Tab to confirm the formula.
The cell shows the evaluated number. Select it again to view or change the formula.
5. Give a global different values by phase
A project global can use a different value in each estimate phase. Its base value remains the fallback.
Open Project Globals.
Select Vary by phase.
Find the column for the estimate phase you want to override.
Enter a number or formula in that phase's cell.
The phase columns appear automatically after an override exists. Clearing an override returns that phase to the global's base value. Overrides in locked phases are read-only.
6. Create and manage units
Open Library and select Units to change the labels available in a budget or global.
Workspace Units contains built-in units and workspace-shared custom units. Project Units contains custom units and overrides used only by the current project. A project can override a built-in or workspace value without changing the workspace value.
Select Add to create a unit, then complete these fields:
Column | What to enter |
Name | The singular label, such as Shoot Day. |
Plural | The label used for quantities of two or more, such as Shoot Days. |
Type | Time for duration-based units, Quantity for counts, or Flat for a lump sum or percentage. |
Hours | The hours represented by one Time unit. This field is unavailable for Quantity and Flat units. |
Color | The color of the unit badge in the budget. |
You can also edit a built-in unit. Saturation saves that edit as an override for the open scope. Deleting a built-in override restores the project value to the workspace version, or restores the workspace value to the system default.
Requirements/limitations
Formulas work in supported numeric fields. Text, date, checkbox, currency, and file cells do not evaluate formulas.
Global symbols must start with a letter. Spaces and punctuation are not allowed; use an underscore instead.
Use one capitalization for each symbol throughout the budget.
Per-phase global overrides apply to estimate phases. A locked phase's override cannot be edited until the phase is unlocked.
A project copy does not update when its workspace source changes.
Benefits
Change a shared assumption once instead of editing every affected line.
Keep formulas readable by using symbols such as SHOOT_DAYS in place of repeated numbers.
Test different estimate scenarios with phase-specific values while keeping one base global.
Keep company-wide assumptions and unit names in the workspace Library, then adjust project copies when a production differs.
Frequently asked questions
Can globals and formulas be combined in one cell?
Yes. A formula can include globals, numbers, arithmetic operators, and parentheses. For example, =TW * 1000 multiplies the current value of TW by 1,000.
Can a formula use more than one global?
Yes. For example, =PW + SW adds Prep Weeks and Shoot Weeks. The suggestion list appears as you type each symbol.
What happens when a global changes?
Saturation recalculates formulas that reference the global. If the global has a phase override, formulas in that estimate phase use the override while other phases use their own override or the base value.
Can I share a global across projects?
Create it in Workspace Globals. Add it to each project that needs it. Each project receives its own copy, so production-specific edits stay in that project.
Notes/additional info
Use globals for assumptions that affect several lines, such as prep weeks, shoot days, crew size, or recurring rates. Enter a value directly on the budget line when it applies only once. This keeps the Globals table short and makes each symbol easier to understand.