> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://oculon.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is a model

> Learn what a model is and how it acts as the core planning workspace in Oculon.

A model is the core planning workspace in Oculon. It brings together variables, formulas, time settings, dimensions, scenarios, and linked data so you can build and review planning logic in one place.

![Model details panel in Oculon](https://mintcdn.com/oculon/VPBn_Cv6-GOeV3l9/images/getting-started/fr-model-details.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=VPBn_Cv6-GOeV3l9\&q=85\&s=7aae90546f035bb26008da19ad318e37)

## What lives in a model

A model usually includes:

* input variables and business assumptions
* calculated logic and outputs
* a model date range and time granularity
* dimensions where extra analysis is needed
* scenario-ready planning structure

The model is where planning logic becomes reusable. If you build it well once, the same structure can support reporting, scenario review, and board-level communication.

## Model versus other surfaces

Each planning surface in Oculon serves a different purpose:

* use a [database](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/databases/what-is-a-database.md) for source records and row-level detail
* use a [variable](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/variables/what-is-a-variable.md) for one metric or assumption inside the model
* use a [board](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/boards/what-is-a-board.md) to present and monitor results
* use a [view](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/views/what-is-a-view.md) to filter, group, and compare outputs

The model is the layer that connects those pieces into one planning system.

## Why models matter

A model gives teams one place to define how the business plan should behave. That matters because formulas, reporting, scenario work, and review workflows all depend on the same underlying logic.

## Related pages

* [Model structure](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/models/model-structure.md)
* [Model settings](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/models/model-settings.md)
* [Linked models](https://oculon.mintlify.site/docs-new/models/linked-models.md)


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