---
title: "Crystal Ball features"
canonical: "https://modelassist.epixanalytics.com/space/EA/26575571/Crystal%20Ball%20features"
format: markdown
---
A list of all the public Crystal ball features, which are grouped into three types:

### 1. Distributions

Functions that generate random values from probability distributions.

 

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<summary>Beta</summary>

Returns values from a [Beta distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575217).
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<summary>Yes/No</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Bernouilli distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575202)<span style="color: #000000"> (or use Binomial(p, 1).</span>
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<summary>Binomial</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Binomial distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575204)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Custom</summary>

With [Crystal Ball's Custom Distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575279) you can represent six different distributions, all of which are described [here](https://modelassist.epixanalytics.com/space/EA/26575279/Introduction+-+The+Custom+Distribution+in+Crystal+Ball):

1. [Discrete Uniform](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575206)

2. [Discrete](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575205)

3. [General](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575232)

4. [Histogram](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575234)

5. [Cumulative Ascending](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575222)

6. Combination of distributions
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<summary>Discrete Uniform</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns integer values between a specified minimum and maximum, all with the same probability (the </span>[Integer Uniform distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575209)<span style="color: #000000">). </span>[Discrete Uniform distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575206)<span style="color: #000000"> can be constructed with the </span>[Custom Distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575279)<span style="color: #000000"> in Crystal Ball.</span>
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<summary>Exponential</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from an </span>[Exponential distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575227)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>ExtremeValue</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Gumbel distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575228/)<span style="color: #000000"> for maximum observations. This is one of </span>[three Extreme Value distributions](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575630)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Gamma</summary>

Returns values from a [Gamma distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575231).
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<summary>Geometric</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Geometric distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575207)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Hypergeometric</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[hypergeometric distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575208)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Logistic</summary>

Returns values from a [Logistic distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575242).
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<summary>Lognormal</summary>

Returns values from a [Lognormal distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575244).
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<summary>MaximumExtreme</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span><span style="color: #000000">[Gumbel distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575228/)</span><span style="color: #000000"> for maximum observations. This is one of </span>[three Extreme Value distributions](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575630/)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>MinimumExtreme</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Gumbel distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575228/)<span style="color: #000000"> for minimum observations. This is one of </span><span style="color: #000000">[three Extreme Value distributions](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575630/)</span><span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Negbinomial</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Negative Binomial distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575213)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Normal</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Normal distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575246)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Pareto</summary>

Returns values from a [Pareto distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575247).
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<summary>Poisson</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Poisson distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575214)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Student</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Student, or t- distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575254)<span style="color: #000000"> (can also construct it in </span>[two other ways](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575254)<span style="color: #000000">).</span>
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<summary>Triangular</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Triangle distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575255)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Uniform</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Uniform distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575256)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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<summary>Weibull</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">Returns values from a </span>[Weibull distribution](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575257)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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### 2. Crystal Ball Tools

Crystal Ball Tools are programs that extend the functionality of Crystal Ball. They are ordered in two categories:

<span style="color: #000000">Setup Tools</span>

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<summary>Batch Fit</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Batch Fit tool lets you "automatically" fit (continuous) probability distributions to multiple data series. At Epix Analytics, we don't use this tool often because fitting distributions to data should be done </span>[carefully](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575304)<span style="color: #000000"> (e.g. often one by one) and not always be based on just one of the available </span>[Goodness of Fit Statistics](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575330)<span style="color: #000000">. </span>
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<summary>Correlation Matrix</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Correlation Matrix lets you enter a matrix of correlations between assumptions in one step. In the section about </span>[Rand Order Correlation](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575456)<span style="color: #000000">, you can see how to use this tool.</span>
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<summary>Tornado Chart</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Tornado Chart Tool allows you to determine the impact of each model variable (one at a time) on one specific forecast. In the section about </span>[Spider Charts and the Tornado Chart tool](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575486/)<span style="color: #000000">, you can read how to use this tool.</span>
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<u><span style="color: #000000">Analysis Tools</span></u>

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<summary>Bootstrap</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Bootstrap Tool of Crystal Ball is a special case of the </span>[more general Bootstrap method](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575339)<span style="color: #000000"> discussed in ModelAssist Advanced. Crystal Ball's Bootstrap tool looks at  how robust your  simulation forecast statistics are. For example, given that you have done 10,000  iterations, the Bootstrap Tool determines how precisely the forecast statistics have been determined, meaning by how much would those statistics change if one were to run an essentially infinite number of iterations. Therefore, the main use of the  Crystal Ball's Bootstrap Tool is to determine if you have run </span>[sufficient iterations](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575297)<span style="color: #000000">. In contrast, the Bootstrap method discussed in ModelAssist Advanced helps you quantify the uncertainty you have about input parameters in your risk analysis model that have been estimated from data .</span>
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<summary>Decision Table</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Decision Table tool allows you to run multiple simulations to test different values of one or two decision variables. </span>[Here](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26577894#Thestateofindividualssampledfromasmallpopulation-Problem1)<span style="color: #000000">, you can see how this tool can be used, with an example model. The model </span>> Macro (inline-external-image)

[Market growth model](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/26579343/Market_growth_model-CB.xlsx?version=1&modificationDate=1506113496000&cacheVersion=1&api=v2)<span style="color: #000000"> provides another example.</span>
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<summary>Scenario Analysis</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Scenario Analysis Tool allows you to examine which combination of assumption values gives you a certain forecast result. The tool runs a simulation after which it matches all the forecasts with their corresponding assumption values. In the resulting table, it shows all the forecast values in the range you specified (e.g. between 95% and 100% percentile) sorted, along with all the corresponding assumption (input) values. This tool can therefore be used as one of the methods to get a </span>[better understanding of an output](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575465)<span style="color: #000000"> of a simulation.</span>
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<summary>Two dimensional Simulation</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">The Two-Dimensional Simulation Tool in Crystal Ball lets you separate the effect of uncertainty (lack of knowledge) and variability and randomness in a forecast. For a more detailed descriptions, see </span>[here](https://epixanalytics.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/EA/pages/26575534)<span style="color: #000000">.</span>
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### 3. Statistics functions

Functions that report the simulation results within Excel cells. Although not always fully supported by Crystal Ball, these functions are very useful, in combination with on-screen recalculation, to monitor some aspect of the simulation. They are also useful for automatically producing reports in Excel, though this can slow down your models.

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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,2)        - mean</summary>

CB.GetForeStatFN(source,2) reports the mean of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,3)        - median</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,3) reports the median of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,4)        - mode</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,4) reports the mode of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,5)        - standard deviation</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,5) reports the standard deviation of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,6)        - variance</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,6) reports the Variance of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,7)        - skewness</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,7) reports the Skewness of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,8)        - kurtosis</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,8) reports the kurtosis of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,9)        - coefficient of variability</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,9) reports the coefficient of variability of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,10)      - minimum</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,10) reports the minimum of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,11)      - maximum</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,11) reports the maximum of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary> CB.GetForeStatFN(x,12)      - range width</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,12) reports the range width of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForeStatFN(x,13)      - standard error</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForeStatFN(source,13) reports the standard error of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetForePercentFN         - percentile</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetForePercentileFN(source,P) reports for which of the values generated for the source (cell reference, cell name or output name) so far in the simulation, the fraction P are lower.</span>
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<summary>CB.GetCertaintyFN             - Target</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.GetCertaintlyFN(Data source, target X value)/100 returns the cumulative probability for target value in the simulated distribution for the cell, output, or input.</span>
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<summary>CB.IterationsFN                 - Iteration</summary>

<span style="color: #000000">CB.IterationsFN() reports the current iteration of the simulation when running.</span>
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