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Template items

Speed up repetitive item creation​

If you need to regularly create items with common attribute values, save time and effort by creating a template item.

Template items reside in the Template collection. They serve as reusable "drafts" that new items can be based on. When creating a template item, the idea is to populate any attributes that are likely to be the same for each new item. This can even involve linking to other template items!

Any new items created from the template will be pre-populated with those set attribute values.

For example, a template item could represent:

  • a regularly repeated activity (e.g. a job that always involves the same work units)

  • a common configuration of an asset (e.g. a Street Light made from specific components)

Note

To create or use a template item, the item's design must have its Collections property set to include Template.

Create a template item​

There are two ways to create a template item.

Create from scratch​

To create a template item of any design:

  1. Start creating the item.

  2. In step 1 of the process, set the item's Collection to Template.

  3. Select Next and continue filling in the item form with template-appropriate values.

Convert an existing item​

To convert an existing item into a template:

  1. Select the item to view its details in the right panel.

  2. On the item's General tab, select More and choose Make template.

This moves the item into the Template collection and removes any parent links (to avoid potential issues going forward).

Note

Consider editing the item to change/remove any values that aren't template-appropriate.

Create an item from a template​

To create an item from a template:

  1. Start creating the item.

  2. In step 1 of the process, select Template and choose one from the list. If the field is dimmed out, there aren't any template items for your chosen design.

  1. Select Next. All the remaining steps have been completed automatically. Select Create to finish.
Note

You can also clone a template item to create a new item in the Live collection.

Template titles/subtitles​

It's possible for an item to display a different title/subtitle depending on which collection it belongs to. This can help differentiate between template items and live items, see Titles and subtitles.