Booking Templates make scheduling episodic work and other reoccurring combinations of Bookings simple. As the phases in the production of a series are typically the same for each episode, a Booking Template can be created with the components and duration of the initial schedule and saved as an “episode template”. Once saved, Templates can be reused as needed and configured to automatically find available objects. A Booking Template can consist of as little as one Booking with the involved Objects/ Classes up to a whole Project Structure with Binders, Subbinders and multiple Bookings.
Creating a Booking Template
It is either possible to create a new Booking or using an existing one with already involved items and further information in the Booking Custom Fields (if set up accordingly). To add/create a Booking Template drag and drop the Booking from the Long Form view onto the Booking Templates tab. It is possible to multi-select various Bookings in the at the same time.
If the Booking Template tab is not visible, it has to be enclosed in the Toolbox Menu. Go to the Settings tab, Miscellaneous section, click on Toolbox Menu’s and include Templates under Selected.
Enter a name and a description in the appearing window to easily recognize the purpose of the template as it is not possible to open the Booking template from this window. The Note column will show the text added in the description.
In this example a template consisting of only Bookings is created.
Creating Binder Templates
The same principle applies for Binder templates. However, when creating Binder templates farmerswife will ask if the Children (Bookings within) should be included, and when there are Project Markers another message appears asking if those should be included. The next pop up asks to give the template a name and in the Note add a description that explains the content / for what the template should be used.
Apply a Booking / Binder Template
To apply an existing Booking Template, load a Project into the Project tree or create a new Project from the Project tree. Then drag the Booking Template onto one day of the Long Form calendar when the Booking Template should start or end. Blue arrows indicating forward or backward appear to select whether the selected day should be the start date or the end date. Rename the Binder/Booking if needed.
A dialogue will ask to Auto Replace Objects With Available Ones; Yes if there’s a chance that conflicts will occur and if you want farmerswife to auto select available ones. Select No to manually resolve any conflict that may occur.
Booking Template Options
The Booking templates menu can be found in the toolbox drop down menu in the top left corner or by right mouse clicking. It is possible to rename, remove and copy from another user. In case of copying all the existing templates will be replaced by the ones copied.
From version 7.1 onwards, when applying a Booking Template with Objects pre-booked, a history line for each Object will be added to the Booking.
- Rename: Will allow you to rename the selected booking template and the short description.
- Copy: You can copy Booking Templates. The copied templates will have "(copy)" in the end of the name. If you copied an inactive Booking Template the copied Booking Template will be automatically set to active.
- Remove: Will allow you to delete the selected booking template.
- Framework Static Time Frame Day Mapping: This new "Frame Work Static Time Frame Day Mapping" feature allows Frameworks stored in Booking Templates to be applied depending on the target day.
You can configure this feature on Booking Templates, then create "Frameworks" for a whole month, which will respect your set behaviour on normal work days, weekends and Full Day and Half Day Public holidays.
There are 4 main "day mapping" options:
- "Normal work days" to be mapped to "target day": "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday".
- "Weekend days" to be mapped to "target day": "Saturday", "Sunday".
- "Full day Public Holiday" to be mapped to "target day": for a full day public holiday.
- "Half day Public Holiday" to be mapped to "target day": for a half day public holiday.
- Active: Make non-usable templates inactive but keep for eventual future use. Highlight a Booking Template and do a right mouse click or click on the drop down menu selecting Active (untick for not active).
- Shared: Highlight a Booking Template and do a right mouse click or click on the drop down menu selecting Shared (untick for not shared).
- To be able to use this option there are two User permission settings that apply.:
- Can Create / Modify / Delete All Shared Booking Templates
- Can Create / Modify / Delete Their Own Shared Booking Templates
- To be able to use this option there are two User permission settings that apply.:
- Add From Another User: multi-select Users to add their Booking Templates to your own Booking Template tab. Even inactive Booking Templates will be copied.
- Show Inactive: It is possible to show Inactive Booking Templates via the drop down menu in Toolbox > Booking Templates > Show Inactive. Inactive Booking Templates can't be applied and used in the Long Form.
- Set Reference Booking For Day Time Target When Dropping In Hourline: To apply and use a template in the Hourline, choose a reference day.
- Set Object To Replace When Dropping On Hourline Object
Booking Template Tab columns
- "Shared": showing who shared a Booking Template. Adding "creator + time" (copy will reset the creator to who copied the Booking Template).
- "Last Modified By": showing the User name, date stamp and time.
- "Created By": showing who created the Booking Templates (User name /date and time stamp)
Can Create / Modify / Delete All Shared Booking Templates
Setting Shared Booking Template from Other Users to Active and Inactive is possible.
Share and Un-share: Is possible, but with a popup message that this is a shared template from another User: Confirm / Cancel
Template is inactive and shared by another person:
- Rename: No, with popup message: Booking Template is Inactive
- Copy: Yes with popup message: Booking Template is Inactive. The copied Template will be active.
- Delete: Yes, with a popup message that you are about to Delete a Shared Template that is not yours: Option: Confirm Remove / Cancel
Template is inactive and Shared by yourself:
- Rename: No, with popup message: Booking Template is Inactive
- Copy: Yes, after popup: Booking Template is Inactive
- Delete: Yes, after popup: Booking Template is Inactive
Your own BookingTemplate is Inactive and Not Shared:
- Rename: No, with popup notice: Booking Template is Inactive
- Copy: Yes with popup notice: Booking Template is Inactive. The copied Template is then active.
- Delete: Yes, after popup message that this template is inactive
Related Booking Default Settings When applying Booking Templates
There are two Toolbox settings to reset the "Timereport" and "Checkpoint Status" to the User's Toolbox "defaults" when adding a Booking Template.
They are located in Toolbox > Settings > Booking Defaults > new "When Applying Booking Template" section:
- "Reset "Use Time Reporting" to Toolbox Default": Yes/No (default)
- "Reset "Check Point Status" to Toolbox Default": Yes/No (default)