TOPIC: Template Design

I am a newbie......and I am designing a Template from scratch, using the blank template.  It is going well except......I want the Menu Section with a Narrative to show up on my report, prior to my sub-categories in that in that section.  It looks like the only way to make that happen, is to build separate documents with the Menu Section name and write the narrative as I want.  Also....I notice the report does not generate as the Menu Sections are listed.  What is up with that?
Also....when I build by documents, I can't get the Menu Section Title to center properly. (Wayne is working that one for me)
So....seems like it would be great to be able to get the report printed out as listed on the menu and be able to insert the narratives to show up like the HIP canned templates.  Help me if I am missing something....if not, when can this get fixed?

thanks/Bob

Hi Bob,

The menus running across the top of the program to the right of File, Edit & Report Settings have NOTHING to do with the report format, they are just for navigation. The menus below those like Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Kitchen, etc are the actual pages of the report. You can use the Edit Documents section to add section introductions to all of those areas.

The section titles appear centered unless you have the Texas setting turned on (as they don't have a choice). This option is under Report Settings->Item Options. Sounds like you changed it from the default indention.

Dominic....thanks for responding.  I did not change any default settings.  Wayne is helping me figure out how to center the Section Names above the narrative I want to enter.  He and I are going to talk again this afternoon.

In the "Canned Reports" each section has a name and a narrative.  I was trying to duplicate that in the blank template I started with.  I have to do that manually by building a new document and writing the narrative I want, or use a document that is already there.  I get that and understand that now.  The only issue pending is centering the Section name above the narrative, and Wayne is working on that one.  It would be nice if we could just use Word and its features to build that document.

So....the major request I have is this.  When I build my menu in the template with the sub-categories, why can't the report format come out as I built the menu?  In order to get the report format the way I want it, I have to move all the categories in to the order I built them, vs. them appearing as I built them.  Then, I have to insert my Section names that I have already given the categories when I built the menu.

I went over this in detail with Wayne and what i want to do, can not be done.  Is it possible to change this?  thanks

Because those aren't sub categories, they are the actual categories and everything that HIP is built around.

Print order and inspection order are totally separate. You can change the print order under Report Settings->Section Colors & Print Order and display order during the inspection by dragging/dropping under Edit Template.

I gave Wayne an easy solution for what you want which is to create additional sections and attach documents to them. I believe he went over that with you after your last post though.

I always recommend at least doing one or two inspections with an existing template before starting your own, and this is one of the reasons why. It really helps to give you an understanding of how HIP is setup and how to setup your template. In this case the solution for what you want is pretty simple but some times guys setup templates in a way that just won't work with how the program is designed.

Wayne and I were on line late Tuesday evening to try and solve the centering issue for the narratives in the sections.  I had to get off line, but will get back with him today.  I have already created my sections I need and the narratives.

I have looked at every canned template and did not find one that fit what I wanted to do.  That is......to map my template to the NH state requirements and then add other areas to cover the InterNachi Standards.  I was very pleased to be able to have the option to build my own template.  It looked pretty straightforward as I was entering my sections and the sub-categories I wanted in those sections.  I hear you that my sub-catergories are a section of their own.

I am not so pleased that what I want to do, can't be done without a lot of manual work.

I will work with Wayne a little more to make sure I am not missing something.

As I stated, I am new.  However, one of the reasons I'm here, is because I have done several inspections and through my class, I have been exposed to HomeGauge.

I am really interested to here from others that have built their own templates from scratch.
thanks/Bob

Bob, did you check out the huge list of templates that our users have shared? It's in the first post in this section. There's dozens there that you can look over.

What you want won't take a lot of manual work. Once Wayne explains it to you you'll understand. It'll take about 5 minutes.