Project Templates

Project Templates are pre-made directory structures that you can re-use when making new projects. They contain a set of defined directories and sub-directories that you can recall later when creating a project. The iProject has a default set Project Template built-in, but you can make your own templates for use in future projects.

1. Editing Project Templates

To view all templates you have access to go to the Administration menu, highlight the Projects menu item, and when the sub-menu pops out, click the Edit Project Templates submenu item. This will open the Edit Project Templates window. Choose the Default Reservoir Characterization Project template from the Project Tenplates list on the left. On the right, you'll notice that the various information boxes should populate.

The Name field is the name of the project template. This name will appear on the left side of this screen, and will also appear when you are creating a new project and must choose a template. The Company dropdown box lets you choose a company to associate the template with. This will allow users of that company with project-making permission to use this template in the future. If you'd like to make the template available to anyone from any company, check the Public Template? box below the company drop-down item. You can also enter a description of the template here.

Below this is the template editor. These two boxes will allow you to edit the directory structure and the project task structure for the template you've selected. This area works the same way the New Project Template window works. For information on how to use this window, read the Creating New Project Templates section below.

Below this section there is an Update button. Once you've made your changes to a template, you must click the Update button in order for your changes to take effect. If you don't want to save changes you've made to a template, you can simply close the window without clicking Update. Next to the Update button is the Delete button. Clicking this button will delete the selected template from the iProject. It's not recommended to delete templates unless they are absolutely obsolete. Rather, it's favorable to update older templates than to simply delete them.

2. Creating New Project Templates

There are two ways to create a new Project Template. One way is to create one from scratch using the New Project Template window. The other method is to create a project, modify the directory structure and project tasks within the project, then have the iProject create a template from your project. The first method is the one we'll be describing here, but the second method works exactly the same.

From the Edit Project Templates window (described above), choose the New... button. This will open the New Project Template window. Enter a name, company, description and choose whether the template should be public as described in the section above. Once you've entered these options, you're ready to start creating a template.

The buttons on the left of the Directory structure box and the Project Tasks box are what allow you to create and modify directories, tasks, and task areas for the template.

	Insert new subdirectory - Inserts a new subdirectory into the template. You must first select an existing directory, then click this button, then choose a name for it. When you click "Ok" the subdirectory will be beneath the directory you originally had selected. For creating top-level directories, choose the (Project Root) directory.
	Rename directory - This button allows you to rename a directory. First, select a directory so it's highlighted, then click the rename button. Enter the new name into the dialogue box that opens and click "Ok". This button works the same way in the Project Tasks section.
	Move selected directory up in the list - When you click this button with a directory selected, the directory will move up in the list. A directory can only move up in the directory that contains it. You may only change the order of subdirectories within a directory with this feature, not move directories up or down levels. This button works the same way in the Project Tasks section.
	Move selected directory down in the list - Works exactly the same as the "Move up" button described above, only moves the selected directory down in the list instead. This button works the same way in the Project Tasks section.
	Delete selected directory - Deletes a directory you've created. Instead of actually removing the directory, the directory will be marked with a Red X. This means the directory will not be created (or in the case of the edit screen) the directory will be removed. This button works the same way in the Project Tasks section.
	Undelete selected directory - Undeletes a deleted directory. If you've marked a directory for deletion but have changed you mind, you can use the undelete button to remove the red x that marks it to be deleted. This button works the same way in the Project Tasks section.
	Cut selected directory - This will "cut" the selected directory for use with the "paste" button. A directory you cut and then paste elsewhere will move the entire directory and any subdirectories it contains to the new location.
	Paste to selected directory - This "pastes" the contents of the clipboard to the directory you've selected. To cut and paste a directory and its subdirectories, first select the directory to be moved and click the cut button as mentioned above. Then choose a location to paste the directory, select it so it's highlighted, then click the "paste" button. The directory and any subdirectories it contained will now be in the new location.
	Add selected directory to task - This will add the selected directory to an input or output data directory section of a task. You first select a data directory store you've created on the right under the Project Tasks section, then choose the directory you'd like to add there. Click the Add directory to task button and the directory will be added to the data directory store under your task.
	New Task Area - This creates a new Task Area. A Task Area is usually a discipline or broad area of study in which tasks will be grouped under. For example, Geology, Petrophysics and Engineering could all be Task Areas. A task area is created just below the root.
	Insert New Task - Clicking this button will create a new task. A task is basically a two-step workflow that allows someone to quickly view and access input and output data related to the task. For example, a task could be "Build Geomodel" and the input and output data directories would be the specific directories where input and output data would be stored within the project. You would be able to quickly see the task you're looking for and access the relevant directories without having to sort through the tree and try and take a guess at where best to store the data. Creating a new task will also create the Input and Output Data Directories folders. These folders don't store any actual data, they simply link you to the directories that do.

Clicking the Create button when you're finished will create the new template. The newly created template should appear in your Edit Templates window where it will join the list of other templates you have access to.

3. Creating a Template from an Existing Project

Creating a template from an existing project is quite easy. If you have a project that you wish to make a template from its directory structure and task setup, you can go to the Administration menu, highlight the Projects menu item, and when the sub-menu pops out, click the Create Template from Project submenu item. The "Create Template from project" window will open, and you can edit the template accordingly here. This screen works exactly as the New Project Template window described in section two does, and you can read through this section above to learn how the buttons in this window work.

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