Automation fields can be formatted to suit the individual scenario for each Precedent.
This includes Automation Fields that are directly inserted from the Smokeball Automation Toolbar > Field tab showing fields available from your matter:
Or, Ask fields that you have created in this Precedent that are either the Text, Number, Date or Choice Type:
Formatting Automation Fields and Ask Fields work in the same way. If the Field has a Type preset i.e. date, number or text, the default options shown for formatting will switch accordingly.
Examples of formatting
We have an Automation Field like Client > Full Names that is recognised as a Text field type:
The Ask Field for Zoning has been set to Text Type and so it shows Text formatting by default:
Here, the Date for Birth Details has been selected for the Client, so the Field Type default formatting shows as Date:
And the same with an Ask Field where the type is Date for this Initial Meeting Ask, the Date formatting shows by default:
Applying formatting for Date, Text or Number
Insert the Automation/Ask field into the Precedent by double-clicking on it from the Smokeball Automation Toolbar. See example below of an Ask Field that has been set to a Number Type:
Click on the Automation/Ask field and you will see the Toolbar update with the Number Field Type Formatting for Number because the Ask is set to Number Type:
From the list of formatting options, select the one you would like to apply:
Select Apply Format to update the field with the formatting you have selected.
Toggle from ‘Show fields’ to ‘Show values’ to see if your change applied (because this is an Ask Field it will pop up with the Ask window for you to enter the data).
If this was an Automation Field from your matter, when you toggle to Show values, the Automation Field will populate with the data already entered in your matter. If your Field is not populating with any data, double check your matter to ensure you have entered data for that Field.
To remove the formatting, Click on the Field, and select Clear Format:
As mentioned, most fields automatically select the corresponding Field Type for you as either Text, Date or Number. However, you can manually change the Field Type in the drop-box if needed.
There are a small number of fields that operate differently as they are Word fields and not Smokeball ones, for example, the date options shown below:
Applying True/False Formatting
True/False formatting is available for:
- Automation Fields that are checkboxes which have a True or False value; and
- Ask Fields which have a True/False Type applied which show as Radio Buttons.
An example of an Automation Field that is a checkbox is the VOI Date Completed checkbox on a Contact Card:
For example, if you wish to use this Automation Field in a Precedent:
Insert the field into the Precedent and you will see it is automatically recognised as checkbox with True/False values:
Toggle to ‘Show values’ and it will appear as a checkbox in your Precedent: