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May
10
Template Ideas, Please!
Filed Under Bento Tips
Here’s a good tip: if you are looking for a particular template, leave us a comment right here! There are many Bento users out there who love to figure out how to create the perfect solution.
Additional requests: please don’t ask for a template that is very simple and straightforward. Try to work on it yourself first. If you get stuck, comment right here and ask for help.
Secondly, try to include details in your requests, like field names or special features.
I’ll start: I get frequent requests for a Wedding Planner Template.
To follow my own new rules: it should include, for example, a guest list, a list of the gifts, the priest, the wedding party, the reception, tracking of different projects and side-events, like the invitations, who’s taking care of the flowers, the bridal shower, etc.
Who wants to take a crack at it?
Let the creative juices flow… and submit the finished template to BentoUsers.com! Thanks in advance in the name of all current and future Bento addicts.
Comments
36 Responses to “Template Ideas, Please!”
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I manage a performing arts venue and have recently began using Bento 2 for client management.
I’ve developed a pretty nice layout for looking at a clients vital stats, including event dates, contract amounts, payment due dates, follow up fields with priority ranking, related files, and more.
The thing that I would love more than anything would be the option to input data into the field layout, and have a contract populated with the data.
Contract language is standard, but entry of the various data including contact, dates booked, contract amounts, deposits, and payment structures are all dynamic fields.
That’s my dream, but I don’t know if the Application can accommodate.
Alex,
have you worked with Related Record List fields (totally different from related files)? Seems to me that this should be doable. You could create a Contract Language Library and then create several Relational Loops to account for the dynamic data. Tell me if you have more questions about that. If you have already tried that and didn’t get anywhere I would have to see your main template (layout).
I have a friend whose needs would be met with a travel agency template. It should be pretty simple: there are conference trips with various options, there are (potential) participants. And those could be interrelated.
I would not mind seeing a gardening template – something to track what I have planted in my garden, when I am to prune it, where I planted it, a picture image of what it is supposed to look like. Nothing complicated.
Graham,
that is so simple that I don’t see a reason not to try this yourself! Give it a shot and send it to me.
Jens,
please come up with a list of fields (titles) that should be included.
These recent comments have prompted me to revise my post to make clearer how we should go about the templates. I will do this later today.
I am interested in using Bento to conduct fire inspections.
All of the locations to be inspected are already in address book and I would like each inspection created to appear in ical.
These inspections are done once a year so there would be many inspection records to one location.
The majority of the fields would be choice (Yes/No/Not Applicable but some would require direct entry of data.
NOTE Each of the addresses in address book has a photo and I would like that photo to appear in the bento record as well.
AJ
AJ,
I’m going to add my 2 cents to help you or another template builder to get started.
This doesn’t sound very complicated, so I would encourage you to make the first attempt yourself.
If you want the inspections to appear in iCal you should create your records in iCal Events, as a collection.
The Addresses would be in a related record list field.
For the photos you could either add the same photo in a picture field to the collection, OR take advantage of the new feature of the RRL: click once to peek at the original address record, a second time to jump back to your inspections collection.
Besides the choice fields, just create a text field: “additional remarks” or the like.
Bento is a playground – have fun with your creation!
In addition you could create smart collections for each location.
Florian,
2 cents–5 cents its all appreciated.
I know exactly what I want to do and am confident that I can handle most of this. My weakness lies in
1-I want to use my iphone to do the inspections but thought I read that u can not sync bento if using an ical template.
2-I understand how to get a related record list field but not how to tweak it.
I am not looking for someone to do my work for me I was just hoping that the wheel had already been created and that I could just look it over and incorporate it into mine.
AJ,
you hadn’t mentioned initially that you wanted to use the iPhone, because you’re correct, Bento for iPhone doesn’t have (developers-) permission to use iCal.
So if you want both, you’d have to do double duty: create two independent libraries: one in iCal Events, one without.
Please feel free to ask me any specific questions about tweaking the RRL field you might have. Probably best by email (click on Contact).
… and you can still sync Bento, the iPhone will simply ignore everything iCal.
I am a BSA Cubmaster. I would love to keep my Scout Pack organized with Bento. I am flubbing through trying to write a database, but would be thrilled to use a Template!!!
Among the things I need to track, I would need to include:
* Scout Name
* Parent Name, contact info (often one parent with two or more kids in the pack)
* Scout advancements, achievements, rank, etc.
* Scout attendance at events
* Scout registration number with BSA
* Parent registration number with BSA
* Volunteer roles taken by parent
* BSA training passed by parent
* Scout School
* Scout birthday
etc.
Aaron,
this sounds pretty straight forward. I do think you should first try to attempt this yourself. And here is why:
this template should include several Related Record lists, including one from iCal Events, and one from Address Book. Because of the bad behavior of Bento when it comes to exchanging templates with related records, you might get into trouble importing a template like that.
The second thing your template could benefit from are Choice fields and Checkbox fields. Those two make data entry much faster and easier.
I’ll email you to get you started and I can help you all the way through. It would be a great learning tool to create this template yourself.
I work on a prime-time uk television production that has 3 separate tv crews constantly filming at 2 studio locations and various exterior locations.
i would like to be able to see the following for each unit on any given date:
start time
end time
hours worked
location
director
episode number
program number
But also be able to create a snap shot to see where all 3 units are on any given day in the same form.
There will also be the post production to link into this but that is for a later date.
Can Bento do this or do i need filemaker???
A loan template would be a good idea. I have a client who has a number of loans on various properties they own. Each loan has different due dates, payment amounts, etc. Some have balloon payments after 10 years, but the payments are based on a 20 year loan. I just got my copy of Bento and this might be my first project.
How about a SCUBA log database template. This would be great for documenting dives and recording the things seen on a particular dive or for finding a site that has a particular kind of fish or coral.
How about a template that keeps track of books, magazines, articles that one has read. Basic notes and information, main characters, etc. Also if there is a way to set up a family tree or time line for books that have related characters or use the same character for multiple stories.
I am seeking a means for integrating all of my financial categories with spreadsheets, in order to track monthly, quarterly and yearly statements. It seems that it’s possible, but I want to be able to link the various spreadsheets together as well. Does this make sense to you?
Jonathan,
the only way to link things together in Bento is with Related Record fields. Have you played around with them?
Otherwise, keep in mind that Bento is not a spreadsheet, but a database program. Its table view looks like a spreadsheet, but that’s deceiving. Records are simply displayed in a table. The summary row can only make very simple calculations which can be combined with calculation fields, but it’s not as straight forward and flexible as a dedicated spreadsheet application.
I would like a net worth template
I desperately need an invoice template and an ENVELOPE printing template! Help, Please!!
Hi Geri,
it’s much easier to print envelopes with Mac Address Book. It has many templates you can customize.
Invoicing should be simple: just make a list of fields you want; doesn’t need to be fancy. If you want us to help you, please tell us which information you need to track in detail.
But I would encourage you to try it yourself and come back to us if you run into problems.
Hi there,
We homeschool our children and we want to use Bento to track everything. We track students, time, class, grades, test results, and days attended. Then each new year sepearate the new data from the previous years. Then of course a report card would be nice.
Cheers,
JK
John,
have you checked out the template exchange at Filemaker? It’s really growing fast and search-able. See link on our sidebar.
Otherwise, give us more details, like names for fields. Separating data by years is done by creating smart collections in Bento. See the user’s guide.
Very interesting post, am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.
Regarding a template for a Cub Scout Pack, I want to do the same thing. What gets complicated for me is how to calculate achievements earned. Very often, there are complicated things like “Do 2 of 1 through 5 and any five of 6 through 12″ to earn an achievement. I would love to set it up so I can check off who has completed what and have the system automatically figure out who has completed what, print out a to-do list I can give to the boys telling them what to work on (unfinished items) or a shopping list of badges to buy for my den, etc. I am getting the impression that Bento is not that powerful. Possibly with AppleScripting?
Andy,
you can use Bento’s Smart Collections to create those lists automatically. You can create any kind of criteria for those, several levels deep.
Bento will never have any scripting otherwise.
Hello. I am a freelancer who needs to track and summarize earnings outside of quicken. I want to enter every field on a check, and sum each field. Also, Year to Date and the same things for my wife would be good. I am really not that good at this stuff – a very basic spreadsheet is a challenge. I am , however, a good carpenter and a pretty good dad. I am using Bento 2, but would be happy to upgrade to 3
Hi Dan,
that’s too bad, because Quicken would do a much better job than Bento. Bento is very limited when used as a spreadsheet, because it’s really a database program.
But you should really try this yourself and see how you like it. For summarizing you should just use Table View. This is a straight forward project and this way you can really learn easily how Bento works.
First write down on paper all the fields you need. You can stick to two different field types: Number and Text. Then create a new Library and add new fields one at a time. Finally drag each field onto the form and arrange it any way you like. Send me an email if you have any questions along the way (under the “contact” link).
If you have any basic questions, you should read the user’s guide first. You can do it! Bento 2 will be just fine for this project.
Two simple requests, because I’m totally ignorant:
mileage log for business record keeping and reimbursement, not for fuel economy checking.
Blood glucose log for diabetics, including total carbs, glucose readings and averages, times and events, insulin doses.
thanks
We’ll work on it. Gareth, are you still with us too?
But we can’t do it in Danish…
Lars,
the free Filemaker template exchange has several templates for mileage tracking, one is actually called mileage tracker:
http://solutions.filemaker.com/database-templates/search_results.jsp?search=mileage
You should still read the user’s guide, so you know at least how to manipulate existing templates to adjust them to your exact needs.
Tell me how the mileage tracker worked out for you.
Lars,
Filemaker even offers a Blood Glucose Monitor template:
http://solutions.filemaker.com/database-templates/detail.jsp?serial=2550633
Download it and tell me what’s missing. You might be able to expand on it yourself. It’s really easy to just add some new fields.
Hi, I read your tips frequently and take this chance to ask for a template.
I’m a bowler and also do some training. It would be great to have a way to keep scores and and to have averages and diagrams automatically calculated. Preferably to do the input in the iPhone and do the stats in the mac.
I’m surprised that this is not done before since Bowling is wide spread in the US!?! Have done a lot of searching in google but can not find any stats program for Bowling.
Please help me
Bernt the Swede
Hi Bernt,
Bento is a database program, NOT a spreadsheet like Numbers or Excel. Bento can not to graphs or diagrams, nor fully automatic calculations across several records.
So you probably won’t be happy with a template. The only calculations across records can be done in Table View or in a Related Data field on a form.
If you still want to give Bento a try, tell me exactly what fields you want (or what data you would like to enter) and I can make you a simple template which is all Bento can do for you as a bowler.
Hi Florian…
I just discovered Bento (v3 at that…) and database in general, and was wondering if it could help me with my studying/filing of medical disease highlights…
Basically, I’d have diseases and presentation symptoms, physical examinations findings and further investigations needed…
And then grouping by general symptoms.
For example: Chest Pain….
And then heart infarct, heartburn, gastritis, anxiety … (you get the idea)…
Now, all the disease will have the same History (what, when, where, other symptoms etc etc…), same physical exam (head, heart, lungs, gi, neuro, ….) fields, which will be populated with different (some recurring) symptoms (for example… nausea, chest pain, convulsion etc…) and other fields (like need to further investigate by doing a complete blood count… test for drugs etc etc)…
What would be the best way of doing this, while being able to regroup them afterwards as I see fit (for example, get all the diseases with lowered red blood cell count, or with vomitting, or with vomitting, nausea AND chest pain, but NOT tachycardia)?
As you can see, I’m pretty new to this, and not sure I have a clue on how to start all this big project… But mostly, I would hate to start this and finding halfway that I’m doing something completely wrong
.
Thanks for the help,
Erick
Hi Erick,
Bento is pretty straight forward and intuitive. It’s hard to do something “completely wrong.”
Your project does not sound complicated either. I really think that you can easily do this yourself.
You should start by reading the Bento user’s manual (see the Help menu) to understand the basics.
Then you should map out the database on a piece of paper and assign initial field types to the chunks of information you need to enter, like text fields, choice fields, number fields, choice fields.
Then start with a blank template and add the fields one by one and drag them onto a form. Then you have to test the database by entering some records.
Once you have done all that, come back with any questions that might present themselves.