See Also: How to Setup Document Templates, Building Document Templates with Google Docs
Document templates can be created using Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice.
The following tutorial explains how to create a document template in OpenOffice or LibreOffice. Both are free, open-source office suites that contain word processors. Once a template is created, it can be uploaded into Trackops, and then generated on any case in your system.
Note: Information on how to access a full list of variables is located under step 3 (below).
To get started, open the OpenOffice Writer application. From here, you can design your report template however you want, using styles, images, and other built in Writer features. When you get to a point in your document where you want to insert a variable, follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Place your cursor where you want the variable to appear
Step 2: Open the "Fields" dialog box (CTRL + F2)
Note: You can also access the "Fields" dialog box by going to Insert > Fields > Other from the toolbar.
Once you have the Fields dialog box open, select the Functions tab, select Input Field from the list, and click Insert.
Step 3: Enter the Variable Name (don't forget the curly braces!)
Important: Variables are case sensitive, and must be wrapped with two curly braces on either side. For more information, please read How to use Template Variables.
For a complete list of available variables, go to the Settings tab, click Document Templates, and then click New Document Template. From here, click the View Template Variables link.
Note: The gray background on a field is normal. This will not appear when printing, or converting a generated document template to a PDF.
Step 4: Finish and Upload your Template
Once you have completed your template, you must upload it into your Trackops system before using it on a case. To do so, please read How to Upload a Document Template, and then How to Generate an Investigative Report on a Case.
An Important Note About the "Updates.list", "Files.list", and "Video.list" Variables
Because document "form fields" do not allow for proper line breaks and formatting, in most cases you will not want to enter the "Updates.list", "Files.list", or, "Video.list" variables as fields, only as plain text. For best results, simply enter these variables directly into the document template itself.