CHARACTERS - ADDING CLASSIFICATIONS AND DATA 


From the Characters & Groups window, while in Edit mode, click on the Configure button at the top right of the Data section.

This will open the Configurator, where Classifications and Data about the subject can be entered.

For Individual Characters, the Configurator will look like this:


CONFIGURATION TEMPLATES

Character templates are optionally available to prefill some of the classifications, affiliations, and power grid settings. Click on the down arrow on the Configuration Template bar.

This will auto-fill Classifications, Affiliations and Power Grid stats:


CLASSIFICATIONS

Type in the dropdown for Classifications and click the button to add classifications to the list. Repeat until all required Classifications are added.

The Classifications box starts out filled with "Status - Active". Statuses are a recent addition, and will be used extensively to provide accurate search results. Please choose a status from the list before adding other Classifications.

NOTE: Type in the Dropdown, then hit TAB, then SPACE to quickly add classifications without having to click the mouse. This speeds up the process considerably.

Classifications exist for Status (ie Status - Active), Type (ie Extraterrestrial - Individual), Powers (ie Energy Manipulator), Occupation (ie Engineer), and Education (ie Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering).

If the Classification you require does not exist, type out the name, then click on the  to open the Classification Manager and add the new Class.

List items can be reordered using the up/down arrows and items can be deleted or the entire list cleared.


PLACE OF BIRTH

The list does not come pre-filled like Classifications. Due to the sheer number of records, lists for Place of Birth, Affiliations, and Related Characters work on Filters.

Click in the Dropdown and type text to filter. For example, if the character was born in Detroit, you can filter for Detroit or Michigan by typing in the word, then pressing the ENTER key.

The label with change to show the filter name and the list will populate with any Location record that has the word Detroit in it.

Choose the desired location, then add to the liist.

The Filter can be changed by simply typing a new word in the dropdown and pressing ENTER again.

If the Location you desire does not exist, type out the name, then click on  to Quick Add a new Location record.

NOTE: if the Character's place of birth is a planet, also try to include the Star System and Galaxy if possible. For example: Xantares (Planet); Xantares Star System; Milky Way Galaxy


AFFILIATIONS

Similar to Place of Birth, the list works on a Filter. Like the Add Characters Filters, type "All" (without parenthesis) and click ENTER on your keyboard to load all records. Type any other text, then ENTER to filter by that text.

If the Group Affiliation you require does not exist, type out the name, then click on the  to quickly create the Group.

List items can be reordered using the up/down arrows and items can be deleted or the entire list cleared.


POWER GRID STATS

Enter the Power Grid ratings (taken from the Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe or Marvel Encyclopedias), and Click the side button to build the Power Grid listing.

Additional Power Grid settings can be added for characters who have multiple ratings. Choose the second Power Grid setting and click the button to add. Use the up/down arrows to reorder list items. You can also remove individual items or clear the entire Power Grid list.

NOTE: If you chose the Classification of Teleporter, the application automatically adds a 7 Speed rating to the Power Grid list.


RELATED CHARACTERS

Similar to Affiliations, the list works on a Filter. See that section for procedures for Filtering Related Characters.

Once Filters are loaded, add related characters (mother, father, siblings, close relationships, etc) by choosing a prefix, then a character. Clicking the Add button will combine the prefix and the character and add them to the list. This is used for accuracy of the names being added. Adding names helps fill out the Related Characters listings on the Characters form.

If the Related Character you require does not exist, type out the name, then click on the  to quickly create the Character.

List items can be reordered using the up/down arrows and items can be deleted or the entire list cleared.


ABILITIES/ACCESSORIES:

Enter text into the Abilities/Accessories textbox to cover all known powers and paraphernalia for the character.

NOTE: Copying and pasting data from websites or PDFs can sometimes lead to the text being jumbled with extra spaces and line breaks. Double-click inside the text field to clean up the text. Carriage returns for paragraphs will also be removed and must be manually added back in to separate text.


BUILD PREVIEW

Data entered in Classifications, Place of Birth, Affiliations, Power Grid, Abilities/Accessories and Relations will be combined to create the character configuration.

Click  to combine the data and display it in the preview window.

The preview textbox is freeform, so text can be added or revised as necessary.

If you're not satisfied with the Configuration Preview, Click  to remove all data from the Build Preview and start over.

If everything appears as you'd like, Click  to copy the data back to the Characters form. The Configurator form automatically closes.

Adding this information to Characters now allows the Character to show up in searches for classifications and affiliations. For example, if you pull up the Avengers record, Iron Man (Anthony Stark) will be listed under Related Characters & Groups because Avengers was listed in Iron Man's Affiliations. If you do a classification search for Intelligence Level 6 (Super-Genius), he will show up in that list, as well.


GROUPS - ADDING CLASSIFICATIONS AND DATA

For Groups, the Configurator looks slightly different.

Power Grid and Relations are not included, and Place of Birth is now Base of Operations. Otherwise, the same rules apply for Groups as for Characters.


If you want to completely reset the form, click the Reset Form button in the top right of the Configurator. Clicking the Cancel button will close the form without committing any Configurator changes.