Crafting New Custom Templates

Custom templates are a powerful feature available at the Advanced and Pro account levels, offering unparalleled flexibility in structuring your metadata. Odyssey provides two intuitive methods for creating a new custom template:

Add New

• From the main Templates Index View, click the Add New button. This action will direct you to a dedicated page (either "New Container Template" or "New Item Type Template"), ready for your configuration.
  
  

  
  

• Naming Your Template: Begin by assigning a clear and descriptive name for your new template in the "Name" box. A unique name is required; Odyssey will reject the form save if the name field is not populated.
  
  
  
• Initial Save: After naming, an initial "Save" is required, which then transitions you to a second page to add metadata fields. The user can also elect to cancel the creation of the new template.
  
  
  
• Adding Fields: Define your metadata structure by typing the field name into the "Add Name" box. Select a Category—indicating the general type of information (e.g., "Title," "Subtitle," "Notes," "Description," "Other Descriptive Data"). Crucially, only one field should be assigned the "Title" category to prevent potential confusion or errors. For list-type fields, specify the List Source(s), drawing from your established data lists. You can select multiple lists for a single field, and Odyssey's auto-complete function assists in quickly finding list names. After defining, click the plus sign icon to add the field.
  • Field Properties
    
     
    • Featured: These fields are designated to be immediately visible when viewing an item's detail page within Odyssey. Attributes not marked as "Featured" remain fully accessible but are organized under a "Show More Metadata" control, ensuring that comprehensive details are always available without overwhelming the user's initial view. This control allows you to curate the primary narrative and essential facts for optimal discoverability and engagement. 
    • Required: Marking a field as Required ensures data completeness and consistency for individual item records. When editing an item of a specific type, data must be entered into all designated "Required" fields before saving. This critical validation ensures that essential information is always captured at the point of creation or modification. Notably, this requirement does not apply during bulk import or update operations, providing crucial flexibility for large-scale data ingestion while maintaining integrity for individual record work. Title will always be required by default.
      
      
• Reordering Fields: Fields can be intuitively reordered by clicking and dragging the arrow icons positioned to the left of the field names, allowing you to arrange your metadata schema logically.
  
  
  
• Field Groups: This innovative feature allows you to define field groups, which elegantly render as collapsible and expandable sections of metadata on your public website and Odyssey item detail pages (with the exception of enhanced exhibits and composite sites). This allows collection managers to create "hierarchies" and enhances user experience by presenting complex metadata in an organized and digestible format. 
  
  

  Example of field grouping

  
  
• Properties: The Properties tab allows you to precisely define the fundamental behavior and characteristics of your template. These settings govern how items created with this template interact within Odyssey and how they are presented.
  
  

  
  

  • Items of this type are treated as 'collections': Selecting this option designates that items created using this template will function as top-level organizational units, akin to distinct collections within your archive. This is ideal for structuring major thematic groupings or institutional divisions. 
    
    
  • Items of this type are treated as 'containers': When this checkbox is selected, items created from this template are configured to hold embedded items, acting as digital folders or physical boxes within your hierarchical structure. This is essential for materials like scrapbooks, books, or archival series that contain multiple individual components. 
    • This template will appear in Templates > Containers or Templates > Items, depending on your selection here. Changing this will move it from one list to the other. 
  • Allow items of this type to have duplicate names: When enabled, Odyssey permits items created through imports or bulk updates to share identical names, streamlining specific data migration scenarios. Duplicate names are allowed when creating or editing individual records in Odyssey. 
    
    
  • Default Thumbnail: This field allows you to specify a default thumbnail that will be automatically assigned to items created using this template if no specific image is provided. This ensures a consistent visual representation across your collection, even for items without unique primary media. Users can choose from a library of icons provided in Odyssey or upload their own custom thumbnail.
    
    
    Custom thumbnail management overlay
    
    
• Presentation Tab: This is where you define how your digital items are visually presented to users, both within Odyssey and on public-facing sites. This section allows you to select the optimal Form Factor for your item types, ensuring an engaging and appropriate viewing experience that aligns with the nature of your historical assets.
  
  • Standard Viewer: This is the default and most versatile display option. It presents items in a widely compatible format, suitable for a broad range of digital assets and general Browse. The Standard Viewer is engineered for straightforward interaction and broad accessibility across your collection. 
    
    Odyssey's standard zoomable viewer
    
    
  • Publication Viewer: This specialized viewer is tailored for items that are best experienced as digital publications, such as digitized books, periodicals, or multi-page documents. When selected, the Publication Viewer reveals additional controls specific to managing how these multi-part items are displayed, including intricate navigation, layout configurations, and the precise metadata fields utilized for publication details. This feature significantly enhances the interactive experience for users engaging with sequential historical content.
    
    Odyssey publication viewer
    
    
• Instances: By navigating to this tab, users can immediately view all items currently utilizing that specific template. This direct linkage offers valuable insights into how your templates are being applied across your digital collection, ensuring clear oversight and facilitating informed management decisions regarding template revisions or deprecation.
  
  
• Final Save: Once you have meticulously added all necessary fields and configured your settings, click the Save button located in the upper right corner. Your new custom template will be successfully created and promptly appear in your "Custom Templates" list. 

A warning will appear, and changes will not be saved, if no field has been assigned the "Title" category.

Duplicate Existing

• For expedited template creation, simply identify the template you like to duplicate from the Templates Index View page and click the Duplicate icon on the associated container or item template.
  
  
  Duplicate Icon
  
  
  
• You will be instantly directed to a "Duplicate Container Template" or "Duplicate Item Type Template" page.
  
  

  Duplicate item type screen
  
  

• Assign a new, distinct title for your duplicated template.
• Click "Make a copy" to initiate the duplication.
• Odyssey will then create the new template, which can be immediately edited or deleted from the main template screen. From the edit page, you retain full control to add, modify, or reorder its fields along with all the editing options described in the Add New section above.