Getting Started
This guide covers essential steps for creating workflows, linking data, and generating automated reports.
Georgios Papadogeorgakis
Sep 24, 2024
Once you have a paid Layer license, you can have your own Layer project up and running in a few easy steps:
1. Create a Project
From your Project Dashboard, click Create a Project:
See more detailed steps on creating a project here, including how to create a project from scratch or from a template: https://layer.team/docs/create-a-project
2. Configure your Project
Next set up the Categories that you will be using in your project. Categories organize your data into separate high level buckets. For example, in our FFE template, you can see that the different categories used are Product Specs, Finishes and Company Directory.
Then add the Fields to collect information in your Categories. Fields are the properties that hold your data. In your Company Directory you would have fields for contact info, but in your Product Specs and Finishes category, you may keep product images, model numbers, dimensions.
Each category have their own unique set of fields different from the other categories. You can also think about the connections you would want to make between the categories such as Manufacturers in the Company Directory and the furniture in your Product Specs category. That is why you would keep each in their separate category and make connections between the two. The same goes for Finishes that may be used for furniture in Product Specs category.
One thing to note is that you would not want to make separate categories for Chairs, Tables, Lighting etc. since they can all fall under Product Specs. Setting up too many categories with similar fields would create a lot of redundancies that can be avoided by using one category for all Product Specs.
Further details found here:
3. Add your Data
There are several ways you can add data to your Layer project.
Manual input on the browser (desktop) or mobile apps
If you don't have an existing database of data, you can create it in Layer by adding in elements and filling in the fields.
Bulk importing elements from a spreadsheet
The rows will be unique elements while the values in the columns can be mapped to fields. This is a quick way to add a lot of pre-existing data into Layer.Our Form view allows users to fill in a form without a Layer account and create new elements in your project. This can be helpful for use by consultants or owners to help add data without seeing the entirety of your project.
4. Export your Data
One of the most powerful parts of Layer is the ability to automatically generate reports from your data.
Document View
Layer Document View allows you to create standardized document templates that render a PDF from elements stored in your Layer Categories.
You can create 2 types of Document View reports
→ Standard Document View shows 1 element per PDF page
→ Summary Document View creates tabular summaries of your categories records based on your filters.
→ Read more about Document Views
Shared Views
Tabular & Gallery views can be shared with anyone publicly by creating a “shared view”.
