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Outputs are Service Geeni's way of presenting information captured by various inputs, such as reports, job sheets, or Forms. The Documents Editor is a powerful tool used to create these outputs. Outputs are fully customisable to ensure clients and customers receive information in the clearest format.
Getting There
To create or edit a certificate, open the Document Editor:
Navigate to the Equipment tab and select Form Enquiry.
The module will open and display the available Form forms.
Using the Action Tray, select the Edit icon on the Form you wish to edit.
In the Form Details window, click on the Settings tab.
To the right of the screen, click on the Edit icon in the Certificate field. If the selection is blank, click New Document.
The Document Editor opens in a new browser page. From here, you can begin to design your certificate.
Documents Editor Navigation
In the Editor, the screen is split into different zones.
Tabs: Each design tab has a set of formatting, insert or layout tools to work with.
Gridded canvas: This is where the document is built. You set the layout and add the inputs, which can be linked to various sources from a Form or the Service Geeni system.
Pages within the Document Editor are data pages and do not represent physical pages. Certain fields, such as DataBands, can extend beyond the page limit and span multiple printed pages.
Properties: In this window, you can modify and format the selected item or page. Each input has different formatting options available. You can change position and appearance, allow text and data fields to shrink or grow, choose where they appear on the final document, and rename or lock fields.
Dictionary: This contains the building blocks used to create an output template. This includes data sources, fields, variables, functions, and resources that can be used when designing an output. These elements can be referenced or dragged into the report design.
Report Tree: The Report Tree provides a structured view of all components used within the output template, such as pages, bands, data sections, and report objects. It allows users to navigate the template structure, organise elements, and select specific components for editing. This is especially useful when working with more complex outputs containing multiple sections or nested components.
The toolbar (left of the screen): This offers shortcuts from the main menu tabs. You can add reports, headers and footers, text boxes, shapes, images, barcodes and charts.
Bottom toolbar: This allows you to change document measurements from Centimeters, Hundredths of inches, inches, and Millimeters.
You can also check for issues, see which item is selected, and view its position on the grid.
Optimise the Page
Before creating anything, optimise the page.
Under the Page tab, select Size and choose A4 (or your preferred format).
Next, go to the footer toolbar and select Centimetres. This is a preferred setting as it gives more precision when moving items around the page.
Optional: Click on the page canvas so page properties appear in the Properties window. In Page Width, using whole numbers can make calculations easier.
If your certificate requires more space, reduce the margin size in the Margins section.
Create an Output
When creating a basic output, some essential items are needed. The general structure of the document needs a header, a footer and a DataBand.
Before you start, save your work:
Click File, then Save or Save As.
Saving your output is important; you will be disconnected after a period of inactivity, as per Service Geeni's security measures.
Add a Header and Footer
With the page optimised, it's time to add the basics.
Click the Insert tab.
Drag and drop the Page Header and Page Footer options onto the canvas. They will automatically snap to the top and bottom of the page.
The header and footer reserve a space on the page where permanent details like addresses and signatures are placed.
Use the markers to expand or shrink the area.
Elements outside a component won't follow its rules, e.g. the header will always stay at the top; if an address box is outside, it could move or shift in an undesired way.
Add a Text Box
Next, add some details. It's common practice to have the company name and address at the top of the page.
From the Insert tab, click Components, and select Text.
Within the Header, draw a box for the company address.
Once the box is drawn, a Text dialogue window will open.
Enter the company name.
Click ok to confirm and close the window.
With the textbox selected, use the Properties window to alter the font, colour, size and more. The Properties section is covered in more detail later on.
Add another Text box for the company address details.
You can copy and paste the text box you just made or create a new one. If you copy it, double-click on the text box to open the field editor.
Enter the address details in the window like before.
or
In the column to the right, select Data Column.
Expand the Company Details option.
Select Address Line 1 (or an appropriate option).
This will link the text to Address Line 1 of your company. Repeat this until the address is complete.
Connecting data such as company addresses or phone numbers throughout the company Details band is beneficial for automatic updates in case of any changes.
Next, add the output title, such as Risk Assessment or Service Tool Calibration Sheet.
Add an Image
Next, add a logo.
From the Components section, select Image.
Draw an image box for the logo.
In the dialogue box, upload an image from your device or link it from the Data Column.
If the logo is not visible, enable:
Aspects Ration
Image Stretch
Add a DataBand
The output must contain at least one DataBand, which pulls in data from the Form or Service Geeni.
From the Insert tab, drag and drop the Data option onto the canvas.
Use the selection points to expand the area.
In the Dialogue box, assign TestCertificates.
Setting Up Questions and Results
Now set up the questions and results within the DataBand.
Using the Text component, draw a box and give it a name; this will be the question.
In the Home tab, use the settings to add a border so the field is clearly visible.
Copy and paste the text field.
Remove the text, then scale and align each box; this will be the answer.
To link a result to a Form source:
Double-click the box and select Data Column.
Choose TestCertificate, then scroll to the required field.
The field name can be confirmed in Field Properties within the Form designer.
Check Box
There are multiple result options available to include in the output. Text and image fields have been covered. The next common component is a Check Box.
From Components, select Check Box.
Place the Check Box where desired.
In the Properties window, use the ellipsis (...) to set the check box source and choose the required style.
Choose Data Column and select the desired data field.
Set the Check Style
Continue repeating this process until the output is complete.
Add a Signature
The final step is to add a signature to the footer.
To do this:
Create an Image field.
Open Data Column and select either Customer Signature from the Form source or EngineerSignature from the list.
Selecting EngineerSignature imports the signature captured on the engineer’s mobile device once the job is completed.
Add a Text component to name the signature field.
Adjust the components to your liking, font, field size, position, colour, borders, etc.
Use the Preview tab to review the output.
Fields linked to Form sources will not display data in preview mode. These fields populate once the form is completed.
Congratulations! You have created an output.
Test the Certificate
Testing a certificate is important to confirm that all data fields function correctly.
Navigate to the Scheduling tab and select Service Call.
Find a customer or equipment item, then raise a job from the Action Tray.
In the Raise New Job window, scroll down to the Sub Job / Task section.
Under Forms, click View. Delete any others, leaving only the certificate you want to test.
If your form is not visible, click Select Forms, choose the required form, then click Add. Close the window to complete the selection.
Initiate and confirm the job. This will take you to either Job Control or the Scheduler.
Open that job and select Edit from the Action Tray.
On the Job Details page, select the Forms tab.
Using the Action Tray, click Edit.
This opens the form allowing you to complete it as though you were the engineer.
Complete all fields, then click Save.
To view the certificate, click back on the Forms tab and select the Print icon from the Action Tray.
The output opens in a new browser tab for review.
This is a basic output to gain an understanding of how the designer works. Service Geeni offers professional default templates.
Below will cover some key sections in more detail.
Pages
Within the Document Editor, you can move, delete, duplicate or copy pages into another document. This is useful when you have a completed layout you want to reuse.
Right-click the page name and select Save Page As.
The page downloads using the page name.
In the document you are working on, right-click the page name and select Open Page.
Select the saved page, and it will populate the canvas.
Duplicating and importing pages can also help when making changes to a live document. You can copy the page, then clear the Enabled option so the page does not print until it is enabled again.
When copying a page, use caution:
Fields added to the original document are not carried over to the new page.
If the document contains conditions, they may refer to DataBand numbers, and imported pages may change those DataBand references.
Linked data bands may also be affected.
Conditions
Conditions control whether fields are visible and how they behave within the Document Editor. Conditions can hide fields, display additional fields, or change a field’s appearance based on defined rules.
To add a condition, select the field you want to affect, then click Conditions from the Home tab.
From the dropdown list, select Highlight Condition.
Within a Highlight Condition, there are two sections:
Filter defines the rule or criteria.
Format defines the change that is applied when the rule is met.
In Column, select the field you want to read from.
Click the ellipsis (…) to open the Data Column window, link the field, then click OK.
Next, define the parameters. For example, if the field 'Safe to operate?' is Yes, you can set the box to green.
Repeat this process for as many fields as required.
Test the certificate to confirm the conditions are working as expected.
You can apply multiple conditions to a single field. Other condition types are covered in another workshop.
Format a Field
Within the Document Editor, you can format fields to suit your needs, such as date fields or currency fields.
For this example, format a date field.
Add a title and date field using the Text component.
For the date field, link it to the correct Data Column within the Form.
Select the field on the canvas, then in the Home tab, click the expand arrow in the General section.
The Format window opens displaying a range of preset formatting options.
Select the required format.
Click the expand icon named Text Fromat.
Here, you can specify the exact format you want.
Style Designer
The Style Designer is a text formatting tool with one-click functionality. Styles can be saved and imported, making them useful for maintaining a consistent brand across documents.
Styles can alter an existing document if matching field styles already exist, such as Data Label or Data Box, so applying a style set may update those fields automatically.
When you first start working with Service Geeni, you may not have a style set available.
Service Geeni includes pre-built templates you can download and use.
Navigate to Default Communication Centre under System Settings.
Select a document from the dropdown and click Edit to open the Document Editor.
Open Style Designer, then under Actions select Save As. This downloads a file called Styles.sts. You can rename the file from your operating system if required.
Open the output you were working on, select Style Designer, then under Actions click Open, locate the saved file, and import the style set.
Remove any unwanted styles using the Remove tool, then amend styles as needed using the Properties window.
Make sure to select one first!
Adding a Font to the Document
To add a font to the document:
Select Dictionary in the Properties window.
Under Functions, right click Resources and select New Resource.
Drag and drop the font file or browse to locate it, give the resource a name, then click OK.
The new font is added to the document.
Return to Style Designer, select the style you want to amend, then in the Properties window under Appearance, change the font.
Add and Assig Styles
To assign a style to a field:
Select the field you want to update.
Click the Select Style tool.
Choose a style.
In the Style Designer, you can add new styles from the Add Style dropdown.
Style Collections
When working with larger document sets, you can use Style Collections from the Actions dropdown to group styles together.
You can essentially create a complete branding package for the company.
Drag and drop styles into Collections to organise them.
Once you are happy with the configuration, click OK to save the new styles.
Panels
Panels are a useful component for creating margins within a page and grouping fields together.
From the Insert tab:
Select Components.
Choose Panel.
Click and draw the panel box around the fields you want to group.
Once fields are placed within the panel, they become linked. When the panel is moved, the linked fields move with it.
You can use multiple panels within a DataBand.
Panels are also useful for advanced condition features, such as removing input fields and allowing the fields below to move up automatically.
Behaviour
The Document Editor allows you to control field behaviour from the Behaviour section in the Properties window.
Behaviour settings can be applied to individual fields, groups of fields, or entire pages. Depending on the element selected, different options are available.
Some key features include:
Can Grow and Shrink allows a field to expand or contract based on the amount of data returned by the source.
Enabled controls whether a field is visible, which is useful when editing a live document.
Print On determines how often a field appears on a page.
