Options Templates

[JLynn]

I think the answer is no...but I'll ask anyways - is there anyway to copy an option template? I have been working on my product options (have a lot of them) and have many common ones from product to product - so I would like to be able to make "Master" templates for my different categories (bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc.) utilizing a variety of single options - this would make it easier to set the product global options in the categories (vs. having to go through the selection process multiple times) or worry about making changes in the individual product detail pages or in the options spreadsheet for imports.

Also - whether you are setting global options from the categories...or setting options from the product detail options tab...it would be SO wonderful if there were either checkboxes for choosing your options (or checkboxes for deleting from what you've picked.

Been experimenting and am trying to find the easiest route for dealing with them - has anyone used the Option template- or have any additional thoughts or suggestions for using the import or creating templates?

[bristweb]

i haven't tried this, but perhaps you could use the import/export feature to do this

[ScribeTime]

I think 3Dcart is adding some import/export features and upgrades to the product options template in this upcoming release.

Know that doesn't help you right now.

[SarahInc]

I feel like you are talking about options templates. It is under products.

You make a option template, and then on the product page under options it you click insert from template.

Sorry if this isn't what you are talking about...sounds like it though.

[JLynn]

Well - I can't wait for the release - maybe it'll be soon :) Setting up the single options are a breeze - no problem there. It's the organization of the options and trying to think like the program that's making me stumble LOL.

The way I'm seeing it...you have three choices...
1. You set up your single options and designate them through the actual product, 2. Do a global product option (through Categories/Category Setting/Global Product Options) or 3. Do an Import/Export - which I personally haven't tried yet (but intend to) - however before I do that I wanted to understand how everything flows first.

The first time around, I set up my single options first, then tried to do a Global Category set (Categories/Category Settings/Global Product Options/Insert from template - where you then have the pop-up box to either copy or link from template). The problem here is the system will not let you pick multiple single options (you have to do these one at a time through the same pop up box and then they do not come over in sort order, which means you than have to resort manually one at a time once they are in your global section). I scrapped this because it's a lot of editing for me because there are so many options unique to products & categories.

My second time at setting up options, I set up all my single options pre-sorted in to one major Master - which made it easier for selection at global - but then I found out there was not a checkbox to delete the unwanted single options, so wound up manually deleting one at a time. When I considered the changes from category to category and products, it would mean a lot of manual edits - so another scrap :( .

So I'm hoping the third time is a charm. I've set up my bare bone basic options under my Masters specific to the overall category (yes this involved re-typing certain single options multiple times for each Master - this is what I meant by being able to copy :)). I'm going to do the global settings of these masters for each category. Then I'll have to manually add the "extra" templates that are specific to each product - which can be done through individual products, OR through an import. I'm all for imports - but seriously hoping that I don't mess up my products in the process (I was reading in another post about the importance of the "/").

Anyways...hoping that we'll see some improvements in this area - namely the ability to create just one list of single options with the capability of multiple choices for Category global imports that can come over pre-sorted (or have that nifty "save all" button for editing the sorts in one save vs. updating individually). Anything to help shave off some admin time.

Feel free to share any thoughts - my mind is fried - and maybe I'm totally missing something? :D

[burkie]

For anyone using Options Templates... help, what am I doing wrong? I am just beginning to enter products and I don't want to enter a bunch without getting the first one for each category to work correctly. So I started with the easiest and created am options template for sizes. It appears on the page and I'm delighted it works. However, I needed to correct the designated sizes in the descriptions. So I changed the template "descriptions" as needed, updated and clicked "Apply Template" which popped up a warning that it would overwrite the options on products using this template -- that is what I wanted it to do. But it didn't overwrite. The product page still shows the old option descriptions. I have refreshed, closed and opened a new page, you name it I've clicked it trying to get it global update the template options as it says it does. What am I missing? Or does the template not update products as indicated?

Thanks,
Lisa

[burkie]

Never mind I figured it out. On the first product I copied the template options. The second product I linked the template and in doing so realized that was the problem with the global update. So it does update correctly now.

Lisa