Accessing Document Builder and Forms as a user within Dynamic View

My team had recently added Dynamic View to our plan with the idea to use it for simplifying visibility to otherwise head-spinning information housed in our sheets. In the past, we have utilized Forms and Document Builder within our various sheets in order for my teammates to insert new submissions and generate documents with specific PDF templates using the information within our sheets. However, I've noticed that within the Dynamic View app users only have the ability to add and view attachments, but not generate documents. Additionally, instead of submitting a form to add a new row to a sheet (a process we've practiced for about two years), users can press "New", but this option is not feasible because admins cannot edit the fields that users will have visibility to edit to add a new row that the admin would otherwise not want visible to the user within the Dynamic View (that I am aware of, please enlighten me if I am mistaken.)

TLDR: Is there a solution/back-door way to accessing Document Builder within a Dynamic View? Are users only able to add a row through clicking on "New" without access to the sheet's forms?

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Accepted answers

Genevieve P.

Hi @Megan Hammon

Dynamic View allows users to see a specific data from a sheet, but the source will always be the source sheet.

This means that if you want users to still use the Form Submission method to create new rows you can definitely do that! You can send forms to anyone to fill out, they don't have to be shared to the sheet.

Whether or not the user can then SEE the rows they have created will be up to how you have set up the Dynamic View. For example, maybe you have an IT Ticket Submission process:

You can use a Form to have the user Submit the IT Request. This means you can use conditional logic and custom explanations in your form.
Once the form submission comes in, it creates a new row in the sheet. However, the user is not shared to the sheet at all... so...
In the form confirmation email or message displayed, you can have a link to the Dynamic View.
In the Dynamic View, the user can only see rows where they are the submitter. This would allow them to keep track of any of their own requests, without seeing other user's rows.

If you use the Form Submission way of creating new rows, then you don't need to enable the "Create New" from within the Dynamic View. This will limit what the user is able to do and allow you to customize the form to how you'd like. Does that make sense?

In regards to Document Builder, you are correct: users can add attachments from Dynamic View, but the creation of documents does need to be done directly from the source sheet.

Hope that helps clarify!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Genevieve P.

Hi @Megan Hammon

When you click "Create New" from within Dynamic View, the Details Panel will show the exact same fields that can be edited in when you click on a current row. The difference is that you're creating a new row through the Details Panel, so the fields will initially be blank.

There is a difference between the View and the Panel though, if you wanted to refine the fields. For example, say I want to show 6 columns, but I only want them to fill in 3 columns in the "Create New" panel, you can set it up to do that:

Screen Shot 2021-01-13 at 4.14.11 PM.png

Does that make sense?

However if you want to go through the Form Submission route outlined in my previous post, then you have full customization! That form would be based on your Sheet and would submit to the Source Sheet so you can refine it however you'd like. Then in the Dynamic View you can select what columns to show in the View and what columns to show in the Panel for edits, separately.

Let me know if you'd like any further clarification on this. You may also want to look into booking a Pro Desk session, since your account is eligible for this. They're 30-minute coaching sessions conducted over zoom where you can share your screen and ask for advice... see here: https://www.smartsheet.com/pro-desk

You'll want to book a session under the "Premium Apps" category. If you don't know your access code to book a session, let me know and I'll reach out to you privately to provide this.

Cheers!

Genevieve

All comments

Genevieve P.

Hi @Megan Hammon

Dynamic View allows users to see a specific data from a sheet, but the source will always be the source sheet.

Whether or not the user can then SEE the rows they have created will be up to how you have set up the Dynamic View. For example, maybe you have an IT Ticket Submission process:

You can use a Form to have the user Submit the IT Request. This means you can use conditional logic and custom explanations in your form.
Once the form submission comes in, it creates a new row in the sheet. However, the user is not shared to the sheet at all... so...
In the form confirmation email or message displayed, you can have a link to the Dynamic View.
In the Dynamic View, the user can only see rows where they are the submitter. This would allow them to keep track of any of their own requests, without seeing other user's rows.

In regards to Document Builder, you are correct: users can add attachments from Dynamic View, but the creation of documents does need to be done directly from the source sheet.

Hope that helps clarify!

Cheers,

Genevieve

Megan Ryzenga

Thank you, Genevieve! This was especially helpful for a new Dynamic View user such as myself. It is unfortunate that we cannot access Document Builder within the app since my team has become dependent on it for a couple of our processes. I will submit an enhancement request and hope to see this capability in the future.

Another question I have about using the "Create New" option within Dynamic View: is it at all possible to have different visibility to fields within "Creat[ing a] New" row that is more refined than the fields included in the details panel? I am asking because some fields that we have in the form are not relevant to all users submitting information, and if we can reduce visibility in order to ultimately reduce the size of the form, that would be ideal.

Genevieve P.

Hi @Megan Hammon

Does that make sense?

You'll want to book a session under the "Premium Apps" category. If you don't know your access code to book a session, let me know and I'll reach out to you privately to provide this.

Cheers!

Genevieve

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