Add entities to a data model

An entity is a category of items that you want to track or analyze. For example, a data model used for collection tracking can contain entities for evidence, collection, and custodian.

There can be multiple data records for an entity. Each of these data records is called an entity item. For example, the evidence entity can have entity items for bank statement, suspect's laptop, and suitcase of cash. Reviewers create entity items when they add new records to the application.

You can create new entities for a data model. You can also add entities that already exist in one data model to a different data model.

Create new entities in a data model

To create new entities:

On the Case Home page, under Case Setup, click Data Models.

Click the name of the data model that you want to add the entity to.

Click Add.

Select the New entity option.

In the Name box, type a unique name for the entity.

Under Entity item ID, do one of the following:

To have the application apply a system-generated ID, do the following:

Select the System generated option.

To specify the format of the ID number for each entity item, in the Item ID Prefix box, type a prefix to add to the ID numbers. In the Item ID Padding box, type the length of the ID number.

For example, say that you are creating an entity called Evidence. If you type the prefix EVIDENCE- and specify a padding of 4, the Evidence entity item IDs are assigned as EVIDENCE-0001, EVIDENCE-0002, EVIDENCE-0003, and so on.

To allow users to create a custom entity ID in the List or Related pane on the Documents page, select the Custom option.

Click Save.

The application creates the entity and adds default fields such as Name, ID, and Type to the entity.

Add existing entities to a data model

You can add an entity that exists in one data model to a different data model.

Note: When an entity exists in multiple data models, the entity's connections, fields, column templates, coding templates, and security settings are the same in every data model that the entity belongs to.

To add an existing entity to a different data model:

On the Case Home page, under Case Setup, click Data Models.

Click the name of the data model that you want to add the entity to.

Click Add.

Select the Existing entity option.

In the list that appears, select the name of the entity.

Click Save.

Next steps

Do any of the following:

Set security for the default entity fields. For more information, see Set security for entity fields.

Add custom entity fields to the entity. For more information, see Create entity fields.

Add additional entities to the data model.

Create connections between the entities in the data model. For more information, see Add connections between entities.