What Are Items and Item IDs?
Items and Item IDs work together to keep your design selections consistent, connected, and easy to update across your project.
Item IDs
An Item ID is a smart placeholder that represents a design selection before a specific product is chosen.
Instead of assigning the same product repeatedly to multiple locations, you create one Item ID and reuse it wherever that selection appears.
How it works in practice:
Create an Item ID for a particular selection, such as “Primary Bath Faucet.”
Link that Item ID to one or more locations.
Assign a product item to the Item ID when you’re ready.
Once a product is linked, it automatically updates everywhere that Item ID is used. If the product changes later, it updates across all locations in the schedule, as well as anywhere it is used in books.
This keeps your project consistent and eliminates manual rework.
Items
An Item is the actual product you specify, such as a fixture, finish, or material.
Items live in the catalog and include real product details like manufacturer, model, and specifications.
When you assign an Item to an Item ID, that product becomes the official selection for every linked location.
If you replace the Item later, all related documentation updates instantly.
How the Catalog Organizes Items
Items are organized using a standard structure to keep everything searchable and consistent:
Division: The main category (for example, Plumbing)
Type: The product type (for example, Faucet)
Subtype: A variation of the type (for example, Wall Mount)
This structure makes it easy to find, reuse, and standardize products across projects.
How It All Fits Together
Locations define where something is installed.
Item IDs define what the selection is.
Items define the exact product.
This system ensures your designs stay organized, accurate, and easy to update as projects evolve.