Understanding and Using Object Models and Object Variables in Builder

Modified on Thu, 27 Feb at 6:19 PM

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In this article:

Participant-Based Object Models and Object Variables
Matter Type Object Models
Creating Object Models and Variables

Many of the documents you'll use with your matter type include information about the different parties associated with a matter, like plaintiff/defendant, testator/beneficiary, employer/employee, etc. Your documents may also include client or matter data you gather from your clients using custom data fields. Actionstep Builder implements some unique ways of pulling this information in to your Builder environment so you can use it to automate your templates.

NOTE: The following article attempts to explain how this process works. If you find you're still struggling to understand how object models and variables work, please see the blue note further down in the article.

Participant-Based Object Models and Object Variables

In Actionstep, you can have many different participant types, such as lawyer, client, paralegal, trustee, executor, etc. Each of these participant types uses a set of common fields, like name, address, gender, birth date, etc.

When these participant types are copied to Builder for use in your templates, a few different things happen:

A primary object model called as:action_participant is created. It contains all of the fields that are common across all participant types.
Using the action_participant object model as the base, object variables are then created for the participant types you've identified for your individual matter types (pt_Buyer, pt_Client, and pt_Seller in the example below). The fields that are available in the action_participant object model are then referenced in these object variables.

By creating a common set of variables and then referencing those variables in each individual object variable, you can save time and effort you would normally spend creating these fields for each individual participant type.

When syncing data from Actionstep, there are other system-wide object models that are automatically created. These are:

as:system
as:action
as:pt_Client_custom
as:pt_special_options

Like the as:action_participant object model, these object models are used to create object variables that can then be used to gather and merge information about a client or matter in your template. For example, the as:action object model is used to create a Matter object variable for each catalog in your system.

Matter Type Object Models

In addition to participant-based object models and variables, matter type-specific data collections are also copied and created as object models.

These object models are used to gather information unique to specific matter types.

STILL STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND?
When trying to understand the concept behind object models and object variables, think of a recipe book. An object model is like a recipe book. It defines the general format for the individual recipes in the book. For example, in a cookbook for cakes, all recipes will have the same basic set of ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs, and special flavorings). An object model in Builder works the same way—it defines the information (or fields) that are available for object variables (or individual recipes) in your system.

For example, in all systems, Builder creates an object model (or cookbook) called as:action_participant. This model defines all the different elements that can be used in specific object variables (or recipes) you set up in your system. For example, your object variables (or recipes) might include pt_Client_Information, pt_Beneficiary_Information, or pt_Accountant_Information—all of which use the same types of fields (or ingredients) like name, address, DOB, gender, etc. All object variables based on the as_action_participant object variable would also use these same fields. Having an object model helps ensure all object variables that use the same kinds of data have access to the same fields without you having to recreate them for each participant type.

Based on the underlying structure of Actionstep, your Builder system is populated with several object models (or recipe books) by default. They are as:system, as:action, as:action_participant, as:client_custom, and as:pt_special_options. Most of these object models are used to create just a single object variable (or recipe). For example, the object model as:system is used for the object variable Matter. But as:action_participant is used to define all participant types available by default in your system as well as any new participants types you create specifically for your firm.

Finally, object models are also created in Builder from data collections you've set up for your different matter types in Actionstep. These object models/variables are used prompt users for the information required by the matter type.

For example, an Actionstep system may include a Human Resources matter type which uses an EmploymentAgreement data collection. When synced with Builder, this data collection is created as as:dc_EmploymentAgreement, and it contains all of the fields required by the collection.

Creating Object Models and Variables

If you are using data pulled from Actionstep, you shouldn't need to create object models and object variables because the system creates them for you (as described in the sections above). However, if you are using your own Builder-only variables, the following instructions show you how to take advantage of these object models.

There are two parts to creating and using object models:

Create the object model with your general variables.
Create object variables based on the object model for specific use cases.

Part 1: Creating the Object Model

An object contains a set of variables that relate to its main subject. For example, the most popular model to create is about any given party.

To do this:

Review the documents you typically associate with your matter types and identify the variables you would typically reuse for different areas.

For example, in bankruptcy, you might have details about debtors, creditors, attorneys, and trustees. So, you might determine that you need variables like First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, Street Address, City, etc.
Open the Builder Workspace (see Accessing the Builder Online Workspace) and select the catalog / matter type you want to associate the object with in the Elements list.
Click Add a new element, located at the bottom of the Elements list. The New Element window appears.
Enter a Name.
Select Model.
Click OK. The object is created and the details for it are displayed in the main (center) part of the page.
Next, you will create the generic variables you want associated with the object.
Click the Variables tab.
For each variable you need, click Add a new variable and complete the information for that variable. (For help, see Creating Builder Variables.)
TIP: Remember to click the Save icon frequently as you create these variables.
Once all your variables are created, click Save to save all your changes.
Proceed to Part 2: Creating an Object Variable, below.

Part 2: Creating an Object Variable

Once you have created your model, you can create your object variables, which you can insert in your template. An object variable can be a single group of variables or a list of variables. For example, in an estate planning catalog or matter type, you might create a single testator object variable based on the party object. You can also create a list of beneficiaries based on the same party object.