The Element Manager is where you manage every element in your file: cast, background, props, vehicles, wardrobe, locations, and more. Each element tracks how many times it occurs across your schedule.
Open the Element Manager
Open it from the manager menu bar, or press Cmd / Ctrl + E. It lists every element with its number of occurrences and the schedule Start and End dates (based on your selected board and its calendar).
Add, edit, or delete an element
- Add: hover over the header to reveal the + button and click it to open the create-element bar.
- Edit: click an element to open its details on the right. The Info tab lets you edit its properties and see its full quantity-by-scene list — handy when an element's total looks off, since you can see exactly which scenes it's tagged in.
- Delete: select the element and click delete in the top-right.
Cast and the cast calendar
Cast are a special element type (your speaking performers) with an extra Calendar tab. Open a cast member and use the Calendar tab to add or remove fittings, camera tests, rehearsals, school, travel, red/orange flags, and a manual Start Work / Finish Work date. These feed the Day Out of Days (DooD) report. (Non-cast elements can only carry red/orange flags.) Toggle Show strips to see which scenes an element appears in.
Cast numbering: Cinapse can assign cast numbers automatically, based on number of occurrences — click Auto-cast numbering in the Element Manager.
Sort, search & select multiple
- Sort elements by ID, Name, Occurrences, Start, or End.
- Search the element list to jump to a specific element.
- Select multiple elements to act on them together: Shift-click to select a range, or Cmd-click to pick individual elements, including across different categories.
Merge duplicate elements
If the same real-world item exists as two separate elements (common after a script import), select them and use Merge Elements to combine them into one, keeping all their occurrences. This pairs with Find & Replace: use Find & Replace to fix a name across the whole schedule, and Merge Elements to collapse duplicates into one. See How do I use Find & Replace?
Categories
Elements are grouped into categories (Cast, Background, Props, and so on). Manage them from the Categories button in the Element Manager; see Category Manager for colors, font case, and presets.
Need more help? Email us at support@cinapse.io, or ask the help assistant using the chat button in this Help Center; it answers most questions instantly and can connect you with our team.