Every entity in the pipeline has properties that define its characteristics, including the information that is stored for the entity. You can set these properties when you first create the entity, or by editing an entity that already exists.


The properties include:

  • Name
  • Code
  • Accepts publications
  • Accepts tasks
  • Color identifier
  • Fields
  • Status types.

The Tasks and Publications entities only have status types properties. To find out how to add these, see Add a task status and Add a publication status.


Some of the properties, such as name, and color identifier are mostly cosmetic. For others, such as Fields and Status types, you will need an in-depth understanding of your working processes and the information that is available in your external DAM (Digital Asset Manager).


Here, we explain how to change an entity's properties, and there are links to other articles that explain the more complicated settings in greater detail.


  1. Log in as a studio owner or administrator. From the Dashboard, select the project you want to view to display its Resources. Then select Pipeline in the header menu to display the pipeline flowchart.

    If a pipeline has not been set up for the project, you are shown the pipeline creation page instead. You can use that to create a pipeline.

    SimpleCloud animation pipeline flowchart
  2. On the pipeline flowchart, select an entity and then look in the Entity Type Properties sidebar. It shows the property settings for the selected entity, its fields, and its status types.

    Entity is selected, its properties are shown in the side bar
  3. Use the Name field to set the name for the entity. This is the name that is shown on the entity on the flowchart.

    Note that you cannot change the Code name, this is something that can only be set once, when the entity is first created (see Add an Entity).

  4. Use the Accepts Publications box to choose whether the entity can be associated with publications (check the box for yes, clear the box for no).

  5. Use the Accepts Tasks box to choose whether the entity can be associated with tasks (individual jobs that need to be performed in your workflow).

  6. Use the Color Identifier box to set the color of the entity on the flowchart.

    We recommend that you set the entity to a different color to your other entities. Select the Color Identifier box to display the color selector:

    Select the color identifier box to open the color selector
    Either:
    • Select a color from the color charts. Use the large chart to choose a shade and the narrow side chart to choose the color.
    • Overwrite the HTML code with a different HTML color code
    • Overwrite the RGB values with different RGB values.

  7. For each entity, add fields to store data. This is how you synchronize the entity data in SimpleCloud with the entity data in your DAM. For more information on how to determine which fields you should create, see Map entity data fields from a DAM to SimpleCloud.

    To add fields to your entity, select the Fields tab and use the plus button + to add a new field. Then use the Insert New Entry dialog to add the field values. 
    • Code - The code for the field. Use the same code that is used for the field in your DAM.
    • Name - Enter the name of the field. Use the same name that is used for the field in your DAM.
    • Type - Define what type of value is stored in the field. Choose Int for integer (numeric) or String (text).
    • Default - Set the default value that will be used if a value is not provided.
  8. Select Insert to add the field.
  9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 to add the data fields for all of your entities.
  10. To add status values for an entity, select the entity and then the Status Types tab. Then select the plus + button to add a new status type and use the Insert new entry dialog to add the values for the status type:
    • Code - The code for the status as it appears in your DAM.
    • Name - Enter the name of the status as it appears in your DAM. 
    • Base Status - Choose the base status that is most appropriate for the status you are adding. There are several base statuses available in SimpleCloud, each relating to a possible position in the workflow.

      To find out more about the base statuses, see Base Status and DAM Status for Entities.

  11. Select Insert to add the status.
  12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 to add the status entries for each entity.
  13. Select Update to save the changes.