Create Forms from Templates

From a template, you can create a blue LiveCycle form or DHS form and check it in to ECF. You can also create multiple forms from the same template and multiple forms from multiple templates (mix and match).

Steps

  1. Choose the form templates.
  2. Fill in the forms.
  3. Check in the completed forms to the selected case or person file in ECF.
  1. Do one of the following:
    • On the sidebar menu, click Create Form From Template.
    • On the content menu, click Create.

    content menu: create form from template

  2. Click a Show Content From button to filter the template list:

    • My Favorites: Default filter. Templates that you have added as favorites. See Adding or Removing Template Favorites (below).
    • My Work Area: Templates that your work area uses. You can set your work area on the Settings page. See Settings.
    • Packets (function not yet developed):
    • All: All templates.

    show content filter. My Favorites is default.

  3. If you selected All, sort the template list or filter the template list by template name (form name) or included forms (form ID). See Sort and Filter.

    filter the template list

  4. For each template that you want to add, click the Add button (plus icon). You can add the same template multiple times and you can add multiple templates (mix and match). You can add up to 15 templates.

    Note: Currently, you can add multiple case templates or multiple person templates, but you cannot add a combination of case and person templates.

  5. The selections appear in the Selected Template(s) list. To remove a template from the Selected Template(s) list, click the Remove button (trash icon).

    selected templates

  6. Case templates only: Go to step 8.

  7. Person templates only: Click the Next button. For each template, select a person to associate with the content. You can sort and filter the person table. See Sort and Filter.

    select person for template

  8. Click the Download Content button. The downloaded forms are listed on the Edge Downloads menu (top right corner of browser window) and are saved to your Windows Downloads folder.

    Downloads menu

  9. Fill in the forms (below).

  1. On the Edge Downloads menu, click the folder icon to open the Windows Downloads folder.

    folder on Downloads menu

  2. Open each form and fill it out.
    • Best practice: Keep the form in the Downloads folder.
    • You do not have to be signed in to ECF Next, because the Downloads folder is on your local drive.
    • Save early and save often (to the Downloads folder). Click File > Save or click the Save icon.

    save form

  3. When you are done filling in the forms, check them in to ECF (below).

Repeat this procedure for each form.

  1. On the form, click the Check In to ECF button or Submit button.

    Note: If the form does not have a Check In to ECF button or Submit button, upload the form from the Downloads folder. See Upload Content.

    submit form

  2. If a security warning appears, click the Allow button.
  3. The check-in status appears in a new tab.
    • If the check-in was successful, close the tab. If a message appears asking if you want to save changes, click the No button. Go to step 4.
    • If the check-in failed, follow the troubleshooting instructions below the check-in status.
  4. The check-in process is complete. You can close the form. If a message appears asking if you want to save changes, click the No button.
  5. In the Windows Downloads folder, delete the form.

To add or remove a template favorite, click the star next to the form number.

add favorite template

You can add up to 100 template favorites throughout ECF Next. As you approach the maximum, a message appears saying how many more favorites you can add.

toast message: approaching favorites maximum