Attach documents

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You can add attachments to a record, e.g. Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. Besides these, other records can also be added as record attachments. You can only add attachments to a record if you have either write access to documents or full write access. You can add attachments while the record is in read mode.

The figure below depicts a record with one attached Office document and three record attachments (1).

Figure 1. A record with documents and a record attached

Attachments are added via the “Attachment” menu group (2) in the record ribbon. This includes documents based on Microsoft Office templates, files on the local PC, and items in F2. The separate functions are presented in the following sections.

Managing and working with record documents are described in the article The record documents.

Records that are too large to send as emails can be shared with external participants using the Share Externally module.

New document from template

The New document from template menu item opens the "Select document template" dialogue. Here you can create a new Office document based on a personal or shared document template.

Figure 2. The “New document from template” menu item

The left side of the dialogue shows a list of all available templates. Use the search field above the list of templates to search for specific templates. In the right side of the dialogue, you can preview the selected template. You can also use the ribbon’s menu items Properties to see the template’s properties or Export to save a copy of the template somewhere outside F2.

Choose a document template in the dialogue and click OK. Name the document and click OK again.

Figure 3. Select document template in the "Select document template" dialogue

F2 opens the document in an associated programme. A text document will open in Word or a similar word processor. The programme that opens depends on the file associations on your computer.

You can then work on the document as if you had opened it from Windows. Since the document is attached to the record, you only need to work in the programme and save your work there. F2 will automatically update the record with your changes to the document.

Even if the associated programme crashes, you will not lose your work since F2 regularly saves a version of the document.

All users may create document templates. Shared templates and unit templates are created by users with the “Template administrator” privilege.

Attachment

Click Attachment to open the Windows File Explorer. Here you can select a file and attach it to the open record. The function is identical to the Attach file function described below.

Figure 4. “Attachment” menu item

The “Attachment” drop-down menu contains the following options:

Attach file
Attach records from F2
Attach documents from F2
Attach document from same case
Include attachments from received email.

These options are described below.

Attach file

This function lets the user search for and attach documents from various external sources, such as the user’s PC, memory sticks, DVDs, etc.

Figure 5. The “Attach file” menu item

Click Attach file to open the Windows File Explorer. Here you can select a file and import it to F2. You can also drag and drop a file into the record’s document area to attach it.

Only files - not folders - may be transferred to F2.

Import a file through the import folder

A file can be imported to F2 through the import folder in Windows File Explorer. The import folder can be found here: %AppData%\Roaming\cBrain\F2\F2 Archive folder.

Add files to this folder to import them into F2. A record will be created for each file, with the record title being the file name. You will be set as responsible for the record. When F2 has created the record with the file, it disappears from the import folder.

The image below shows an example of an import folder in Windows containing the PDF file “Overview plans for the harbour renewal 2017”. When you return to F2, a record will be created to which this file is attached.

Figure 6. Import folder in Windows

Attach records from F2

The Attach records from F2 menu item lets you add records as attachments to other records.

Figure 7. The “Attach records from F2” menu item

Click Attach records from F2 to open the “Choose records” dialogue which contains the same search options as F2’s main window. Here you can add one or more records to the open record.

The search window and the attachment process are identical to those described above in the section Attach a document from F2. The one difference is that you must also select the record format in the "Format" menu group, i.e. whether it is attached as a “Record attachment” or a “PDF”:

A “Record attachment” contains the record document, a PDF of its metadata, and its attached documents (if any) in their original format. A record attachment is shown in the document area as a folder that can be expanded to show a list of documents.
The “PDF” option will add a PDF file containing the record metadata, the record document, and its attachments.

The section Record attachments in the document area describes this in further detail.

Figure 8. Choose attachment format

You can copy one or more records to a record using drag-and-drop from the main window. Use the same method if you want to copy documents from the main window to a record.

Record attachments in the document area

A record attached as a record attachment is displayed with a folder icon which can be expanded to show a PDF with metadata and the record’s attachments in their original format.

Figure 9. Record attachments in both PDF and record format

The attached record is a copy of the original.

It is possible to edit the documents of an attached record. To apply these changes to the original document as well, right-click the document in the document area and select Overwrite original.

Figure 10. Overwrite original document

Before the content is overwritten, F2 asks you to confirm.

It is not possible to attach a record as a record attachment if that record has a record attachment itself. If you attempt to attach such a record, F2 will offer to attach the record without its record attachments.

It is possible, however, to add the record including its record attachments by selecting the “PDF” option.

An email may contain other emails as attachments which in turn may contain attached records or documents. When such an email is imported into F2, all its attachments are created as documents on the record, which means that the structure from the email will not be reflected in F2.

Attach a document from F2

The Attach document from F2 menu item lets the user search and copy attachments from other records to the open record.

Figure 11. The “Attach document from F2” menu item

Click Attach document from F2 to open the “Choose documents” window which has the same search options as the main window. Use these to attach one or more documents.

Select Show documents above the result list. When a document is selected, a preview appears in the right side of the window.

Figure 12. The “Choose Documents” window

Double-click a document to attach it and close the dialogue. The document is then copied and attached to the open record.

To attach multiple documents to the record, click Add document(s) in the search window’s ribbon. Find the wanted documents and add them to the “Chosen documents” field. Click OK to copy and attach the documents to the record.

The “Search window” tab offers the following options:

Function	Description
	When one or more documents have been added to the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon, click OK to attach them to the record.
	Exit the window without attaching any documents.
	Click Choose multiple documents to display the “Selected documents” field. When this field is visible, the function is inactive regardless of the number of documents shown in “Selected documents”. F2 automatically switches when the user selects one or more documents and clicks Add document(s). If all documents are removed from the “Selected cases” field, F2 automatically switches back to Choose one document. This makes it easier to see if one or several documents are being added to the record.
	Adds the document(s) selected in the result list. The selected document(s) can be seen in the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon.
	The “Selected documents” field shows the documents selected by the user. To remove a document from the field, click the icon next to its name.
	Removes all documents in the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon.
	Perform an advanced search using metadata fields.

Function

Description

When one or more documents have been added to the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon, click OK to attach them to the record.

Exit the window without attaching any documents.

Click Choose multiple documents to display the “Selected documents” field. When this field is visible, the function is inactive regardless of the number of documents shown in “Selected documents”.

F2 automatically switches when the user selects one or more documents and clicks Add document(s).

If all documents are removed from the “Selected cases” field, F2 automatically switches back to Choose one document. This makes it easier to see if one or several documents are being added to the record.

Adds the document(s) selected in the result list. The selected document(s) can be seen in the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon.

The “Selected documents” field shows the documents selected by the user.

To remove a document from the field, click the icon next to its name.

Removes all documents in the “Selected documents” field in the dialogue ribbon.

Perform an advanced search using metadata fields.

Record documents from other records can also be attached, but these attachments cannot be edited.

Select and copy multiple records or documents to a record

You can copy multiple records or documents to a record. To do this, select them in the main window and drag them to the record window. The steps for copying documents to a record are as follows:

Arrange F2’s main window next to the record window to which you want to copy the documents. The image below shows the main window at the front and the record window at the back.
Click a list, such as "My desktop", and click Show documents to view the result list as documents.
Select the documents you want to copy to the record and drag them from the main window to the record window.
Drop the documents in the document area to copy them to the open record.

Figure 13. Copy documents from main window to record

The procedure for copying records is similar, except you must click Show records to view the result list as records instead of documents. Select the desired records and drag them to the record’s document area. The records are then attached as record attachments.

Attach document from same case

The Attach document from same case menu item is similar to the Attach documents from F2 menu item. The difference is that the former limits which documents you can attach to the open record. Use Attach document from same case when you only need to see documents from the case to which the record is attached.

Figure 14. The menu item “Attach document from same case”

Click Attach document from same case to open the “Choose documents” window. Select one or more documents to attach to the record.

The “Choose documents” window is described in the Attach a document from F2 section.

Include attachments from received email

The menu item "Include attachments from received email" is only active when the current record was created as a reply to an incoming email.

Figure 15. The menu item “Include attachments from received email”

This menu item provides a simple way of attaching all documents that are attached to the email you are replying to.