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How to Copy Laser Form Templates from Company to Company

← Systems Manager
A - We use the Multi-Company feature in Elliott.  We recently created a new company (from scratch) and would like to use the laser forms from our other company (invoice, pick, pull, order and check.) Do you have any instructions on how to do this?

Q - I will document two different methods for how to copy the laser form template:
  • Copy all laser form templates from one company to the other
  • Selectively copy laser form templates from one company to the other

Copy All Laser From Templates

If your new company can share all laser form templates with the other company, then you can simply copy the laser form temple table over.  As you may know, each table in Elliott is implemented as a BTR file.  The name of the laser form template table is NWSMFORM.BTR. This contains everything printed on the the laser form other than the data portion. This includes the images, line draw, shading, bar codes and literals.

To copy this file, for example, if your Elliott root directory is M:\Elliott7 and you wish to copy from company 1 (the original company) to company 99 (the new company), then you will use the following command:

COPY M:\ELLIOTT7\DATA\NWSMFORM.BTR M:\ELLIOTT7\DATA_99

When you do this, please make sure no user in company 99 is performing printing that may open the laser form template table.  There's another table that control the data portion printed on the laser form, those definitions are saved in ??FRMFIL.BTR.  The ?? represents the module like CP (Customer Order Processing), PO (Purchase Order), AR (Accounts Receivable), IM (Inventory Management)..etc. Although the data layout is rarely changed, you might want to copy the ??FRMFIL.BTR file if you made any changes the the data layout:

COPY M:\ELLIOTT7\DATA\??FRMFIL.BTR M:\ELLIOTT7\DATA_99

You can't selectively copy certain forms in ??FRMFIL.BTR file.

Selectively Copy Laser Form Templates

If there are some laser forms in the new company that you don't wish to  override, or if you would rather only copy the laser forms you need so you have a "clean" environment, you can use the following procedure:

  • Export laser form templates from the other company
  • Import laser form templates in the new company

Export Laser Form Templates From the Other Company

Start up Elliott and go to the other company.  Go to the specific printing area that utilizes the laser forms you wish to copy.  For example, if you wish to export certain invoice laser form templates, go to COP -> Processing -> Print Invoices. When the "Print Options" window appears, make sure your printing destination is set to "Printer," then click on the "Options" button.  See example below:


In the "Appearance Options" window, select the laser form template you wish to export in the "Form Template" drop-down box.  Then click on the "Edit Form" button. See example below:


In the "Laser Form Designer" window, click the "Export" button to start exporting.  See example below:


You will receive a warning message saying, "The Export function exports from the file, not from the current work area.  Do you want to save your work to file before Export?"  You can ignore this message by choosing "No."  See example below:


The system will then ask you to confirm the export destination.  You can accept the default destination, which is the M:\Elliott7\Forms folder.  The file name is in the TASKNAME.F99 format, where 99 is the form number of 01 - 99.  Make note of the path and file name since we will use it when we import the laser form template in the new company.  Click "OK" to export it.  See example below:


Now you may exit the Laser Form Designer. The system will ask "Do you wish to save the changes you made to this design?" Since you did not make any change, you can ignore this question and answer "No."  Exit out of this company.

Import Laser Form Templates in the New Company

To import the  laser form templates from the other company you just exported to in the above step, start up Elliott and choose the new company.  Go to the specific printing area that utilizes the laser forms you wish to copy.  For example, if you wish to export certain invoice laser form templates, go to COP -> Processing -> Print Invoices. When the "Print Options" window appears, make sure your printing destination is set to "Printer," then click on the "Options" button.  See example below:


In the "Appearance Options" window, you can pick any laser form template as the entry point to import the new laser form template.  Then click on the "Edit Form" button.  If you don't have any laser form for this print task, then the "Edit Form" button will be disabled.  In that case, you can choose "New Form" instead.  See example below:


In the Laser Form Designer window, click on the "Import" button to start importing the laser form template. See example below:


Ignore the warning message saying, "The Import function may override your current work. Do you want to save your work to file before Importing?" and choose "No."  In the Laser Form Import window, the default path is M:\Elliott7\FORMS.  If you know the exact path and file name, you can enter that in the the "File" text box.  If you are not sure, you can use the "Browser" button to help.  When you are ready, click "OK" to import.






That's it! Now you can exit the Laser Form Designer screen and test your new laser form template that you just imported.


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