Elements & Templates

Inkweld's worldbuilding system is built around elements—structured entries that you create to represent anything in your story world. Characters, locations, factions, items, creatures, magic systems—they're all elements, and you define their structure using templates.

What Are Elements?

Elements are worldbuilding entries with structured data. Unlike free-form documents, elements have:

• Fields organized into tabs
• Consistent structure defined by a template
• Relationships to other elements
• Backlinks showing where they're referenced

Think of elements as database entries for your story world, but with the flexibility to define exactly what data you want to track.

What Are Templates?

Templates define the structure of elements:

• What fields to capture (name, description, stats, etc.)
• How to organize fields into tabs
• What field types to use (text, selection, number, etc.)

Every element uses a template. You can create as many templates as your story needs.

Quick Start

Creating an Element

1. Right-click on a folder in your project tree
2. Select "New Worldbuilding Entry"
3. Choose a template (or create a new one)
4. Enter the element's name
5. Click Create

The element opens with structured fields to fill in.

Creating a Template

There are two ways to create a new template:

Option 1: Create from Scratch

1. Open your project
2. Go to Project Settings → Element Templates
3. Click the "Create Template" button
4. The template editor opens with a blank starter template
5. Define your fields and tabs
6. Click Save

Option 2: Clone an Existing Template

If you want to start from an existing template (like the built-in Character or Location templates):

1. Go to Project Settings → Element Templates
2. Find the template you want to base yours on
3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on that template's card
4. Select "Clone"
5. A copy is created that you can rename and customize

tip

Cloning is great when you want to create a variation of an existing template. For completely new element types, use Create Template.

Understanding Templates

The Templates Tab

The Element Templates tab in Project Settings shows all your templates at a glance. Each template card displays:

• Name and icon (visual identifier)
• Type badge: Built-in (ships with Inkweld) or Custom (your creations)
• Action menu (⋮) for editing, cloning, or deleting

Template Components

A template consists of:

Component	Description
Name	What this element type is called (e.g., "Faction")
Icon	Visual identifier in the project tree
Tabs	Sections to organize fields
Fields	Individual data points to capture

Field Types

Type	Use For	Example
Short Text	Names, titles, brief info	"Elena Blackwood"
Long Text	Plain text descriptions	Backstory summary
Rich Text	Formatted content with @mentions	Detailed history
Selection	Pick from options	"Faction Type: Guild"
Multi-Select	Pick multiple options	"Abilities: Flight, Magic"
Number	Numeric values	"Level: 5"
Date	Timeline entries	"Founded: 1242"
Toggle	Yes/No values	"Active: ✓"

The Template Editor

When you create or edit a template, the Template Editor dialog opens. Here you can:

• Set the name and icon for the template
• Add a description explaining what this template is for
• Manage tabs to organize fields into logical sections
• Add and configure fields within each tab

Template Examples

Here are examples of templates you might create. Remember, these are just suggestions—design templates that fit your story's needs.

Character Template

Track people in your story:

Tab: Basic

• Name (short text)
• Aliases (short text)
• Age (short text)
• Role (selection: Protagonist, Antagonist, Supporting)

Tab: Description

• Appearance (rich text)
• Personality (rich text)
• Motivations (long text)

Tab: Background

• Backstory (rich text)
• Skills (long text)
• Relationships (rich text with @mentions)

Location Template

Track places in your world:

Tab: Overview

• Name (short text)
• Type (selection: City, Town, Wilderness, Building)
• Region (short text)

Tab: Details

• Description (rich text)
• History (rich text)
• Notable Features (long text)

Faction Template

Track organizations and groups:

Tab: Overview

• Name (short text)
• Type (selection: Guild, Government, Religious, Criminal)
• Motto (short text)

Tab: Structure

• Leadership (rich text with @mentions)
• Hierarchy (rich text)
• Membership Size (number)

Tab: Goals

• Objectives (rich text)
• Allies (rich text with @mentions)
• Enemies (rich text with @mentions)

Item Template

Track objects and artifacts:

Tab: Basic

• Name (short text)
• Type (selection: Weapon, Armor, Tool, Artifact)
• Rarity (selection: Common, Rare, Legendary)

Tab: Properties

• Appearance (rich text)
• Magical Effects (rich text)
• Limitations (long text)

Tab: History

• Creation (rich text)
• Notable Owners (rich text with @mentions)

Managing Templates

Editing Templates

1. Go to Project Settings → Element Templates
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the template card
3. Select "Edit" to open the Template Editor
4. Add, remove, or reorder fields
5. Click Save

warning

Deleting a field removes that data from all existing elements using this template.

Cloning Templates

To create a variation of an existing template:

1. Find the template in the Element Templates tab
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮)
3. Select "Clone"
4. A copy is created with "(Copy)" appended to the name
5. Edit the cloned template to customize it

Deleting Templates

1. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on the template card
2. Select "Delete"
3. Confirm the deletion

danger

Deleting a template does not delete elements that use it, but those elements will lose their structured data and become orphaned.

Organizing Fields

• Drag fields to reorder within tabs
• Drag tabs to reorder the tab bar
• Move fields between tabs as needed

Working with Elements

Where to Store Elements

Organize elements however makes sense for your project:

• By type: People/, Places/, Factions/
• By story section: Act 1/, Act 2/
• By relationship: The Kingdom/, The Rebellion/

Connecting Elements

Elements become powerful when connected:

• @mentions: Reference elements in prose with @ElementName
• Relationships: Define semantic connections (parent, ally, located-in)
• Backlinks: See everywhere an element is referenced

See Element References and Relationships for details.

Element Profile View

When you open an element, you see:

• Tabs with structured fields
• Relationships Panel showing connections
• References showing where it's mentioned

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Next: Element References - Link your elements with @mentions.