Invent now allows you to connect dropdown resources to Custom Data, enabling dynamic, centrally managed content.
Instead of manually defining dropdown values inside each template, you can now link them to a shared data source. When the MegaEdit product loads, it retrieves the latest data and displays it in the dropdown automatically.
This is particularly useful for scenarios like address management, where the same data is reused across many templates.
What Was It Like Before?
Previously, dropdown values were static and defined directly inside Invent. If something needed to change - like an address - it required editing and re-exporting each individual template.
For customers managing dozens of products, this meant repeating the same update many times, increasing the risk of inconsistency.
Pre-Requisites
Before setting this up, make sure you have:
- Access to Admin → Custom Data (if you don't have access, please contact our support team and they will enable this for your role)
- A Custom Data category created (e.g. “Addresses”)
- Data structured with at least two fields:
- A display field (e.g. Name)
- A value field (e.g. FullAddress)
How to Set It Up
1. Create Your Custom Data
Start in Admin → Custom Data.
Create a new category (for example, “Addresses”) and upload or define your data. Each item should include fields such as:
- Name (used in the dropdown)
- FullAddress (used in the artwork)
This will act as your central data source.
2. Create a Text Resource in Invent
In the Invent plugin:
- Go to Resources → Add Resource Set
- Select Text Library
- Open the Editing Text Set modal
Give your resource a clear name (e.g. “Customer Addresses”).
3. Set the External Data Source
In the same modal, you’ll see a new External Data Source dropdown.
You can choose:
- None (default behaviour – static values)
- Custom Data (new feature – recommended)
- API (visible but not active in this release)
Select Custom Data.
You’ll now see three fields:
- Category Id – the ID of your Custom Data category
- Key Field – the field used for dropdown options (e.g. Name)
- Value Field – the field applied to the design (e.g. FullAddress)
This is what links your dropdown to your central data.
4. Enable Automatic Dropdown Creation
Make sure to enable:
“Selecting this option will automatically create a dropdown variable for these resources”
This ensures the dropdown is automatically available when used in your design.
5. Link the Dropdown to Your Design
In your InDesign layout:
- Select a text frame
- Click Link to new variable
- Choose your newly created resource
Now, when a user selects an option in the dropdown, the corresponding value (e.g. full address) will be applied to the text.
6. Export and Use in MegaEdit
Export your template as normal.
When the product is opened in MegaEdit:
- The dropdown will be populated using your Custom Data
- The options will reflect the latest data from Admin
- Selecting an option will apply the mapped value to the artwork
No template updates are required when the data changes.
Tips to Improve User Experience
Using clear naming in your Custom Data (e.g. “London Office” instead of internal codes) will make dropdowns easier to use.
Keep your data structure consistent — especially your Key and Value fields — to avoid mapping issues.
If you’re managing a large number of templates, this approach is particularly powerful. It allows you to update data once and have it reflected everywhere, without needing to re-export files.
Important Notes
Although you may see an API option in the dropdown, this is not active in the current release. Only Custom Data is supported.
If incorrectly configured, the system will fall back to the default (static) dropdown behaviour to avoid breaking existing templates.
Troubleshooting
If your dropdown is empty or not working as expected, check that the Category ID is correct and that the Custom Data category contains valid entries.
If the wrong values are appearing in the design, confirm that the Key Field and Value Field are mapped correctly.
If updates to your data are not showing, ensure the changes were saved in Custom Data and that the correct category is linked in Invent.
Summary
This update introduces a more scalable way to manage dropdown data directly within Invent.
By linking dropdowns to centrally managed Custom Data, you can eliminate repetitive updates, reduce errors, and maintain consistency across large product sets — all while keeping your templates simple and easy to manage.