Steps for creating a blueprint that maintains a persistent connection wherever it is used.

Live Blueprints were introduced with Blueprint Maker 2.0+ and can be a sophisticated way to present similarly-formed content while maintaining a connection to the source form. Use the steps below to create a blueprint, designate it as 'live' in the JSON file, and then use the Live Blueprint Macro to embed or activate it where you see fit.

Determine your use-case

Live Blueprints are particularly useful if you have a case where:

a. You want to re-use a common 'form' of content, such as a table with similar headings but different values.

and

b. You want to be able to update that source form, from time to time, and ensure that these updates occur wherever the blueprint is referenced.

Create a source blueprint with your content 'form'

This page will act as the 'single source of truth' for the form of the blueprint. Any changes to this page will 'persist' to wherever this blueprint is referenced on the site. Therefore, design the page accordingly and with an eye towards how it will be used and reused in different places.

(Tip: Brikit typically recommends containing all of your site's live blueprint pages in a space called Live Blueprints. This makes it easy to find them again and also to manage permissions for the appropriate editors).

Add substitution fields

Live Blueprints can use any substitution fields, including built-in substitution fields. Simply add them wherever it makes sense to do so. Remember that part of the power of live blueprints is that they allow content to maintain an identical form while having their individual instances include different on-page content (or data). Substitution fields facilitate this possibility.

Navigate to the Blueprint Definitions Page

Now that the source blueprint has been drafted, it is time to 'define' it as a blueprint. This is done on the Blueprint Definitions Page. 

Edit and save the JSON file

On the Blueprint Definitions Page, click the 'download blueprints' button to retrieve the JSON file. Under the "PageBlueprints" array, add an object to define your blueprint. The fields are all the same for defining page blueprints as they are for defining live blueprints, except for one: this is the "type" field. Be sure to set the value of "type" to "live" (note: the default value is "page").

For example:

		{
			"name"				: "Expert Profile",
			"description"		: "A live blueprint for generating a common-form Expert Profile.",
			"spaceKey"			: "LIVEBLUEPRINTS",
			"pageTitle"			: "Expert Profile Live Blueprint",
			"blueprintFields"	: [ "expert-name", "username", "pillar-name", "phone-number", "geographic-location", "building-name", "expert-title" ],
			"type"				: "live"
		},

Learn more about Accessing and Editing the JSON File.

Upload the JSON file

On the Blueprints Definition Page, click the "upload blueprints" button and upload your JSON File. Unless there is an error (common errors include missing a comma or quote), then you should receive a success message. The Blueprint Definitions Page will refresh to show that the new page blueprint of type 'Live' has been added.

Reference the live blueprint

Now navigate to, or create, a page where you want to use (AKA 'reference' or 'activate') this live blueprint. Edit the page and insert the Live Blueprints Macro.

Set the macro parameters

Click the Live Blueprint Macro and select "Edit". In the first parameter, include the name of the live blueprint (this is the "name" field in your JSON file). You may also skip this parameter and point to the page title of the live blueprint, but it is more precise to use the blueprint name. For example, the "name" of the live blueprint in the code above is "Expert Profile" and the "page title" is "Expert Profile Live Blueprint".

You may also add or change other parameter values now too. To learn more about these parameters, read about the Live Blueprint Macro Parameters and Key.

Save the macro edit screen and then save the edit page screen.

Add substitution field values in the Live Blueprint Macro body

If you have Theme Press installed, "Edit the Blueprint" and add values on the page

Back on your 

Repeat as you see fit

You can insert the Live Blueprint Macro on the page as many times and in as many places as you see fit, each will have their own

• Using Live Blueprints in a Page Blueprint
• Propagating Changes using Live Blueprints
• Creating a Page Blueprint