A Data Source is the foundation for generating multiple cards in Cocktail Card Designer.

It provides the structured data such as names, stats, images, and other custom values that populate your Layouts automatically.

What Is a Data Source? #

Data Sources come from one of two locations:

1. Local Excel Spreadsheet (.xlsx):
   • A file on your computer.
2. Google Sheet:
   • An online spreadsheet linked from your Google account.

Each Data Source is organized as a table with:

• Rows:
  • Representing individual cards or records.
  • The first row of the Data Source must contain the names of each column.
• Columns:
  • Representing the different data fields or custom values for each card (e.g., Name, Image Path, Description, Attack Power, etc.).

Required Columns #

Every Data Source must contain at least two key columns, placed anywhere in the first row:

• ID Column
  • Contains a unique value for each row. This ensures that each card or record can be identified individually.
• Name Column
  • Contains the display name for each row. This name is used in editors and lists across Cocktail Card Designer.

These columns are required for organization and visualization but do not need to appear on your actual card Layouts.

Without both columns defined, rows will not appear in the Data Source Editor or other parts of the workflow.

WARNING: There is no intermingling of column names in any row besides the first.

Context Menu in Project Tree #

In the Project Tree, right-clicking on a Data Source opens its context menu, which provides several useful actions.

Open (A) #

Opens the original file for the Data Source:

• If the Data Source is an Excel file, it opens in your local spreadsheet application.
• If it’s a Google Sheet, it opens in your web browser.

Copy (B) #

This action is used to store the state of the Data Source in the clipboard. It can later be “Pasted” to create a duplicate.

Paste (C) #

This action is used to create a duplicate of the Data Source that was last “copied” at a target location.

This action is only enabled if a Data Source was the last copied file.

Print (D) #

Generates print-ready cards for each row in the Data Source, using the assigned Default Front / Back Layouts.

You can configure print options before the cards are generated.

Export (E) #

Creates output files for each row using the assigned Layouts Default Front / Back Layouts and an Export Profile.

This is typically used to generate final image exports, PDFs, or digital files for each card.

Remove (F) #

Removes the Data Source from the current project.

This does not delete the original Excel or Google Sheet file. It simply disconnects it from the project.

Refresh (G) #

Reloads or updates the Data Source’s contents from the original spreadsheet.

This ensures that any changes made externally (like new rows or edited data) are reflected in the project.