Entities can be thought of as specific containers of data in Creative Force– and ultimately, they are the vehicles that drive your work through the product lifecycle. This article outlines the various entities used in Creative Force and gives you some tools for understanding how they ultimately fit together. It also provides an index where you can learn more in detail about each.

Introduction

Various entities in Creative Force help you to track work through the product life cycle, each with a specific intent and its own rules. To understand how your work can be most efficient, first you need a clear picture of each of those entities, their differences, and how they fit together.

Entity Overview

In the table below, we will briefly introduce each entity as a general concept– then, in the following sections, we will go into greater detail for each by providing context and other tools.

Entity
Product Record	The record of a product. Think of this as the CAD or design sketch of a product that is ultimately produced and will require asset production.
Variant	A variation of a Product Record; this can also be thought of as the record of a Sample. It connects records to samples before they ever arrive at your studio.
Product Request	A specific instance of requested assets for a product record. Think of this as an email your studio receives asking for assets related to a specific Product Record.
Production	A single defined work unit. These make up all the different ways that assets will need to be shot in a specific request.
Outfits	A grouping of samples/variants attached to a Product Record or Product Request. These define the physical items needed on set to shoot a production.
Sample	A physical item at your studio that represents a variant. Once a variant arrives at your studio and needs to be tracked for a shoot, it becomes a Sample.
Styling Items	A physical item at your studio that does not represent a variant. These are supporting items that you perhaps dont sell or otherwise need to track.

Product Record

A Product Record is the single, permanent entry for one item in your catalog, like the "T-shirt design" in the visual below. It holds the core details (product code, name, category, style code, color, brand) plus any custom properties.

A Product Record lasts across many shoots, so it shows every production done for that product. Product teams, e-comm and merchandising teams, and studio managers are the usual stakeholders.

	Relationship
Variants	Each Product Record holds its Variants (for example, colors or sizes), each with its own code, name, and SKU.
Product Request	A request is one piece of creative work for the product inside a specific job. One record can have many requests over time. Deleting a request doesn't delete the Product Record.
Productions	The record's detail page shows its E-comm and Editorial production history, plus a combined gallery of assets from every production run through Creative Force.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Manual Entry: Product Hub → Create Product File Import: Product Hub → Create Product Paste List from Sheet: Product Hub → Create Product Data Source: Studio Settings → Data Source
Main Hubs	Product Hub, Insights Reports
	Learn More
Related Articles	Product Hub Page: Overview of UI & actions for the Product Hub where Product Records are created and tracked. Import from File - Product Records: An explanation of how to import Product Records into Creative Force from a file.

Product Request

A Product Request is one specific time a product needs to be shot. If the Product Record is the T-shirt design, a Product Request is "shoot the light blue T-shirt for the Spring job." Each request groups that product's Productions, its Samples, and its styling. Studio managers, producers, e-comm teams, and the production crew are the usual stakeholders.

	Relationship
Product Record	Each request is one shoot of a Product Record. One record can have many requests over time.
Productions	Each request has one Production for each Production Type in its style guide. The request's status comes from these Productions.
Samples	Every request needs at least one Sample. With sample pooling, one Sample can serve requests in several jobs.
Outfits	A request can be the hero item of an Outfit, or a supporting piece. You can see this on its Styling tab.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Manual Action: Product Hub → Action → Add Request File Import: Job Page → Create Job Data Source: Job Page → Create Job
Main Hubs	Product Request Page, Job Page, Insights Reports
	Learn More
Related Articles	Product Request Page: Overview of UI & actions for the page where Product Requests are created and tracked. Data Source: Create Job from Sync: How to create a Job and product requests by syncing data from your Data Source. Import from File - Product Requests: An explanation of how to import Product Requests into Creative Force from a file.

Production

A Production is one piece of work done for a Product Request. If the Product Request is "shoot the light blue T-shirt for the Spring job," its Productions might be "on-model shots," "packshots," and "product copy." Each Production has one Production Type and follows the workflow from its style guide, moving step by step through capture, post-production, and review. The final assets come out of Productions.

The Stakeholders for Productions include most users who have an effect on the asset lifecycle– including producers, photographers, stylists, retouchers, post vendors, copywriters, and art directors.

	Relationship
Product Record	Each Production reaches its record through its Product Request, and the record's production history and assets come from these Productions.
Product Request	Each Production belongs to one Product Request. The request's status rolls up from its Productions.
Samples	Samples are the tracking component for productions prior to and during the capture step. A Production can't start until the request's Sample is checked in.
Outfits	An Outfit is linked to one or more Production Types, so the Productions of those types are shot in that look.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Automatic: When a Product Request is brought into the system, the Productions are triggered via the Style Guide assigned by its Category trigger. Conditional Rules: Productions can be automatically enabled and disabled via rule automation.
Main Hubs	Production Page, Planning Calendar, Style Guides, Task Kanbans
	Learn More
Related Articles	Production Page: Overview of UI & actions for the page where Productions are tracked. Custom Production Types: How to create a custom Production Type for use in your Studio Workflows. Style Guide Overview: An overview of Style Guides, including how Production Types and Category Triggers are associated. Planning Overview: How to use the Planning module to plan and track productions via Sessions.

Variants

A Variant is one specific version of a Product Record, like the light blue T-shirt in the visual below. Each Variant has a Variant Code, a Variant Name, an optional SKU, and custom properties such as Size. It's the link between the overall product design and the physical items the studio actually shoots.

	Relationship
Product Record	Every Variant belongs to exactly one Product Record. You can see them all on the record's Variants tab.
Sample	Samples are the physical items, and each one is linked to a Variant. In practice, a sample's code becomes the Variant Code. Variants use the same custom property list as Samples, so things like Size line up across both.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Default Variant: If a product comes in through a job import or data source sync with no Variant, the system adds a placeholder default variant. Automatically: If a product comes in through a job import or data source sync with no Variant. Manual Entry: Product Overview → Variants → Add File Import: Product Hub → Create Product Data Source: Studio Settings → Data Source ⚠️
Main Hubs	Variants Page, Product Record → Variants, Insights Reports
	Learn More
Related Articles	Variant Overview: Overview of Variants and its related Variant Page in the web app. Import from File - Variants: An explanation of how to import variants into Creative Force from a file.

Samples

A Sample is the real physical item the studio receives, handles, and photographs, like the light blue T-shirt sitting in the warehouse backroom. Samples are usually tracked at size level, so one product can have several Samples, and a Sample Code is often the Product Code plus the size.

Samples are mainly handled by studio and sample managers, stylists, and the people who receive and return goods. They're what make production possible: a product can't be shot until its Sample arrives.

	Relationship
Variants	In Product Hub, each Sample is linked to a Variant. The Sample Code matches the Variant Code, and the two share the same custom property list (such as Size).
Product Requests	Every Product Request needs at least one Sample. With sample pooling turned on, one Sample can serve Product Requests in several jobs.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Default Sample: If a product comes in through a job import or data source sync with no Sample, the system adds a default Sample. Manual Entry: Product Overview → Variants → Add File Import: Sample Page → Import Data Source: Studio Settings → Data Source ⚠️
Main Hubs	Chroma, Sample Page, Scan Page, Kelvin, Insights Reports
	Learn More
Related Articles	Samples Page: Overview of UI & actions for the Sample Page where Samples are created and tracked. Scan Flows: An explanation of how to use the Scan Flow page to automate complex sample management. Kelvin - Sample Management: Guides through Kelvin setup and settings available for customizing sample management. Import from File - Samples: An explanation of how to import Samples into Creative Force from a file. Chroma Overview: An overview of the Chroma application, Creative Force's mobile Sample tracking tool.

Styling Items

A Styling Item is a physical piece the studio uses to shoot a look but doesn't sell or create final assets for. Think of the belt, shoes, or prop shot next to the light blue T-shirt. The studio keeps them in the Props & Styling Wardrobe so everyone can see what's available and track them more generally. Stylists, wardrobe and sample managers, and on-set assistants are the usual stakeholders.

	Relationship
Samples	A Styling Item is an alternate Sample with its type set to Styling Item instead of Production. You can switch a Sample between the two types, so a Sample can become a Styling Item and back again.
Product Requests	Styling Item Samples are nested under Product Requests.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Edit Sample Type: You can edit an existing sample and change the type to Styling Item. File Import: Styling Wardrobe Page → Import Sample Check In: The Create Samples from Checked-In Samples option can split new Styling Item Samples off checked-in Samples.
Main Hubs	Props & Styling Item Wardrobe, Chroma App, Kelvin, Sample Page, Insights Reports.
	Learn More
Related Articles	Styling Wardrobe Page: Overview of UI & actions for the Sample Page where Samples are created and tracked. Styling Items vs Wardrobe Items: How to differentiate between each definition and their functions within our system. Import from File - Styling Items: An explanation of how to import Styling Items into Creative Force from a file. Chroma Overview: An overview of the Chroma application, Creative Force's mobile Sample tracking tool.

Outfits

An Outfit is a styled look that groups several products the way they appear together on set. Picture the light blue T-shirt worn with jeans, a belt, and shoes. Outfits tell the studio what has to be on set before a shot can happen, and they power "Shop the Look" content by enriching additional metadata for ecom sites.

Outfits use Samples, Variants, & Styling Items as components– and can be related to specific productions to track set readiness prior to shooting. Stylists, studio and sample managers, and photographers on set are the usual stakeholders.

	Relationship
Product Requests	An Outfit always has one hero Product Code, which is the item being produced.
Variants	Each piece in an Outfit can point to a variant as a sub-component.
Samples	Each piece in an Outfit can point to a specific Sample. Whether those Samples are checked in decides whether the Outfit is ready to shoot.
Styling Items	These can only be supporting pieces, never the hero item. If an Outfit import lists items that don't exist yet, they're created as Styling Items.
	Lifecycle
Created via	Create Outfit Action: found in the Styling tab on the Production, Product Requests, Samples pages - or the Kelvin, Chroma, or Dreem apps. File Import: Jobs Page → Import: imported along with Product Requests/Records.
Main Hubs	Styling Sub-Tab, Chroma App, Kelvin, Insights
	Learn More
Related Articles	Outfits Overview: Overview of UI & actions for the Outfits Page, and a detailed logic breakdown of components. Import from File - Outfits: An explanation of how to import Styling Items into Creative Force from a file. Chroma - Outfits: An overview of how Chroma can be utilized to manage outfits during production. Kelvin - Outfits: An overview of how Kelvin can be utilized to manage outfits during production.

Creative Force: Entities