Overview
The Posts step maps catalog components to each post role the template uses. Takeoffs count posts from layout geometry; this step defines which part applies for each role on every height and color variation.
Where in the app: Template wizard → Posts (step 3)
Open: Fence Builder
The form lists terminal posts at the top and line posts below. Most users configure terminal posts first, then the line post.
Terminal posts vs line post
| Role | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Terminal posts | End, corner, 3-way, 4-way, and blank posts at breaks and intersections |
| Line post | Standard posts along straight runs between terminals |
Default vs specialized terminal posts
At the top of the Posts step, Default Terminal Posts starts with a single Default Post row. That one configuration applies to every terminal on the layout unless you turn on specialized posts.
Use default terminal posts (checkbox off)
Choose this when the same catalog part works for all terminal types — end, corner, 3-way, and 4-way all use one SKU, and only the line post may differ.
This is the usual setup for:
- Chain link — one terminal post part for ends and corners
- Wood privacy — often the same post for terminals and corners
- Ornamental iron — often the same post profile at ends and corners
Configure the single Default Post row for all terminals, then configure Default Line Post below.
Enable specialized terminal posts (checkbox on)
Turn on Requires specialized posts for ends, corners, 3-way, 4-way, blank terminals when each terminal type needs its own component — separate SKUs for end, corner, 3-way, 4-way, or blank posts.
This applies mainly to vinyl fence, where routed or molded posts differ by role (end vs corner vs line). Other fence types rarely need this unless you truly stock distinct terminal SKUs for each post type.
When enabled:
- End posts differ from corner posts
- 3-way and 4-way posts are distinct SKUs
- Terminal posts differ from line posts in profile, bracket prep, or material
Enabling specialized posts replaces the single default row with separate rows for End Post, Corner Post, 3-way Post, 4-way Post, and Blank Post. Configure each row that your layouts use. Switching the checkbox clears existing terminal post settings, so set this before you invest time in detailed setup.
Tip: If all terminal types share one part and only the line post differs, leave specialized posts off — even on vinyl, if your shop uses the same post everywhere, default terminal posts is correct.
How the setup modal works
Click Configure (or the edit icon) on any post row to open the setup modal. The modal ties that post role to My Components for every height and color combination on the template (from the Fence step).
1. Choose a collection
- Select the catalog section and category where the posts live.
- Pick the primary collection (for example, 2-3/8" Line Posts or 4×4 Vinyl Posts).
- Enter collection size attributes when prompted (diameter, gauge, length, and similar — depends on how the collection is set up).
The modal loads all components in that collection and filters them by the sizes you selected.
2. Automatic matching by variation
After sizes are set, a combinations table lists each fence variation — for example, 6 ft high, Tan and 6 ft high, Black.
For each row, Dirt Face searches the collection for a component whose height (when the collection filters by fence height) and color match that variation. Color names must match what you set on Fence Types and on catalog components.
| Source badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Auto | A matching component was found in the selected collection(s) |
| Manual | You picked or replaced the component for that variation yourself |
| Component Not Found | No match in the current collection(s) for that height/color |
Matching runs again when you change collection, sizes, or post length formula, so you can refine until every row is filled.
3. When auto-match does not find every part
If some variations show Component Not Found while others matched:
- Add a secondary collection — when the app offers it, enable a second collection that holds the missing heights or colors (for example, taller posts in a separate collection). Components from both collections are searched together.
- Manually assign a component — click + on a missing row (or Edit on an existing row) to search the catalog and assign a specific part to that height/color only. Manual rows stay pinned when you adjust collections.
Do not continue until every combination you use on quotes has a component (or intentional blank, if your workflow allows it). The Posts step status indicator shows when configuration is complete.
4. Post length formula
Set the post length formula when the modal asks for it — for example, extra length above the fence height for in-ground burial. That value affects which height in the collection counts as a match.
5. Save the row
Save the modal. The Posts table shows collection name, diameter, formula, and a configured status for that post role.
Repeat for each terminal row (when specialized) and for the line post row.
Step-by-step
- Complete prior wizard steps through Images.
- Open Posts.
- Decide whether to enable specialized terminal posts (see above).
- Configure terminal post row(s) at the top of the form — usually before the line post.
- Configure Default Line Post at the bottom of the form.
- Confirm Configuration Status shows all posts configured.
- Click Save and continue to move to Components.
Tips
- Set up Fence Types colors and catalog section colors before Posts — auto-match uses exact color names.
- When black and galvanized are materially different parts (not just color on the same SKU), they often live in separate collections. Use a secondary collection in the setup modal so each variation can match the right catalog line.
- Gate posts are configured on the Gates step, not here.
- The same modal pattern (collection + combinations table + auto/manual match) is used on Components and Gates steps.
Troubleshooting
Have the parts in My Components before you build the template
A fence template is the digital version of the fence. You would not drive to a jobsite to install a fence without every post, rail, and fitting on the truck. You cannot build a complete template without those same parts stored in My Components.
Start template work only after the SKUs you need exist in the catalog — with correct height, color, and collection placement. Use Catalog Tools to import or add parts first.
Component Not Found after choosing a collection
The most common reason a variation shows Component Not Found is that the part is not in the catalog yet — not that the collection picker is broken. Auto-match can only select components that already exist in My Components inside the collection (and secondary collection, if used).
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Missing SKU entirely | Add the component to My Components in the right collection, then reopen the post setup modal |
| Part exists but wrong collection | Move it or add it to the collection you selected, or pick a different collection |
| Part exists but wrong color or height | Edit the component's color or size attributes so they match the template variation, or assign that row manually |
| Some heights/colors match, others do not | Often the missing variations live in a different collection — add a secondary collection (see below) or manually assign those rows |
Variations in different collections (materially different by color)
Auto-match searches the primary collection (and secondary collection, if added) you pick in the modal. One collection usually holds every color of the same part.
When a finish means a materially different SKU — different gauge, coating, or vendor line — those variants often live in separate collections, not as color rows in a shared collection.
Example — chain link mesh:
| Variation | Product reality | Catalog organization |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanized | 9 gauge wire | Galvanized chain link mesh collection |
| Black | Vinyl-coated, 11 ga core with 9 ga finish | Black / vinyl-coated mesh collection |
If you select only the galvanized mesh collection, black rows show Component Not Found even though black mesh exists in the catalog — it lives in another collection.
Fix: In the post or component setup modal, add a secondary collection that holds the other material line (for example, black vinyl-coated mesh alongside galvanized mesh). Dirt Face searches both collections when matching each height/color row.
The same pattern applies to posts, fabric, rails, and hardware when black, galvanized, and other finishes are materially different product lines — not when they are the same part in different colors within one collection.
Color names still must match
If the part is in the catalog but still will not auto-match, verify the component color name matches the fence type and template color exactly. See Fence Types — colors.
Warning: Manually assigning a component you have not cataloged yet does not replace adding it to My Components. Manual picks still reference catalog records — create the part first, then assign.