Field Explorer Pro is a powerful Encompass® plugin designed to make field management simple and efficient. It allows users to quickly search, view, and understand all fields in their Encompass system, including those in the Reporting Database. Whether building custom tools or troubleshooting field issues, Field Explorer Pro provides the visibility and control needed to work smarter and faster.

This release delivers the API version of Field Explorer. Unlike the legacy SDK (desktop plug-in) version, the API version runs as a centrally hosted service and is activated for your Encompass instance through the Toolshed Portal — there is no per-workstation client software to distribute. This guide walks the Encompass Administrator through the prerequisites and the steps required to install, activate, and configure the tool.

 

Benefits

  • Save Time: Quickly locate the correct field without endless searching.
  • Prevent Errors: Avoid creating duplicate fields by verifying existing ones.
  • Gain Clarity: Access detailed field information, including type, format, and reporting database inclusion.
  • Improve Collaboration: Export field lists to Excel for easy sharing and documentation.
  • Boost Efficiency: Simplify troubleshooting and custom tool development with advanced filtering and sorting options.

 

Activation

To turn this tool on:

1. Log in to Encompass® as a Super Admin.

2. Open LTK PowerTools™ from the Encompass® menu and click Settings.

3. Go to the PowerTools™ Free tab.

4. Turn on Field Explorer Pro by clicking On.

Note: After activation of the Tool, be sure to wait for the prompt stating that the download is complete prior to continuing.

5. Ensure a license number populated and restart Encompass®.

  

How to Use Field Explorer Pro

  1. Log into Toolshed Portal
  2. Open PowerTools and choose Field Explorer. The page loads and populates the field data automatically — you’ll see a brief “Loading Fields data” indicator.
  3. Use the interactive table to explore field data. Sort and filter any columns by clicking its header.

Column

What it means

Example / values

Type

The category the field belongs to.

Standard, Virtual, or Custom

Field ID

The identifier you reference in rules, forms, reports, and exports.

4000, CX.MYFIELD

Description

The human-readable name of the field.

Borrower First Name

Format

The Encompass data format that governs how a value is stored/entered.

STRING, INTEGER, DECIMAL_2, DECIMAL_3, YN, STATE, ZIPCODE, SSN, PHONE

Length

Maximum input length. Blank when the field has no defined length.

35

Opts

How many predefined options the field offers (drop-down / option lists). Blank when the field is free-entry.

5

Ronly

Read-only. “Y” means the value is system-set and cannot be typed into.

Y / blank

Multi

Indicates a multi-value field (can hold more than one entry).

Y / blank

RDB

Whether the field is written to the Reporting Database. “Y” means it is reportable.

Y / blank

Type (derived)

A simplified data type derived from Format, to tell numbers, text, and yes/no apart at a glance.

Numeric, String, or Boolean

Size

The column size in the Reporting Database (shown when the field is in the RDB).

35

Audit

Whether changes to this field are audited (tracked) in the Reporting Database.

Y / blank

 


Finding a field

The field browser is built around three tabs and a set of filters. This is where you’ll spend most of your time.

1. Pick the field type (tabs)

Switch between the three tabs to browse a specific category:

·        Standard Fields — built-in Encompass fields.

·        Virtual Fields — calculated/derived fields.

·        Custom Fields — fields defined specifically for your instance.

Filters and the Export button always act on the tab you’re currently viewing.

2. Choose how to match (Filter by)

The Filter by selector controls how your typed text is matched. Pick the mode that fits how much you already know:

Filter mode

How it matches

Use it when…

Keyword

Contains match — every keyword you type must appear (in any position).

You remember part of a name, e.g. typing rate finds all fields containing “rate”.

Text

Exact match — the typed text must match the value exactly.

You know the precise Field ID or description and want just that row.

Wildcard

Pattern match — use * for any characters and ? for a single character.

You know the shape of the ID, e.g. 4* or CX.* or 3?? .

3. Type what you know (Field ID / Description)

There are two search boxes. You can use either one or both together — when both are filled, a field must satisfy both to appear:

·        Field ID — match against the field’s identifier (e.g. 4000, CX.MYFIELD).

·        Description — match against the field’s human-readable name (e.g. “Borrower First Name”).

TIP  Filtering happens as you type (with a brief pause). Use Clear to reset both boxes and the filter mode back to their defaults and see the full list again.


Wildcard examples

You type (Field ID)

It matches

4*

Every Field ID that starts with 4 (4000, 4002, 4100…).

*rate*

Any Field ID containing “rate”.

36?

Three-character IDs beginning 36 (360, 361, 36A…).

CX.*

All custom fields in the CX. namespace.



Understanding the field metadata

For every field, Field Explorer shows a full row of metadata. Reading it correctly saves you trips back into Encompass — you can confirm a field’s format, size, options, and reporting behavior right here. Each column is explained below.

Column

What it means

Example / values

Type

The category the field belongs to.

Standard, Virtual, or Custom

Field ID

The identifier you reference in rules, forms, reports, and exports.

4000, CX.MYFIELD

Description

The human-readable name of the field.

Borrower First Name

Format

The Encompass data format that governs how a value is stored/entered.

STRING, INTEGER, DECIMAL_2, DECIMAL_3, YN, STATE, ZIPCODE, SSN, PHONE

Length

Maximum input length. Blank when the field has no defined length.

35

Opts

How many predefined options the field offers (drop-down / option lists). Blank when the field is free-entry.

5

Ronly

Read-only. “Y” means the value is system-set and cannot be typed into.

Y / blank

Multi

Indicates a multi-value field (can hold more than one entry).

Y / blank

RDB

Whether the field is written to the Reporting Database. “Y” means it is reportable.

Y / blank

Type (derived)

A simplified data type derived from Format, to tell numbers, text, and yes/no apart at a glance.

Numeric, String, or Boolean

Size

The column size in the Reporting Database (shown when the field is in the RDB).

35

Audit

Whether changes to this field are audited (tracked) in the Reporting Database.

Y / blank


Exporting your results

Field Explorer can export what you’re looking at to a CSV file you can open in Excel or attach to a ticket:

·        Export (main table): exports the current tab (Standard, Virtual, or Custom) with your filters applied — so you can search first, then export exactly the fields you need.

·        Export (RDB panel): the Search box inside the RDB panel has its own Export button that exports the currently filtered reporting-database rows.

A confirmation (“CSV file exported successfully”) appears when the file is ready.



IMPORTANT  Field Explorer is read-only — it shows you field definitions but never changes loan data or your Encompass configuration. Browse and export freely.