Switching value in column based on checkboxes in another table?

I’m a Coda novice and could use some help here. How could I make a lookup column change values based on checkboxes in another table?

I’m tracking the progress of visual effects on a TV show. I have 2 main tables: 1) [VFX List] where I create an ID for each VFX shot in the show, and 2) [VFX Received] where I track every version that comes in for every shot. Below are simplified views of these tables. In the example below, [VFX List].[Status] is looking up values from a table called [VFX Status]. Also, [VFX Received].[VFX ID] is looking up from [VFX List].

I’ve been unsuccessful in my attempts to create a formula for [VFX List].[Status] along these lines…

When [VFX Received].[VFX ID] is equal to this row and [VFX Received].[Approved] is checked, then switch [Status] to "Approved."

Ideally this formula ignores multiple versions of shots and will return a result when any matching ID yields Approved=true.

Hope I’m making sense. Thank you for the help!

09%20PM

Hey there. The easy way to make a button instead of a checkbox. Formula for the button would be :
Modify Row for the Vfx list table, with a custom filter [vfxlist].Filter(thisrow=vfxid.thisrow)
Then you change value of [vfxstatus] to approved.
You can also disable the button when approve with a formula on Disable if field that would be [vfxlist].filter(thisrow=vfxid.thisrow).Status = “Approved”

Think of checkbox as the simplest boolean system that would help you for some operations.
For changing values like this case, buttons are great.

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Thanks, I’ll try it out!

Update! First off, thanks for turning me on to buttons. Second, After circling this problem for days, I called on the help of a friend to find the solution. It’s very close to what you recommended, Tom, but I had trouble isolating the Status change to one row. I needed extra help to figure out the “currentValue” trick in this winning button formula:

ModifyRows(Filter([VFX List], currentValue = thisRow.[VFX ID]), Status, “Approved”)

And now I’m having too much fun with buttons…

ButtonFun2

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I’m glad that you found a solution!
Buttons are so useful and enable so much fun!

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There are several tables and a lot going on here, so I wasn’t sure how to check this out without building it out myself.

You can Copy this document and see if it does what you’re looking for:
Playground for VFX Tables

I’m using “thisRow” to limit button changes to a particular row. I think the battle you’re fighting is referencing the “[VFX ID]” which is the same for all the rows that are changing on each button click.

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Thanks, Ben! I really dig your use of the bulleted list in the VFX Status table. Much cleaner looking than mine.

I toyed around with the doc you put together. The IF function in the VFX List.Status column is an interesting approach. The issue is it only works when all VFX Received corresponding to a certain VFX ID are approved when my aim is to have only 1 version of each VFX ID approved.

Here’s the solution I ultimately came around to if you want to check it out (haven’t shared a doc link before so hope it works): https://coda.io/d/VFX-Tracking-Template-Button-Problem-SOLVED_dmxBO9UL67K

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Thanks for checking it out! I was definitely guessing at how you wanted the Approved column to operate and figured I had a 50/50 chance.

And thank you for posting your use-case with video project tracking! It adds another creative example of using Coda and spurred other ideas for one of my projects.

For sharing a document with the community here, it usually works best to go to that document in Google Drive and then share it as “Anyone with the link” and “View Only”. Then others can copy it to edit their own version.

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Would love to see this in action

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