Budgeter Documentation

Budget Builder

The Budget Builder starts after selecting the Budget Builder type from the Budget Setup screen.

The Budget Builder is a series of screens to work through where you add your project details such as Currency, Locations, Calendar information and more.

Requirements

The Builder is divided into two sections: the essential information required to create your budget, and the full set of optional details you can include if you have them at this stage of budgeting.

We recommend entering as much information as you currently have, but if something isn’t available yet, you can always add it later.

Every budget built with the Builder must include three core categories:

Chart of Accounts
Currency
Location

The Builder functions as a step-by-step wizard, guiding you through a series of screens based on the project type you select.

When you complete a screen, clicking Next saves your data and moves you forward. You can return to any previous screen at any time by clicking Back.

Bouncing Around

You can also use the dropdown menu located at the center of the screen to jump directly to any screen in the Builder whenever needed.

Budget Builder - Navigation

Draft Budgets

You can quit the Builder at any time and return to it later by saving a draft budget.

Simply press the window close button on the Builder screen and choose Save and Exit.
A draft budget will be created in your project library under Draft Budgets, and the file will also appear in your Quicklist on the Dashboard.

Budget Builder - Save as Draft Budget

Customize the Builder

Most Builder screens allow you to save the changes you make. If you frequently reuse the same elements or apply the same fringes across projects for example, you can configure the screen to your preference and click Save as Default. The next time you create a new budget, these settings will be applied automatically.

Clicking Reset will restore the screen to its original default state.

Note: Reset applies only to the current screen and does not reset all Builder screens.

Chart of Accounts (COA)

The first screen is the Chart of Accounts (COA). Here, you select your budget accounting structure — including the list of accounts, account number format, and other criteria.

Budget Builder - Chart of Accounts

Line Budgeter provides a library of COAs to choose from, including:

Curated — A set of COAs for the most common project types, tailored by your friends at Line Budgeter.
Studios — An ever-growing list of COAs from both major and independent production studios.
Project Type Specific — Options for Films, Episodic, Incentive-based projects, Live Events, Video Games, Corporate Media, and Special/Unique COAs.
My COAs — Save and customize COAs to reuse in your own projects.

In the Preview panel (center of the screen), you can:

Include or exclude specific departments
Change line type designations
Adjust the number of positions for each labor account

In the Settings panel, you can:

Adjust account numbers
Change the number of positions globally
Update Fringe Account Categories

Note: A COA is a required selection.

Once you’ve chosen and configured your COA, click Next to continue.

Currency

Next, add a Currency to the budget.

Budgets can use any currency—real or custom—making it easy to manage projects in one or across multiple countries. If you don't know the currency for your project, you can use the default generic C01 and always change it later.

Budget Builder - Currency

In the Currency Format for this Budget panel, set parameters such as:

Symbol Position (e.g., $USD or USD$)
Delimiter (e.g., 1,000.00 or 1.000,00)

Note: The delimiter cannot be changed after budget creation.

Use the Currencies in Budget panel to add currencies to the budget. Press Add to create a new currency or click into an existing currency to edit it.

Each currency can have:

Notation — enter a standard code (USD, EUR, HUF) or custom (e.g., C01).
- Real-world notations auto-populate Description, Symbol, Budget Rate, and Market Rate.
- Custom notations require manual entry.
Budget Rate — defines the currency’s value for budget calculations.
Market Rate — pulls daily conversion rates for non-primary currencies, useful for setting Budget Rates.

Additional Options

Display Subtotal, Tax & Fringes, and Incentives in Primary or Local Currency.
- By default, these fields use Primary Currency.
- Local Currency displays values in the line’s currency.
Include Tax & Fringes and/or Incentives in line-item totals (affects Topsheet, Account, and Details levels).

Once configured, click Next to continue.

Locations

The Locations screen allows you to add locations to your budget. Line Budgeter requires at least one location per budget.

The Location field is used to assign specific places or jurisdictions to detail lines in your budget. During budget creation, the system automatically generates a location called Location1. Users can rename this location at any time or add their own locations.

Budget Builder - Locations

The Locations panel is where you add locations for inclusion in your budget. Press the Add button to insert additional locations and edit them as needed.

Each location can have:

Location Code — Assign an accounting code for the location, used for tracking and reporting in budget reports.
Location Name — Set the full name for the location. This name appears on Detail-level lines in the Locations column for identification and reporting.
Short Name — Assign a short name or abbreviation. By default, this is auto-filled using the first three letters of the Location Name.
Location Currency — Assign a currency to this location. The selected currency applies to all Detail-level lines using this location.
Color — Assign a color to the location. This color appears on Detail-level lines where the location is displayed.

Once you’ve configured your locations, click Next to proceed to Line Types.

Line Types

Line Types define the types of transactions used in a budget. Each line in Line Budgeter is assigned a line type, which allows for detailed reporting and cost analysis. You can use the system’s default Line Types or create custom types as needed.

Line Types are assigned to lines in the Details level of the budget through the Types column. They identify the type of transaction for each line, such as: labor, purchases, rentals, allow, or deposit.

This categorization supports cost tracking and reporting analytics. For example, you can quickly compare how much a specific location is spending on labor versus equipment rentals or purchases.

Budget Builder - Line Types

By default, the Types of Transactions panel includes six system defaults. These cannot be removed, but you do not have to use them:

labor — Hired employees or loan-outs
purchases — Items or services bought
rentals — Items or services leased/rented
allow — General allowance of funds
deposit — General deposit placed for goods or services
service - A service rendered

Press the Add button to create your own Line Types, or press Import to select line types from your element library.

Once you’re ready, press Next to continue.

Phases

Phases define the stages of production in a budget. They help organize budget details into logical stages — for example, Pre-Production, Production, or Post-Production.

Phases are applied to lines in the Details level of the budget through the Phases column. They serve two main purposes:

To define the phase of the line (e.g., Prep, Shoot, or Wrap).
To work in conjunction with the Locations and Day Types columns to pull calendar data, which is then used to populate the Start and End Date columns.

You can use the system’s default phases or create your own custom phases as needed.

Budget Builder - Phases

To add a phase from the default list, check the Use box next to the phase.
To add a custom phase, click Add or import phases from your element library.

Assigned Pay Hours
When using hourly pay rates in the budget, you can assign pay hours for each phase. These are set in the Assigned Pay Hours column. Learn more about Pay Hours and how they can be set in Preferences: Core Data.

Once you’re ready, press Next to continue.

Day Types

Day Types define kinds of days in production — e.g., Regular Work Day, Overtime, or Holiday. Each line can be assigned a Day Type to indicate how that day is treated.

Together with Location and Phase, Day Types pull calendar data into the Start and End Date columns at the details level.

Budget Builder - Day Types

You can also assign/change:

A Multiplier, which determines the multiplication value applied to this Day Type on a budget line, used to calculate straight time (1x), overtime (1.5x), halftime (.5x) or custom values.
T&F Hours, which are used to calculate fringe values.

The panel includes 10 system defaults (cannot be removed but do not have to be used). You can also create custom Day Types.

Add a Day Type

Press Add at the bottom of the table.
A default name (e.g., DayType1) is created.
Rename with a custom name.
Set a Multiplier - defaults to 1.
Set a Day Status — Work Day or Off.
Assign T&F Hours - defaults to 8 hours.

Select Day Types

Use the checkbox to apply a Day Type to all locations, or select it for specific locations.

Once finished, click Next to continue.

Calendar Setup

Line Budgeter uses a calendar-based budgeting approach. Calendar data is applied to the budget using Location, Phases and Day Types. The Calendar Setup screen lets you assign dates to your project by location or, if specific dates are unknown, use a Day Count instead.

Budget Builder - Calendar Setup

Date Range

Select a Phase, then choose a Start Date and End Date from the calendar panel.
Use the navigation controls to move through months.
To assign dates to a Day Type:
1. Select the Phase.
2. Select the Day Type.
3. Click individual dates on the calendar (Day Types do not support ranges).

Day Count

Alternative to setting calendar dates.
Assigns a total number of days for each Phase or Day Type.

Location Settings

Work Days per Week — Number of standard work days (default: 5).
Weekend — Recurring off-days for the calendar (default: Saturday and Sunday).

Once configured, click Next to continue.

Progress Review

The Progress Review screen is a checkpoint in the budget creation process. Here, you can review the information entered so far and choose whether to:

Build the budget immediately, using the current setup.
Continue setup to refine your budget further with additional configuration options.

Budget Builder - Progress Review

Location Lines are created by

Choose how location lines are created in the budget:

By labor account — Creates one position for all locations in the budget.

by labor account

By location — Creates one position for each location, with lines tied only to that specific location.

by locations

Budget Dates are based in

Dates can be based on Days or Weeks, depending on your project’s scheduling needs.

Use Data Reference Universals

Toggle On/Off.
Data References are system-level variables that perform automatic calculations within the budget.
They cannot be edited but provide powerful, dynamic values.
Learn more: Data References.

Next Steps

Build My Budget — Create your budget with the current setup.
Continue Setup — Move forward to additional screens for deeper customization.

Continue Setup

The second half of the Budget Builder focuses on refining your project details. These steps are optional, but each one you complete enhances the accuracy and depth of your budget.

In this stage you can configure:

Tax & Fringes
Incentives
Tags
Episodes (if applicable)
And more

You don’t have to complete every item during setup. Anything you skip can be added or updated later, after the budget is created.

Company Units

Company Units define the types of production units used in a budget. These units help represent the scale or structure of the production — for example, First Unit, Second Unit, or Stunt.

Budget Builder - Company Units

Company Units are applied to lines in the Details level of the budget through the Company Units (Co. Unit) column. You can use the system’s default Company Units or create your own as needed.

To add or remove a system default Company Unit, simply check or uncheck the Use box in the table. They can not be deleted.

Add a new Company Unit:

Press the Add button at the bottom of the table.
A new Company Unit is automatically assigned a default name (e.g., CoUnit1, CoUnit2, CoUnit3).
Update the new Company Unit with a custom name.
(Optional) Enter a Description for clarity.

When you’re ready, click Next to continue.

Budget Units

Budget Units define the types of measurement used in a budget. These units are applied in the Units column of budget detail lines or in other elements such as Tax & Fringe, Incentives, or Universals. You can use the system’s default Budget Units or create your own custom units as needed.

Budget Units work together with the Amount field to specify what is being measured — for example, 20 days, 200 feet, or 50 TB.

Budget Builder - Budget Units

Once defined, a unit can be quickly added to any Unit field by typing the unit name or selecting it from the drop-down menu.

Add a new Budget Unit:

Press the Add button at the bottom of the table.
A new Budget Unit is automatically assigned a default name (e.g., Unit1, Unit2, Unit3).
Update the new Budget Unit with a custom name.
Enter a Singular Name (e.g., Day, Terabyte).
Enter a Plural Name (e.g., Days, Terabytes).

When you’re ready, press Next to continue.

Ratebooks

Ratebooks allow you to research and assign rates to positions directly inside Line Budgeter. They provide confidence that rates are accurate and consistent with union rules, location standards, and other criteria. The use of Ratebooks is optional.

Line Budgeter supports two types of Ratebooks:

Curated Ratebooks — Researched and maintained by Line, always up to date, and available for purchase in the Ratebook Store.
Custom Ratebooks (coming soon) — Create and manage your own ratebooks for specialized projects.

Budget Builder - Ratebooks

Adding a Ratebook

Click the Add button at the bottom of the table.
In the Import from Library modal, select the ratebooks you want to include and press OK.
Once the budget is created, you can assign rates to positions based on union status, location, and other criteria.

Ratebook Store

To find the right ratebooks for your project, visit the Ratebook Store and explore curated options tailored for different regions and production needs.

When finished, click Next to continue.

Tax & Fringe

Tax & Fringes are used to track costs or benefits that are incurred in addition to the base cost of labor or materials. These may include:

Employment-related expenses such as payroll taxes, pension contributions, or welfare program fees.
Resource-based charges, such as daily equipment or usage fees.
Employee allowances, including holiday pay, sick leave, or similar entitlements.
Add-on costs, like sales tax applied to materials.

Budget Builder - Tax & Fringe

You can import existing Fringe Groups or individual Fringes from your Element Library by pressing the Import button at the bottom of the table. Once imported, update their values for your current project and you’re ready to go.

Tax & Fringe Import

To add a new Tax & Fringe:

Click the Add button at the bottom of the table.
A new Tax/Fringe is automatically assigned a default name (e.g., TAXFRINGE1, TAXFRINGE2, etc.).
Update the new Tax/Fringe with a custom Name.
(Optional) Enter a Description.
Enter a Fringe Account Category — defaults to the standard fringe account 99. Additional categories can be defined in Preferences → Core Data.
Enter a Rate for the Tax/Fringe.
Enter a Unit.
(Optional) Define a Floor and/or Ceiling.
(Optional) Mark whether the Tax/Fringe is Incentivizable by checking the box in the Incentivize column.

Example: Stacking Fringes on Labor

Suppose you budget a crew member at $1,000/day. You might apply:

Payroll Tax at 5% → $50/day
Pension Contribution at 3% → $30/day
Holiday Pay Allowance at 4% → $40/day

Together, this crew line now reflects $1,120/day total cost
($1,000 base + $120 fringes).

This ensures that your budget accounts for both direct pay and all required add-ons, giving you a true cost projection.

When you’re ready, press Next to continue.

Incentives

Incentives are financial programs that reduce production costs through tax credits, rebates, refunds, grants, or other fiscal benefits tied to qualifying local spend.

Use Incentives in Line Budgeter to track, calculate, and manage your production tax benefits.

Budget Builder - Incentives

Line Budgeter supports two incentive types:

Percentage-based Incentives
Calculate the benefit as a percentage of qualifying expenditures.
Example: A 25% rebate on $400,000 of labor = $100,000 incentive.
Flat-based Incentives
Provide a fixed benefit once eligibility conditions are met.
Example: A $75,000 grant after reaching a $1M spend threshold.

Creating a Percentage-based Incentive

Click the Add button at the bottom of the Percentage-based table.
The Percentage Incentive Modal opens.
Enter incentive details or search the Incentive Library to find the incentives for your project.
Press Save to create the incentive.

Creating a Flat-based Incentive

Click the Add button at the bottom of the Flat-based table.
The Flat Incentive Modal opens.
Enter the incentive details.
Press Save to create the incentive.

When finished, press Next to continue.

Universals

Universals are custom variables that store a value once and can be reused throughout the budget. They improve consistency and simplify updates—changing a Universal automatically updates every location where it’s used.

They’re useful for:

Reusable constants — e.g., standard labor rates, daily allowances, fixed fees.
Shared references — values that appear in multiple calculations or line items.
Unit-linked values — measurements (e.g., Days, Hours) that carry forward with the Universal.

For example, if a Universal SL1 is defined with a value of 5 and a unit of Days, every Line Item using SL1 will automatically include Days as the unit.

Budget Builder - Universals

Once created, Universals can be applied to budget lines by typing the Universal name in a Details-level field. They can also be used in formulas—either in the Universal’s own value or in any formula-driven cell.

Adding a New Universal

Click the Add button at the bottom of the table.
A new Universal is automatically assigned a default name (e.g., UNIVERSAL1). Subsequent Universals follow the same pattern (UNIVERSAL2, UNIVERSAL3, etc.).
Update the Universal with a custom Name.
Enter a Description (optional).
Define the Calc — either a fixed value or a formula (including references to other Universals).
Assign a Unit (optional).

When finished, click Next to continue.

Custom Columns

Custom Columns let you extend your budget with fields tailored to your project. They are flexible, powerful, and come in two types: Tracking Columns and User-Defined Columns.

Tracking Columns Use Tracking Columns to tag and group budget lines for detailed cost reports. They are ideal for organizing costs around specific production needs, such as departments, vendors, or funding sources.

User-Defined Columns (U1–U5) User-Defined Columns are multi-purpose fields that can be set up in two ways:

Additional Tracking — Use them like extra Tracking Columns when more fields are needed.
Line-Item Math — Configure them to perform calculations (Add, Subtract, Multiply, or Divide) directly on a line. Perfect for applying fees, markups, discounts, or other custom formulas.

Budget Builder - Custom Columns

If you already know what you want to track or calculate, configure the Tracking and User-Defined Columns to match your project’s needs.

When you’re ready, click Next to continue.

Episodes

The Episodes element table allows you to manage costs across an entire series while still tracking per-episode details. Unlike traditional Pattern and Amort budgeting, Line Budgeter keeps all episodes inside a single budget, giving you both high-level and per-episode visibility without juggling multiple files.

Key Features

Per-episode tracking — Assign costs directly to episodes for clear visibility.
Amortized cost assignment — Distribute shared costs fairly across episodes.
Analytics — Compare per-episode expenses, spot trends, and catch outliers.
Single-budget workflow — Manage everything in one master budget for easier updates and reporting.

Budget Builder - Episodes

Defaults

By default, the Episode element table includes two entries:

Amort — All budget lines are automatically amortized.
Not Amortized — Items assigned here are excluded from amortization.

Adding a New Episode

Click the Add button at the bottom of the table.
A new Episode is created with a default Number (e.g., 1) and Title (e.g., Episode1). Additional episodes follow the same pattern (Episode2, Episode3, etc.).
Update the Episode with a custom Number and Title.
Add a Description (optional).
Add any Notes (optional).

When you’re ready, click Next to continue.

Appearance

The Appearance screen lets you customize how Line Budgeter looks and feels, so you can tailor the interface to your workflow.

Budget Builder - Appearance

Key options include:

Font Size – Adjust text size for easier readability.
Budget Theme – Switch between visual themes for a personalized workspace.
Banner Image – Add a custom banner image to the Heads-Up Display bar for quick project identification.
Column Display Control – Choose which columns are visible in Minimum and Full views.
Column Abbreviations – Define short labels that will display when columns are resized too small to show their full names.

Make your selections, and when you're ready, click Next to continue.

General Settings

The General Settings screen lets you configure key preferences for your budget before it is created. These settings help establish how numbers are displayed and how new lines inherit data.

Budget Builder - Settings

Key options include:

Number Display – Choose whether to show decimal values or round numbers.
Decimal Precision – Set how many decimal places are displayed in applicable budget fields.
Currency Symbol – Decide whether totals across the budget should display the currency symbol.
Line Data Copying – Select which data fields from existing lines are copied when creating new lines, saving time during data entry.

Make your selections, and when you're ready, click Next to continue.

Review & Build

The Review & Build screen is the final checkpoint in the budget creation process. Here, you can review the information entered so far before creating your budget to ensure everything is correct and ready to go.

Budget Builder - Review & Build

Options on this screen allow for customizing the way data is populated to lines in the budget.