Categories & Custom Attributes

From visual aesthetics to multi-dimensional data models, tailor bespoke homes for every possession

“Every belonging lives at its own rhythm. You would never audit a book collection the same way you manage fresh groceries, nor organize an artisan cashmere sweater like a digital camera body.”

In conventional inventory apps, every item is crammed into the same rigid spreadsheet cells—forcing an heirloom fountain pen, specialty single-origin coffee beans, and handmade ceramics from a trip abroad into identical rows of “Name, Quantity, Notes”.

In MononoMori, we created an expressive Category and Custom Attribute System. Beyond outfitting each category with Japanese nature-inspired color themes and custom transparent vector icons, it empowers you to tailor data dimensions, log prices in original overseas currencies, and track daily cost of ownership.

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Overview: What Categories Offer

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Category Management: Built-in & Custom Spaces

Navigate to “More” > “Category Management” to inspect existing categories and customize templates:

1. Preset & Custom Categories

• Turnkey Presets: Thoughtfully equipped with Foods, Books, Medicine, Electronics, and Clothing so beginners can start right away.
• Custom Categories: Tap ”+ Add Category” at the bottom to build custom categories like “Coffee Corner”, “Camping Gear”, or “Skincare”.
• Hide Unneeded Categories: For minimalist setups, hide unused default presets without deleting any underlying data.

2. Custom Sorting

Tap the top-right menu and choose “Reorder” to drag categories into your preferred sequence, placing high-frequency categories within immediate reach.

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Subcategories share the main category’s template

In the main category editor, Subcategories / Manage lets you split Books into Fiction and Reference Books. Enable Use Subcategories, create groups, then assign and save existing items separately. Creation alone does not move them.

Groups share their main category’s fields, icon and color. There is one level, with no third-level groups or independent templates; use another main category for substantially different fields.

Disabling hides controls and keeps groups and assignments. Deleting a group clears its assignments while preserving items, photos, attributes and history. Merging main categories moves subcategories with items; rename duplicate group names before merging. See Subcategories.

Visual Customization: Nature Palettes & SVG Icons

1. Curated Color Palettes

Choose from quiet natural shades including Bamboo Green, Gingko Gold, Sky Blue, and Warm Chestnut. Category badges and card accents adopt this soft tint automatically.

2. Diverse Icon Options (Transparent SVG Highly Recommended)

• Built-in Icons: Over 36 minimalist hand-drawn vector icons;
• Photo Library: Select real-life photos or object close-ups;
• Transparent SVG: Delivers razor-sharp vector clarity at any scale across iPhone and iPad screens, blending into light and dark modes without harsh white bounding boxes.

3. What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get Live Preview

The top preview card dynamically renders changes in real time, illustrating both Detail View and Add Item Form appearances:

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Custom Attributes & Field Configuration

1. Quick Built-in Attributes

In What to track?, each chip is a separate toggle:

• Expiry Date: The expiry or expiration date; expiry notifications and Falling Leaves rely on it. Useful for foods, medicines, and cosmetics;
• Purchase Date: When the item was purchased or acquired;
• Image: A photo of the item;
• Warranty Information: Warranty period and related details, for appliances and electronics;
• Brand: The item’s brand;
• Model: The model or specification;
• Price: The purchase price;
• Usage Status: The item’s current usage or circulation status.

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2. Six Custom Field Types

Tap ”+ Custom Field” to add specialized dimensions:

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3. Advanced Toggles

• Required: Must be filled during item creation to prevent missing critical data (like medicine dosage);
• Show in List Summary: Displays as a compact capsule pill on main item cards without opening detail sheets;
• Enable in Filters: Turns the attribute into a filter option in the Filter panel (opened from the Items tab) once you select that category.

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Multi-Currency & Ownership Cost

1. Original Currency Recording

Select native currencies (CNY, JPY, USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, etc.) at the category level or individual item form. Record what you actually paid in local currency without manual currency conversion.

2. Approximate Filter Conversions

When the Convert Currency toggle in the price filter is on (it is off by default), filtering by price ranges converts amounts into your default currency using fixed built-in reference exchange rates. With the toggle off, prices are compared as entered, regardless of currency. This serves quick browsing and estimation rather than official financial accounting.

3. Daily Cost & Cost per Use

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Will modifying a category theme or custom field delete existing item data?

No. Modifying category colors, icons, or names immediately refreshes existing items. Adding fields leaves existing items intact until edited.

Q2: Why doesn’t my custom field appear in the Filter panel?

Open the category settings, tap the custom field, and ensure “Enable in Filters” is switched on.