Groups vs. Entity Filters: Quick Reference

This guide helps you understand when to use Groups versus Entity Filters for organizing your entities.

Quick Comparison

New: Entity Filter Templates let you save entity selections as reusable blueprints for creating new diagrams.

Decision Tree

Need to organize entities?
│
├─ Different clients/families?
│  └─ Use: CREATE SEPARATE GROUPS
│     Example: "Smith Family" vs "Jones Family"
│
├─ Same client, different views?
│  └─ Use: CREATE FILTER GROUPS
│     Example: "Operating Entities" vs "Trust Structure"
│
├─ Entity shared across clients?
│  └─ Use: ASSIGN TO MULTIPLE GROUPS
│     Example: Shared company in multiple family structures
│
└─ Single comprehensive view?
   └─ Use: ALL ENTITIES (no entity filter)
      Example: Complete family tree

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Professional Advisor

Scenario: You're managing structures for 5 different client families.

Solution:

Groups:
├─ "Smith Family Trust Structure" (Group)
│  ├─ 30 entities
│  ├─ Diagram 1: "Full Structure" (All Entities)
│  └─ Diagram 2: "Operating Companies" (Entity Filter: 8 entities)
│
├─ "Jones Family Estate Plan" (Group)
│  ├─ 25 entities
│  ├─ Diagram 1: "Current Structure" (All Entities)
│  └─ Diagram 2: "Proposed Changes" (Entity Filter: 12 entities)
│
└─ "ABC Corp Subsidiaries" (Group)
   ├─ 40 entities
   ├─ Diagram 1: "Full Corporate Tree" (All Entities)
   ├─ Diagram 2: "Australian Entities" (Entity Filter: 15 entities)
   └─ Diagram 3: "Overseas Holdings" (Entity Filter: 18 entities)

Why: Each client is completely separate (different groups), but you need multiple focused views within each client (entity filters).

Example 2: Corporate User

Scenario: You're mapping your company's subsidiary structure for different departments.

Solution:

Groups:
├─ "XYZ Corp Full Structure" (Group)
│  ├─ 60 entities (all subsidiaries, holdings, trusts)
│  ├─ Diagram 1: "Complete Org Chart" (All Entities)
│  ├─ Diagram 2: "Operating Companies Only" (Entity Filter: 20 entities)
│  ├─ Diagram 3: "Property Holdings" (Entity Filter: 15 entities)
│  ├─ Diagram 4: "IP Holdings" (Entity Filter: 8 entities)
│  └─ Diagram 5: "Board Presentation View" (Entity Filter: 12 entities)

Why: One corporate structure (one group), but different departments need different views (multiple entity filters).

Example 3: Estate Planning

Scenario: You're planning an estate transition with "before" and "after" views.

Solution:

"Wilson Family Estate" (Group)
├─ 35 entities total
├─ Diagram 1: "Current Structure" (Entity Filter: 20 entities - existing entities only)
├─ Diagram 2: "Proposed Structure" (Entity Filter: 25 entities - includes new entities)
└─ Diagram 3: "Transition Plan" (All Entities - shows both old and new)

Why: Same family (one group), but different time periods and planning scenarios (entity filters).

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Creating Groups Instead of Entity Filters

Wrong:

Groups:
├─ "Smith Family - Operating Entities"
├─ "Smith Family - Trusts"
└─ "Smith Family - Assets"

Right:

"Smith Family" (Group)
├─ Diagram: "Operating Entities" (Entity Filter)
├─ Diagram: "Trusts" (Entity Filter)
└─ Diagram: "Assets" (Entity Filter)

Why: Creating separate groups for the same family/client makes relationship management difficult and loses the connection between related entities.

Mistake 2: Not Using Entity Filters for Large Groups

Wrong:

"ABC Corp" (Group)
└─ Diagram: "All 60 Entities" (cluttered, hard to read)

Right:

"ABC Corp" (Group)
├─ Diagram 1: "Executive Overview" (Entity Filter: 12 key entities)
├─ Diagram 2: "Operating Companies" (Entity Filter: 20 entities)
└─ Diagram 3: "Full Structure" (All Entities - for reference)

Why: Filter groups make complex structures readable and focused.

Mistake 3: Not Grouping Entities

Wrong:

All Entities:
├─ Smith Family entities (ungrouped)
├─ Jones Family entities (ungrouped)
└─ ABC Corp entities (ungrouped)

Right:

Groups:
├─ "Smith Family"
├─ "Jones Family"
└─ "ABC Corp"

Why: Groups provide organization and context. Entities can belong to multiple groups if needed (e.g., shared holding company).

When to Use Each

Use Groups When:

✅ Starting a new client engagement
✅ Different families or corporate structures
✅ Separate legal entities
✅ Unrelated projects
✅ Need organizational separation
✅ Entity shared across multiple clients (assign to multiple groups)

Use Entity Filters When:

✅ Same client, different views
✅ Client presentations (show less detail)
✅ Large groups (30+ entities)
✅ Before/after comparisons
✅ Department-specific views
✅ Scenario planning

Use "All Entities" When:

✅ Initial structure mapping
✅ Comprehensive audit
✅ Small groups (< 15 entities)
✅ Exploring relationships
✅ Adding new entities

Migration Between Approaches

Converting Ungrouped Entities to a Group

1. Navigate to Settings > Groups
2. Create a new group
3. Go to each ungrouped entity
4. Edit and assign to the new group

Assigning Entities to Multiple Groups

When an entity (like a holding company) is relevant to multiple clients:

1. Edit the entity
2. In the group assignment section, select multiple groups
3. Entity now appears in all selected groups

Splitting One Group into Multiple Groups

Caution: This may require reorganizing relationships.

1. Create new groups
2. Reassign entities to appropriate groups (entities can be in multiple groups)
3. Verify relationships still make sense
4. Optionally delete the old group if no longer needed

Better Alternative: Use entity filters instead of splitting, or use multi-group assignment.

Combining Multiple Groups into One

Warning: This loses group-level separation.

1. Create a new group
2. Assign entities from old groups to the new group (keep multi-group assignments if needed)
3. Delete old groups if no longer needed

Better Alternative: Keep groups separate and assign shared entities to multiple groups.

Pro Tips

Tip 1: Name Groups Descriptively

Good:

• "Smith Family Trust Structure"
• "XYZ Corp Subsidiary Holdings"
• "Johnson Estate Planning 2026"

Bad:

• "Client 1"
• "Test Group"
• "Entities"

Tip 2: Use Entity Filters for Presentations

Create a "Presentation View" entity filter with:

• Key entities only
• Simplified relationships
• Clean, focused structure

Tip 3: Keep a "Master" Diagram

For each group, maintain:

1. One "All Entities" diagram (complete view)
2. Multiple focused entity filter diagrams (specific purposes)

Tip 4: Document Entity Filter Purpose

Use descriptive diagram and entity filter names:

• "Operating Companies - Current"
• "Trust Structure - Proposed 2026"
• "Asset Holdings - Property Only"

Tip 5: Use Multi-Group Assignment Strategically

Assign entities to multiple groups when:

• Shared holding companies
• Common trustees across families
• Entities involved in multiple client structures

Summary

Groups = Clients, Families, Projects (organize data, multi-group possible)
Entity Filters = Views, Filters, Presentations (focus data within diagrams)
All Entities = Comprehensive, Exploratory (see everything)

Choose based on:

• Organization needed: Groups (entities can be in multiple groups)
• Focus needed: Entity Filters

Related Topics

• Understanding Groups
• Working with Entity Filters
• Entity Filter Templates
• Creating Diagrams
• Managing Entities