> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pensiv.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 3.1 What is a sheet?

> Files that define information you refer to again – profile and body

## Sheets define "information you refer to again"

A sheet\
**fixes information that should be the reference** inside the project.

If a document **narrates** thought,\
a sheet **defines and clarifies** it.

> Documents create flow.\
> Sheets create reference.

***

## When do you need a sheet?

Consider a sheet when:

* You keep repeating the same setting in several documents
* Character, place, or event info is scattered
* You often think "what was that setting again?"

Then Pensiv asks:

> Is this something you’ll\
> **define once and refer to many times?**

If yes,\
**a sheet** is the right place, not a document.

***

## What you can do with sheets

Sheets are for **structured reference information**.\
Typical uses:

* Character
* Place
* Event
* Organization
* Item
* Custom concepts

Each sheet:

* Describes one clear entity
* Is referenced from many documents, plotboards, and canvases

> A sheet is not descriptive prose.\
> It’s the **reference file that defines "what this is" in the project.**

***

## How a sheet is laid out

Sheets are built differently from documents.\
The center is not sentences but **structure that defines the entity**.\
Think of the sheet as two areas:

* Profile
* Body

***

## ① Profile

The top area of the sheet is the **profile**.

It can include:

* Icon
* Title
* Sheet type (e.g. Character / Place / Event)
* Category
* Description
* Tags
* Related documents
* Related characters
* Custom attributes

So

> Everything that defines **what this file is**\
> and **what it stands for in the project**\
> is in the profile.

The profile is not just form fields.

* It fixes the entity’s identity
* Creates links to other files
* Becomes a reference point for the project

If documents "develop the story,"

> The sheet profile\
> **fixes "what this is."**

You can:

* Add attributes
* Link relationships
* Use tags to clarify grouping

The clearer the profile,\
the less confusion in the project.

***

## ② Body

Below the profile is a **body** for extra explanation.

There you can add:

* Background for the setting
* Extra context
* Things that don’t fit well as attributes

But this is not the center.

> The center of a sheet is always the profile.

The body supports the definition;\
it doesn’t start a new narrative.

***

## Sheet templates

Sheets use default attribute templates by type.

* By sheet type,
* common structure is created
* and ready to use

Examples:

* Character → category / description / relations / custom attributes
* Place → type / features / related characters / linked files

So you don’t redesign the structure each time\
and the project stays consistent.

***

## How do documents and sheets differ?

They work best together.

| Role     | Use                                    |
| -------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Sheet    | Stable reference information           |
| Document | Flow, scene, narrative, interpretation |

Example:

* "Alice is curious" → define on the character sheet
* "In this scene Alice feels doubt for the first time" → narrate in the document

Then:

* The document can develop freely
* The setting stays stable

***

## Sheets live inside the structure

Sheets are not used in isolation.

* Referenced from documents
* Linked to plotboard cards
* Shown on the canvas
* Shown as nodes in the graph

> A sheet is not a place to "write content";\
> it’s a **reference point in Pensiv’s structure.**

***

## When you might not need a sheet

You may skip a sheet when:

* Something appears only once
* The idea is not fixed yet
* The concept might change

In those cases\
notes or documents are a better first step.

> Sheets are not for "things I’m still thinking about";\
> they’re for **fixing what’s already decided.**

***

## Summary

Sheets are not for writing a lot of text.

They’re for\
staying consistent and\
not having to ask again —\
**fixing reference.**

If your documents are getting messy,\
it may be time to move that reference into sheets.