Principals and crowd
Every character on a production is one of two types: a principal or a crowd character. The type decides what you have to fill in and where the character lives.
Principals
Principals are your named, tracked cast. Each one gets a Character ID and a Name. The Character ID is required and is how principals sort and how you find them, for example 1, 2A, 3PD. Use a principal for anyone whose continuity you follow scene by scene: their changes, looks, wear notes and assigned garments all hang off the character.
Crowd
Crowd characters cover background and supporting artists. A crowd character only needs a Name. There is no Character ID to enter, so crowd entries sort by their name instead. Use crowd for groups and one-off background you want a record of without giving every one of them a full numbered slot.
Where each type lives
Principals and crowd are kept in separate lists. On the web app you have a Principals list and a Crowd list; on mobile they sit on the Principals tab and the Crowd tab. The crowd list shows the Name only, with a crowd marker in place of an ID. Pick the right list when you create a character, and switch a character's type later from the edit form.
You can hide a principal from just the costume or just the makeup department without archiving them, using the visibility settings on the character. That keeps the character available to the department that needs them.
Ready to add some? See Creating and editing characters.