# Build Tools Tutorial and Usage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elements API\ **Created:** [March 12, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069 "2026-03-12T21:54:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![handshaper](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/handshaper/32/27373_2.png) [@handshaper](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/handshaper)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/1 "2026-03-12T21:54:23Z")
@ben Any chance we can get a tutorial on how to use the build tools to build custom components? I’m eager to learn how to leverage the new way of managing the settings by leveraging the standard ones you provide. I have downloaded all of the code for the standard components, and I believe I have all of the tools installed as instructed, but I’m not sure how to leverage all of these pieces. I’m primarily interested in upgrading existing components I have written, so they can leverage the standard settings, allowing me to reduce the number of settings I have added. ---
**Author:** ![PMUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@PMUK](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/PMUK)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/2 "2026-03-12T22:31:40Z")
While you waiting take one of the easier components you have and then start to replace a few things like picture wells and adding TWIG commands, change your text - @text boxes. Add a few others and then see how your component can be changed with the standard elements. Have a play at adding groups that are part of your component and then just build them up. ---
**Author:** ![handshaper](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/handshaper/32/27373_2.png) [@handshaper](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/handshaper)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 10:33pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/3 "2026-03-12T22:33:18Z")
Aloha Paul, yes I have done all of that but I’m interested in how to correctly invoke the build tools to handle connecting all this stuff together. It is not obvious from the docs. There are now config files that you build to set this stuff up, these files then have to be built to generate the actual hooks and properties files, which are not user editable under the new scheme. ---
**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/4 "2026-03-12T23:07:07Z")
Did you watch the tutorial in the docs? That should hopefully be enough to get you started… [![](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/3X/b/a/ba52063cd8cb5e3fd3c6ae9f99046ab05d782693.jpeg "Developer: Component Build Tools System") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_57memVXHk) Let us know if you have any specific questions once you dive in further 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handshaper](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/handshaper/32/27373_2.png) [@handshaper](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/handshaper)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/5 "2026-03-13T01:03:29Z")
@dan Yes, I did watch the tutorial, and I will do it again. But I don’t remember it going into specifics about how to invoke the build tools. I’ll watch it again and be back with more specific questions. ---
**Author:** ![handshaper](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/handshaper/32/27373_2.png) [@handshaper](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/handshaper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 1:32am UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/6 "2026-03-14T01:32:33Z")
@dan @ben I’m slowly getting it figured out, but I find it nearly impossible to follow the tutorial in a video. I have watched the video four or five times, with lots of stops, painful. A step-by-step workflow from start to finish would be incredibly useful. I know you are busy. My first question: Most of the different settings are preceded by the word “global”, which makes a lot of sense, but there is one that does not have “global” in the name, “headingTextAlign”. Why is this one different? Is there something different about it? It took me a lot of digging in order to get text alignment to work until I looked at some debug info and saw it had a different name. I’m having to learn how to do this by trial and error, mainly errors on my part. But slowly getting there. I have taken Ben’s example, which he used in the demo, and modified the hell out of it to see how things work. Next, I’ll attempt to modify one of my existing components. Fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![handshaper](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/handshaper/32/27373_2.png) [@handshaper](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/handshaper)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2026, 10:13pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/7 "2026-03-14T22:13:24Z")
I was doing well making changes and experimenting within Ben’s example, but when I tried to do the same thing in one of my custom components, nothing worked. I keep getting errors telling me that certain scripts like “run” are not loaded, despite the fact that I have installed all of the scripts. Well, I think I have, as they are working in the example. The experiment concluded. I’m clearly not smart enough to leverage these build tools, bummer. I think my problem stems from the fact that the file hierarchy for my component is not the same as the one used by the sample. But I cannot figure out how to rectify it. ---
**Author:** ![jbob](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/jbob/32/31581_2.png) [@jbob](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/jbob)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/8 "2026-03-16T14:06:57Z")
I’m also finding this really hard to follow and would love to understand more Could you possibly do it like you’re explaining it to a 7 year old ? Including why you’re doing the things you’re doing ---
**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 2:12pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/9 "2026-03-16T14:12:48Z")
Completely understand where you’re both coming from! It’s worth noting that the build tools are really aimed at experienced developers (no offence meant). They’re designed for people who are already comfortable working with development tooling, build processes, and project structures. Because of that, they can feel quite overwhelming if you’re approaching them for the first time. They’re definitely not intended to be an “easy mode” workflow, and they’re probably not something most users will ever need to touch. In many ways they sit closer to traditional developer tooling than typical Elements workflows. The goal of providing them is to give power users and developers the flexibility to build more advanced components and automate parts of the development process. But that does mean there’s a big learning curve involved. That said, the feedback about clearer step-by-step documentation is very helpful, and I’ll keep that in mind as we move things forward 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handshaper](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/handshaper/32/27373_2.png) [@handshaper](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/handshaper)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/build-tools-tutorial-and-usage/55069/10 "2026-03-16T17:41:06Z")
@dan Fully understand the intended target for these tools, which happens to fit my profile. But I still feel it would be helpful to have a more in-depth workflow description. I have managed to figure out how to use the tools, but it has taken a lot of trial and error to do that, and I needed to do it from within one of your samples. I could never get things set up correctly from scratch. So far, I have managed to port two of my smaller components to this new workflow, and I have to say, once it is set up and working correctly, it is a lot of fun. The whole global control mechanism and the way the hooks and properties files work are great. It took a lot of poring through the core components to figure some of the stuff out, but that was a great learning experience in itself. Bottom line is, I get the target audience for these build tools and the motivation for creating them. But I still feel the documentation could do a better job of slowly walking one through the process.