Sharing changes to all layouts on QGIS

Question

Currently, I'm working on a project that has multiple print layouts, each displaying specific information and layers of the project, but with the same map elements such as the title, legend, and grids, since they were all copies of a pre-defined template. However, we now need to make changes to some of these elements in all maps.

I was wondering if there's a way to share modifications made on a template layout that would automatically update all the layouts based on the original one. For example, if I change the map title font, size, or position on the original template layout, it would also change in the other layouts.

I know I can save the changes as a new template and load it inside every composition, but is there a master template function in QGIS?

Answer 1

Consider setting up your layout template - and project templates - to use layout or project level variables. Refer to Nyall Dawson's videos here on Twitter and here on Youtube (this is an hour-long recorded live session)

Refer also to this series of old blog posts (part 1, part 2, part 3) relating to QGIS 2.12 that nevertheless illustrate how you might use variables to have a single point of reference.