# Assigning and configuring generators

You can use the [Structural Agent](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/structural-agent/agent-about) to assign a generator to a column and and change its configuration, or ask the Agent to suggest generators for a column or columns. For example:

* `Assign the Custom Categorical generator to the Occupation column and generate a list of 20 occupations to use for the values.`
* `Change the time shift for the transaction-date column to be between 2 days before and 3 days after the current value.`
* `What generator do you suggest for the Selling_Season column?`

[Privacy Hub](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/privacy-hub), [Database View](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/database-view), and [Table View](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/table-view) also provide options to assign a generator to a column.

For self-hosted Enterprise instances, the selected generator is a generator preset. A generator preset provides a specific configuration for a generator. Whenever a user selects the preset, the generator automatically uses the saved configuration for the preset, which we call the baseline configuration. Tonic Structural provides a built-in preset for most generators. You can also create custom presets.

After you select the preset, you can:

* Override the baseline generator preset configuration. For example, if the built-in preset for the Name generator uses the First Last format, but the column contains a first name, you can change the format to First.
* Remove the overrides to the baseline configuration.
* Save the updated configuration as the new baseline for the generator preset.
* Save the updated configuration as a new custom generator preset.

For more information about generator presets, go to [generator-presets](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators-assign-config/generator-presets "mention").

{% hint style="info" %}
**Required license to manage generator presets:** Enterprise

For Basic and Professional instances, users select and configure generators separately for each column.

**Required workspace permission:** Configure column generators
{% endhint %}

## Selecting the generator for the column

From the **Generator Type** dropdown, select the generator to assign to the column.

The list contains the names of the generators that can be applied to the column.

<figure><img src="https://3378426797-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LSQCLFQ4bslJ-HYc8c3%2Fuploads%2Fc28oVw5oFkLtTx3gdzXg%2FGeneratorDropdown.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4f334d81-2b0a-4b7a-b28e-61e10632a857" alt=""><figcaption><p>Generator dropdown with available generators</p></figcaption></figure>

Use the filter field to search by generator name.

For self-hosted Enterprise instances, the generator names represent built-in and custom generator presets. When you select a generator preset, the configuration is updated to match the current baseline configuration for that preset.

## Reverting to Passthrough for the column

To remove the selected generator and set the generator to Passthrough, click **Reset**, then click **Reset to Passthrough**.

## Working with generator preset configurations <a href="#generator-assignment-preset-config" id="generator-assignment-preset-config"></a>

### Overriding the baseline configuration of a generator preset

After you select a generator preset, you can change the generator configuration. For details about the available configuration options for each generator, go to the [Generator reference](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators/generator-reference).

Overriding the configuration does not affect the baseline configuration for the generator preset.

A column is also considered to have overrides when someone changes the baseline configuration of the generator preset after they assign it to the column.

When there are overrides, the **Overridden** tag displays.

<figure><img src="https://3378426797-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LSQCLFQ4bslJ-HYc8c3%2Fuploads%2Fpe1Be3Wv7wSXoEB3LVya%2FGeneratorConfigOverrideTag.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e09c665c-d361-4880-8995-4000cdeaa64e" alt=""><figcaption><p>Overridden tag for generator configuration</p></figcaption></figure>

Note that the following configuration options are not part of the preset configuration:

* [Linking](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators/generator-characteristics/linking-generators)
* [Consistency with another column](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators/generator-characteristics/consistency)
* [Partitioning](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators/generator-characteristics/partitioning)
* [Custom value processors](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/generation/generators-assign-config/custom-value-processors)

### Removing overrides to the baseline configuration of the generator preset

On the column configuration panel, to remove any overrides to the current baseline configuration for the generator preset, click **Reset**, then click **Reset to Generator Preset**.

<figure><img src="https://3378426797-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LSQCLFQ4bslJ-HYc8c3%2Fuploads%2FuZ9HpaMJh4JFEnKIA67w%2FGeneratorConfigResetMenu.png?alt=media&#x26;token=95514d87-05e4-4eaa-9f24-c5d9dc974af8" alt=""><figcaption><p>Generator configuration panel with preset options</p></figcaption></figure>

### Updating the baseline configuration of the generator preset

From the column configuration panel, you can save the updated configuration as the baseline configuration for the generator preset.

To do this, click **Preset Options**, then select **Update baseline configuration**. On the confirmation panel, click **Confirm**.

When you update the baseline configuration for the generator preset, Structural does not change the configuration of other columns that use the previous baseline configuration. It marks those columns as having overrides to the baseline configuration.

The next time you select a generator preset, it uses the new baseline configuration.

### Saving the updated configuration as a new custom generator preset <a href="#generators-assign-create-new-preset" id="generators-assign-create-new-preset"></a>

From the generator configuration panel, you can save the current configuration as a new custom generator preset.

When you create a new custom generator preset, it is selected as the generator preset for the column.

To do this:

1. Click **Preset Options**, then select **Create a new generator preset**.
2. On the **Create New Preset** dialog, in the **New** **Preset Name** field, provide a name for the new custom generator preset.
3. Click **Create**.

## Restoring inheritance from a parent workspace

{% hint style="info" %}
**Required license for workspace inheritance:** Enterprise
{% endhint %}

In a [child workspace](https://docs.tonic.ai/app/workspace/managing-workspaces/workspaces-inheritance), the configuration panel indicates whether the column currently inherits the configuration from the parent workspace.

<figure><img src="https://3378426797-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LSQCLFQ4bslJ-HYc8c3%2Fuploads%2F6GwcO6nSKF1JI8Km2CHH%2FGeneratorConfigChildOverride.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ffe70e76-a478-421c-acea-ad5e6205367e" alt=""><figcaption><p>Column configuration panel with configuration overrides</p></figcaption></figure>

The inheritance stops if you select a different generator or generator preset (including the Passthrough generator) or change the configuration.

When the column overrides the parent configuration, to reset to the parent configuration and restore the inheritance, click **Reset**, then click **Reset to Parent.**

<figure><img src="https://3378426797-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LSQCLFQ4bslJ-HYc8c3%2Fuploads%2FNQMmhkw9HRfYQumH0Eou%2FGeneratorConfigResetMenuChild.png?alt=media&#x26;token=f51315bf-5ba8-4abc-b809-c8d7cdc970e0" alt=""><figcaption><p>Reset options with option to reset to the parent workspace configuration</p></figcaption></figure>