In a first file I have two layouts: layout one is designed with a data entry portal to another file for recording item selection in each portal row (with a relationship that does not allow deletion of portal entries) -- this creates many records in the second file, one for each portal row ....

When that set of selections is complete, the data within the portal is deleted and is ready to be used again.

I am looking for a way create a record in a third file to group those records made by that portal each time -- kinda like a duplicate of what was selected in the portal before the data was deleted to start a new set of entries in the data entry portal. This file would be accessed by a portal in the second layout of file one.

Or is there a way to create a means for data entry in the first file that will have all the entries in one record in the second file, so that the second file would be accessed by a portal in the second layout of file one?

pretty much figured it out -- there's a couple of bugs though