I created an XML page that reproduces what I think you’re wanting. It can be a good starting point for troubleshooting this. In it, I have a mass action that adds a specific description to contacts and keeps context from the accounts chosen in the first table. Does it show what you’re wanting to do and how you’re trying to do it?

Thanks.  Yes. This works.  Adding the table I am writing to to my page helps.  I believe my records weren’t saving because I have validation rules on a few fields.  By having the records appear in a table I can see where the data needs to be added.  

Now I need to figure out how to populate the data in these fields. Unfortunately they are picklist fields that the user needs to choose ahead of time and apply to all.  I can’t set a “default” in the action.  Any suggestions?  Can I open a popup window first, have the user input the data there, then execute the create new records?  

If I understand your question correctly, you can probably do a Ui only model and add the picklist fields. Add a field editor to collect the user input. Then in your action sequence update fields on rows with the values from the UI only model.

You should be able to select a picklist automatically as well in the same method. It just has to be an existing picklist option. You can’t set it to a picklist that doesn’t exist. 

I need the user to choose which value in the picklist they want though.  I don’t want to set it for them.

Trying this.  The Action sequence doesn’t seem to allow using fields from another model to set values.  You can only choose from “Single Specified Value” or “None-Blank Value”.