Auto deploy next stage not working

[jstarbird_7831]

I have a test setup where I have several release template variables for Deployment that have initial values and are not required. Then I've set the Build stage to Auto Deploy the next stage.
When I try to run this I get a warning in the Create Package dialog saying I cannot deploy because Deployment Variables must be entered and then it does not auto deploy the next stage.
Is this expected? I would have thought if none of the Variables are required that it would just run the next stage.
I even went in and created the same variables in the Pipeline and it still will not auto deploy.

Here is the excerpt from the Pipeline:

{
  "Name": "TestWorkFlow",
  "Color": null,
  "Description": "",
  "EnforceStageSequence": true,
  "Stages": [
    {
      "Name": "Build",
      "Description": null,
      "TargetExecutionMode": "Sequential",
      "Targets": [
        {
          "PlanName": "TestImport",
          "EnvironmentName": "Build",
          "BuildImporterTemplate": null,
          "ServerNames": [
            "BUILD2"
          ],
          "ServerRoleNames": [],
          "DefaultServerContext": 1
        }
      ],
      "Gate": {
        "UserApprovals": [],
        "GroupApprovals": [],
        "AutomaticApprovals": []
      },
      "PostDeploymentPlan": null,
      "PostDeploymentEventListeners": [],
      "AutoPromote": true,
      "Variables": {}
    },
    {
      "Name": "Development",
      "Description": null,
      "TargetExecutionMode": "Parallel",
      "Targets": [
        {
          "PlanName": "TestApp Test Plan",
          "EnvironmentName": "Development",
          "BuildImporterTemplate": null,
          "ServerNames": [],
          "ServerRoleNames": [],
          "DefaultServerContext": 0
        }
      ],
      "Gate": {
        "UserApprovals": [],
        "GroupApprovals": [],
        "AutomaticApprovals": []
      },
      "PostDeploymentPlan": null,
      "PostDeploymentEventListeners": [],
      "AutoPromote": false,
      "Variables": {
        "ClientId": "TestCustomerId",
        "AppPoolName": "blah_pipeline",
        "test1": "blah_pipeline_blah",
        "ManualDeployment": "False"
      }
    },

And the Release Template used:

{
  "Name": "testtemplate",
  "Pipeline": "TestWorkFlow",
  "ReleaseVariables": [
    {
      "Name": "JenkinsProject",
      "Description": "",
      "InitialValue": "MainBuild",
      "Required": false,
      "Sensitive": false,
      "Type": "Text",
      "PipelineStageName": "",
      "ListValues": [],
      "ListMultiple": false,
      "ListRestrict": false,
      "ListSourceDescription": null,
      "ListSourceXml": null,
      "ListVariableSource": null
    }
  ],
  "PackageVariables": [
    {
      "Name": "JenkinsBuildNumber",
      "Description": "",
      "InitialValue": "",
      "Required": true,
      "Sensitive": false,
      "Type": "DynamicList",
      "PipelineStageName": "",
      "ListValues": [],
      "ListMultiple": false,
      "ListRestrict": true,
      "ListSourceDescription": "Jenkins (<span class=\"hilite\">OF_BuildTasker</span>)  builds for <span class=\"hilite\"><span class=\"variable\">$JenkinsProject</span></span>.",
      "ListSourceXml": "<Inedo.Extensions.Jenkins.ListVariableSources.JenkinsBuildNumberVariableSource Assembly=\"Jenkins\"><Properties CredentialName=\"Tasker\" JobName=\"$JenkinsProject\" /></Inedo.Extensions.Jenkins.ListVariableSources.JenkinsBuildNumberVariableSource>",
      "ListVariableSource": {
        "CredentialName": "Tasker",
        "JobName": "$JenkinsProject"
      }
    },
    {
      "Name": "ServerList",
      "Description": "",
      "InitialValue": "build2",
      "Required": true,
      "Sensitive": false,
      "Type": "DynamicList",
      "PipelineStageName": "",
      "ListValues": [],
      "ListMultiple": false,
      "ListRestrict": true,
      "ListSourceDescription": "Servers in Development environments.",
      "ListSourceXml": "<Inedo.BuildMaster.Extensibility.ListVariableSources.ServerListVariableSource Assembly=\"BuildMasterExtensions\"><Properties EnvironmentsFilter=\"Development\" /></Inedo.BuildMaster.Extensibility.ListVariableSources.ServerListVariableSource>",
      "ListVariableSource": {
        "EnvironmentsFilter": "Development"
      }
    }
  ],
  "DeploymentVariables": [
    {
      "Name": "AppPoolName",
      "Description": "",
      "InitialValue": "blah",
      "Required": false,
      "Sensitive": false,
      "Type": "Text",
      "PipelineStageName": "",
      "ListValues": [],
      "ListMultiple": false,
      "ListRestrict": false,
      "ListSourceDescription": null,
      "ListSourceXml": null,
      "ListVariableSource": null
    },
    {
      "Name": "test1",
      "Description": "",
      "InitialValue": "blahblah",
      "Required": false,
      "Sensitive": false,
      "Type": "Text",
      "PipelineStageName": "",
      "ListValues": [],
      "ListMultiple": false,
      "ListRestrict": false,
      "ListSourceDescription": null,
      "ListSourceXml": null,
      "ListVariableSource": null
    },
    {
      "Name": "ManualDeployment",
      "Description": "Do not change this value. Used internally for scripts.",
      "InitialValue": "true",
      "Required": false,
      "Sensitive": false,
      "Type": "Checkbox",
      "PipelineStageName": "",
      "ListValues": [],
      "ListMultiple": false,
      "ListRestrict": false,
      "ListSourceDescription": null,
      "ListSourceXml": null,
      "ListVariableSource": null
    }
  ],
  "DefaultDeployableOption": "PreviousRelease",
  "Deployables": [
    {
      "Name": "TestDeploy"
    }
  ]
}

Thanks.

Product: BuildMaster
Version: 5.6.6

[Alana]

Release template values are currently only used by the user interface, as a means of assisting users enter key/value pairs (variables) for a release or package. They API does not reference these, but you can pass variables into the APi quite easily.