Object List

Quick Access Function Key: [F7]

Objects are the finished product that the client buys, and consist of one or more "components" (products) that are linked to them. Objects are defined here, while all products are defined on the Specifications List screen. Be sure to read the detailed discussion of objects, components and specifications in the Introduction called "Objects and Their Specifications."

Fields	Importing an Object
Commands	Object Component List
Screen Options	Editing Forms (Overview)
Adding an Object

Key Concepts

Objects only have to be created once in a project and can be used in more than one room. An object can be created in several ways, either directly (on the Object Form) or as part of another procedure. Creating an object as part of a larger procedure is often the most efficient way to work. Each project has its own set of objects and changes in one project do not affect objects in another.
The minimum information needed for an object is the Tag (Object ID), the unit of measure, a description and a class (is it furniture, a finish, equipment, etc.). A meaningful unit should be specified for "finish" objects to clearly define what the "quantity" means when the object is used in a room (150 "sq ft" of carpet "objects" vs. 1 "each" of an oriental rug).
If your system of tags uses any pattern similar to 'XXX-YYYY' (a prefix + a symbol or other change + a suffix) the system can automatically treat the leftmost (prefix) portion as a way to group objects by a category called a "tag group." The meaning of the group is defined by you and can be different from one project or client to the next. For more, see "Tag Group / Spec ID Group."
By itself, an object is a like a shipping "box" into which you will add product specifications. Objects can have one or more product specifications. Most have just one. It is more efficient to attach at least one placeholder spec when you create each object since you need at least one to tell us what product fulfills the object's functional purpose (and what to order). This is what FF&EZ assumes you will do in its default responses.

Additional specifications are attached when more than one vendor is involved in the final object (such as COM) and separate purchase orders are needed for each product. For each component used, a "quantity per object" is specified so FF&EZ can track the total quantities needed (e.g., 1 chair frame and 3.5 sq yds of fabric multiplied by the total objects needed).

By default, an object "turns into" the first specification attached to it on reports and other screens, but this can be overridden on any object so that it retains (or regains) its original short description on this screen in reports. See the "Use component #1" option under "Fields."
Replacing one specification for another on an object redefines the object wherever it is used, but keeps the original specification for use elsewhere or if someone changes that decision. This is a different and more flexible approach than simply editing the original specification—however either method works, depending on your needs.
Cloning an object is only done when you plan to replace one of its components with a different spec to create a different object that is similar to the original.

The object Clone command does not copy the object's specifications — a clone of an object still points to the same spec(s) until you switch them for another, and if you simply edit the specification itself, your changes will still appear in all objects that use it (that is, the original object and the clone).

Alternate objects (with a different Tag) can be created in the Object List for the purpose of presenting alternate schemes. You can switch to an alternate by editing that occurrence in the Worksheet and switching to the alternate object. Only objects that are actually placed in rooms will appear on the Worksheet Reports.
Deleting an object from the Object Form will (after you confirm it) also delete all occurrences of the object in the worksheet (if any). However, this will not automatically delete the specifications that were part of the object, since this may not be desirable. Instead, the Delete command will give you the option to delete these, too.

The Object List contains all the objects defined in the project, whether they have actually been used or not. We add this last clarification because only objects that have been placed in rooms on the FF&E Worksheet are considered to be "used" in the project. The implication is that you can create any number of alternate objects that can be switched out to create different schemes. Only those currently used in the Worksheet will appear (and be in the totals) on the Worksheet's presentation reports, while the maintenance-oriented reports on the Object form include all objects. Future versions of the program will let you create permanent alternate schemes that can be switched in and out of the design.

This form is actually two forms in one. The object fields are in the quarter of the form just below the Object List. Below that, though, is the Object Component List, which is active at all times except when you are adding or cloning an object. You can use the Component List to add, delete or replace components for an existing object, using the controls at the left and below the list.

The normal display of exiting components on the Object List screen. A different
layout is displayed when adding a new object (see Basic Procedure below).

You should note that, in practice, you may actually create most objects starting from the FF&E Worksheet or from the Specification List. This is because two common approaches to building the overall project data are made easier with specific tools on those forms. On one hand, a project may be started by creating the areas, rooms and objects as part of the budgeting process, before specifications are written. This can be done more easily on the FF&E Worksheet. On the other hand, some users will start a project by going directly into specifications using a list of needed objects provided by a client. In this case, it makes sense to also create the object on which the new spec will be used at the same time. This is done with the Object function on the Specifications Form and (while adding a new specification) the similar Save / Object command.

On the Objects Form, you will most likely be doing occasional maintenance and revisions to the components that make up the object, or deleting objects that are not being used in the project.

Object Fields

Note: the Component List on the lower part of the data area is covered on a separate page.

Tag	This is the ID for the object and must generally match the ID used to label any drawings of the object. Since it is possible that the drawings may not contain all the objects that are ultimately part of the interior design, allow for some flexibility in the way you create the tags. The recommended tag format is to use a short abbreviation for the type of thing the object is, such as "CHR" for chair or "WALL" for a wall finish, following by a number to allow multiple objects to be grouped into rough categories (typically, product type). This is very flexible and more detail can be found under "Tag Group / Spec ID Group."
	Tag generator: This button next to the "Tag" field appears when you use the Add or Clone command and the New Object command when adding objects to the FF&E Worksheet. It automatically assigns the next highest Tag in a sequence if you enter the exact existing pattern to use in the "Tag" field. This only applies to tag schemes that end in a number. You can enter the pattern manually into the "Tag" field first, or you can right-click the button and it will construct the pattern from the last highlighted object in the main list.* For instance, if you are creating a new art object and enter "ART-" as the tag, clicking this button will return "ART-127" if the highest existing Tag is "ART-126." You must manually create and save the first Tag in a pattern (i.e., "ART-001") in order to establish the number of digits to use in the format. If your pattern includes a separator, be sure to include it when you use it later. Once you use a pattern, you can use the generator button on each new object of the same type to assign the next sequential Tag without entering anything in the "Tag" field. To change to a new pattern, enter the new pattern in the "Tag" field before using the button (or right-click as described above). You can create a non-pattern Tag at any time by simply entering it in the usual way. If your pattern uses a trailing space as a separator, surround the pattern with double-quote marks: "ART " instead of just ART. This only applies when you are entering a pattern to use with the tag generator button. The normal requirement for creating unique object Tags still applies. The function ignores any tags that do not match the pattern you enter and missing tags (that is, it only uses the highest found value). *If you are using the FF&E Worksheet's Add command and then need to create a new object, the [=] button's right-click option will use the pattern of the object that was highlighted in the pick list when you clicked the New Object button.
Class	This is one of several very basic types of object: Furniture, finishes, equipment, accessories and "other." This field can be used in queries to limit reports to a certain type of object, and is used by the Finish Schedule report to determine what to include. Note: If you need to create custom classes, please contact technical support to discuss this. It is possible to have custom classes, but there may already be a way to accomplish what you want to do using the object's "Code" field.
Code	This is an optional code that can be used for queries and (future) as an alternate way of sorting the data. Its primary use is to assign an accounting code to each object for budget and cost analysis. Custom code lists are an option. Please contact technical support for more information.
Description	This field is used to describe the object, usually in very general terms of its type and function. The recommended format is to go from general to specific in creating the description. For instance, use "Chair, Lounge" instead of "Lounge Chair." This approach allows you to sort the object list by type so that you can easily work on groups of objects. We recommend that you keep the object's "Description" field as generic as possible, leaving out information that might change such as dimensions or intended location. In practice, this field's original entry can be ignored as further changes are made to the project. This is because FF&EZ uses the first specification you attach to describe the object on reports (see the "Use component #1" field below).
Use component #1 description...	If selected (default), this option will cause all other screens and reports to substitute the short "Type/Product" field in this object's primary specification for the object's "Description" field above. The effect of this option is for the object to "become" the primary product selected for it, and eliminates the need to change both descriptions. Please note that this option does not change the object description field itself — it only substitutes the spec description wherever the object appears on screen and reports (other than reports on the Object Screen itself). This option is selected automatically for new objects, which is the recommended setting. If you leave it checked, objects will automatically display the specification "Type" on this screen. You can display the object's own description by unchecking this option. The only reason to deselect it is when the object's primary specification does not properly describe what the object is. For instance, if you have two objects that use the same chair spec with different fabric specs, the chair spec's "Type/Product" will not indicate the difference between the two objects. By deselecting this option on each object, your reports can show object descriptions of "Chair, lounge, scheme 'A' " and "Chair, lounge, scheme 'B'." Note: The Show report description display option at the bottom of this screen controls what appears in the Object List itself. Disabling it allows you to view each object's original description. It does not affect the reports themselves, which will always check the "Use component #1..." field as described above to determine what to print.
Unit	This is the unit of measurement for the object, such as "SQ YD," "Lot, "Each" etc. If you enter either an "E" or an "e" the field will automatically fill in with "EACH" and "Each" respectively. It is a required field.
Budget	This is an optional target budget (per unit) for the object. Using this field will allow you to analyze budget problems before product selection starts.
Revised	This field is used to record the date an object was last changed.
Note	This field is used to record internal notes or instructions that apply to the object as a whole. It does not appear on any reports, except for the Finish Schedules as a special option.

Note: When you click on the Add button on this screen, you will also see optional fields used to add one or two component specs to the new object before saving it. These are explained at the end of this section, under "Component Fields."

Object Functions

The object function buttons include these:

Add Edit Clone Delete Utilities Query Print

Add Add> Import	Used to add a new object to the project. Choosing this command will create a blank record on the screen. You will then need to fill in a Tag for the new object. The system will check this ID to make sure it does not already exist in the current project. If the ID is valid, you can enter the rest of the information for the object. When you add a new object, FF&EZ will automatically create a "placeholder spec" in the Specification List that matches the new object. You can also select to add a second placeholder for a secondary component. Using placeholder specs means that you already have at least one empty product spec linked to the object and ready to detail. Alternatively, you can select the first and/or secondary specs from existing specifications. The �existing� specifications can be new ones you added (or imported) for them using the New button. See the full description of the basic procedure below. You can use the Import option while adding a record to import an object from another project, replacing any empty fields in the new object with the source fields and copying the source object's component specs (which are also imported by this process). See the section describing the import function later in this chapter. To cancel the Add command, press [Esc] or use the Cancel button. Once you have entered the desired information for the record, click on the Save button or press [Alt-S] to save your work and leave the editing mode. All new records will be indexed automatically so that they will appear in their proper place in the database.
Edit	The Edit command is similar to the Add command, except that you are working with an existing record. The Edit command always acts on the record currently highlighted on the screen, so if you wish to edit some other record, use the up and down arrow keys or the Query command to highlight the desired record first. Changes you make to an object record will be reflected in any reports. If you change the spelling of the object Tag, the system will change the spelling in all related reports as well. If you change an object Tag that has a matching Spec ID, the system will ask if you want to update the Spec ID as well. Once you have made the desired changes, click on the Save button or press [Alt-S] to save your work and leave the editing mode. To cancel the Edit command, press [Esc] or use the Revert button.
Clone	Use this command to create a new object entry from a copy of the currently highlighted object on the object list. Using this command, you can quickly create an object that has identical or similar contents (you may also want to look at the section on "prototype" objects). When the command is chosen, you will see the Object editing screen with all of the information copied, except the Object ID. After supplying a new ID, you can change any information on the screen. To cancel the Clone command, press [Esc] or use the Cancel button. The most likely reason to clone an object is to create a variant of a multiple-component object by replacing one of the components. Important! The Clone command does not copy the specifications themselves — a clone of an object still points to the same spec(s) unless you switch them for another. Don't edit the existing specs, since that will change the original object and the cloned version. Instead use one of the following procedures to make changes to the cloned object. For example, if you want to create a new chair with the same chair frame but a different fabric, the full procedure would actually be: On the Specification Screen, Clone the existing fabric spec and change the color. Return to the Object Screen and Clone the object. On the new object, select the original fabric component, and... Use the Component List's "Select product spec" option to select the spec you just created. Use the Replace button to switch it with the original fabric. Further, the Object (or Save / Object) command on the Specifications screen can be used to do the same thing in this alternate procedure: On the Objects screen, clone the object. On the new object, click once to highlight its fabric spec in the component list. Display the Specification screen, which should not display the fabric spec (if not, use Find to locate it). Clone the fabric spec and change the color on the new version, but instead of using Save... Use Save / Object and select the "Modify an existing object" option to replace the use of the original spec in the cloned object with the new one. Both of these techniques have the same result: The original object and its specs are unchanged, while the new object has been modified to use a different specification as its fabric component.
Delete	The Delete command is used to permanently remove an object from the system, including all objects in the object (it does not delete any objects from the Object List itself or any specifications). If you choose this command, you will be asked to confirm your choice. The confirmation pop-up also gives you a "yes / no" option to delete any specs used by the object (if they are not still being used in another object). The choices are: Yes Delete the object, its Worksheet entries and its component specs. No Only delete the object and its Worksheet entries (leaves the specifications on the Specification List intact) Cancel Cancel and delete nothing. If you answer "Yes" and a specification is being used by another object, the specification will not be deleted. While using the list at the top of the screen, the shortcut for the Delete command is the [Del] key (this key works on text as expected when you are actually editing text entries).
Utilities	Clicking this command displays special functions that make some tasks easier or that handle special problems or needs. The Utility functions are explained in the next section.
Query	When you choose this command, the system will display the Query Form. This command is used to limit the display (and subsequently, reports) to objects that meet certain conditions. For more information, see the Query Form topic. You can close the Query Form by pressing [Esc].
Print	This function displays the Reports Form, on which you can select and print reports specific to this form. For more information, see the detailed descriptions and procedures about reporting elsewhere in this manual. Reports on the Object Form show all objects you've defined, not just those used in rooms. The reports here are meant for use in maintaining the data, not for presentations. On the other hand, you may want to use them if you are just putting together a quick set of specifications for a client and are not setting up rooms.

To save time in using commands (and the system in general), be sure you are familiar with the various keyboard and mouse shortcuts that are available to you. Other functions on the form are part of the Component List.

Utilities

Setup Check

This is a special query that checks for objects and specs that may be missing critical information that would leave the database setup incomplete. For instance, objects with either no components or components with zero quantities would leave out costs and quantities that need to be reported. When you select this command, a pop-up will appear that allows you to select (or deselect) the conditions that you want to test.

Not everything this query displays is a problem, but to avoid incomplete reports and orders, you should use this feature as a project deadline approaches to help troubleshoot your data. Items that meet the query will typically have some column or Component list data displayed in red, and these are the first items you should check.

Since this is a standard query, you can run reports from it and use it as an on-screen "punch list" to correct your data. Since you can double-click components shown in each object's component list to edit the source spec, this can be a very simple process.

Note: If you correct an object or a component so that it no longer qualifies for the Setup Check query, it will disappear from the list until you select Show All at the top of the screen or clear the query.

Set Budgets

This tool may seem to have an unlikely purpose at first: It calculates a budget amount for each object that is based on the prices (or costs, for purchasing management projects) set for that object's specification(s) in the Specification list. Although this would not seem to be all that useful after a project has been priced, it can be very useful if that project's specs are later used as the basis of a new project. Details about using it are under "Object Budgeting Tool"

Pricing Tool

This allows you to set prices for all specs or a subset of them in one operations, using any desired markup or profit margin and applying special pricing adjustments. Since you are setting prices for specifications, the resulting prices for objects seen on this screen will be the extended total based on all components of the object and the quantities of product used per object.

Screen Options

Unless noted otherwise, these options typically appear in the lower right corner, on the status bar.

Show Report Descriptions	This option controls, for checking purposes, how the object description is displayed on this screen. This temporarily overrides the "Use component #1 type/product in the worksheet and reports" option on each object. If an object has this option enabled (which is the default), the list will normally display the "Type" description from the primary specification. If you wish to see the original object description displayed instead, disable this option. This only affects this screen since other screens and reports depend on the object option.
Auto-add	If enabled, this continues the operation of adding a new object to the Worksheet without returning to the main Worksheet screen. It can also be enabled using the Save w/Auto-add option when you save an object occurrence into a room using the Add command above.
Tips	The "Tips" option controls whether or not you need "fly-over" help or hints when your mouse cursor hovers over a control or a field. This can be extremely helpful for new users, since these explain the purpose of the item and may list shortcut keys that can speed up simple operations.

Basic Procedure

Here is the basic way to add an object using this form. You can use this directly or you may encounter it as part of one of the other ways to create objects. The only two differences between using this procedure directly (by selecting the Add command on the Object List screen) and using it as part of larger procedures are 1) instead of using Add you will invoke it with a button on another form like Create New Object, and 2) when you save the new object as part of another procedure, FF&EZ will automatically return to the screen where the procedure was running.

Adding a new object has two parts: 1) entering the object's basic data like Tag and a description and 2) choosing how (and if) to add product specifications for the new object:

The Object fields as displayed when adding a new object

Object Fields

On the Object Screen, click on Add. As implied above, this isn't necessary if you are already in this mode thanks to selecting a "create new object" option on another screen. Note that when you are in "add" mode, the Component List is replaced with options for adding up to two component specs (described starting with step 7 below).
Enter a unique "Tag" for the object, an object "Class," a code (if any).

The "Class" is important if you plan to print quotes by class (especially if you are using a custom class list in your system). Also important: if the object is a room finish (e.g., square feet of carpet, ceiling tiles, etc.) be sure to select the "FIN" class to include the object on the FF&E Worksheet's "Finish Schedule" reports.

Note that since the object and specification "Code" fields are typically used as "product type" codes related to budget analysis, the object version is less used than the specification code. Since an object can be composed of more than one product, using the specification's "Code" gives you more flexibility in assigning the code. This leaves the object code free for use in creating codes for special query groups for reporting.

Enter a generic description. The object description should describe the function of the object without getting into details that might be changed by either a change of specification details or location (remember that you can find out where an object is used by simply sorting the FF&E Worksheet by the Object Tag or looking at the "Typ'l Use" column on the Object List screen). For instance, here are examples, listed in order of increasing potential for creating documentation conflicts as a project is revised:

"Chair, task"	This description will work for all possible uses of the chair, especially if you do not change the "Use component #1 description" option (next step).
"Chair, task for guest rooms"	This description will make sense as long as the task chair is only used in the guest rooms. If you decide to also use it in the administration area, you will have a potentially confusing label that you may need to update.
"Chair, task for queen rooms"	This description is too specific, because the possibility of the chair being used in another guest room type is probably very high.
"Chair, task, blue"	This description is also too specific, because if the fabric is changed at some point in the project, it will no longer match the specification's details.

Keep in mind that you can put a much more specific description in the Specification List's "Type/Product" field to adequately describe what the object is composed of. If you change that field because of a change in the product spec, a generic object description will not need to be edited also (see the next step).

The "Use component #1 description" option will already be selected, but if you wish for the generic description you entered in step 2 to always appear on reports instead of the "Type" field from its first component, deselect this option. As long as this option is selected, the more detailed "Type/Product" from the specification will override the object's generic description in presentations. Leaving this option enabled is the recommended choice. Note that the system hides the original object description when this is in effect, showing you what will appear on the reports instead.
Enter a unit of measure. If you enter "E" or "e' the system will convert it to "EACH" or "Each" when you leave the field. "M2" is converted to "M²".
Optional: Enter a budget for the object if there is one (this represents the anticipated cost for a single object). You can enter budgets later directly into the Object List if desired.

Component Fields

When adding a new object, fields that allow you to automatically attach
one or two component specs appear just below the main fields.

Review the "placeholder spec" that has been pre-filled below the main fields based on your entries above (image above). If you are happy with the current Spec ID and description (both of which can be changed on the spec screen later), you can skip to the last step and save the new object, which will also create the associated specification for you.

Note that if the Spec ID prefix matches a library prototype that has been set up for that prefix, the placeholder spec will include the fields from the prototype when it is created (see "Library List"). Also note that the default vendor is "TBD" but you can choose a specific vendor if you already know what it will be or add a new vendor with the New button.

Optional: If you already know of an existing spec that should be used as the primary component, select the "Attach existing spec..." option instead, and select the spec you need. This option also allows you to create a new spec and detail it (or import it) more fully than the placeholder option does, using the Specification Screen as if you had manually clicked Add on that screen.

The steps under step 9 come into play if you want more than a single "placeholder" spec to be created for the new object.

If you know ahead of time that the object you are creating will need a secondary product from a separate vendor (such as a fabric):

Select either "Create 'placeholder' spec or "Attach existing spec..." under "Optional: Secondary Component" on the right.
The same options that were available for the primary component are also available in this section, although you will need to fill out the fields yourself.
If you do not know the quantity of the product needed for the new object, leave the quantity at zero (FF&EZ will warn you about this, but allow you to continue).

Once you have selected the options needed for the new object and entered any additional data, you can click on Save or just press Ctrl-Enter to save the new object. If new component specs have been specified, these will be created also and will now be available on the Specifications List for further detailing when needed. If you were creating the new object as part of a larger procedure on another screen, FF&EZ will automatically take you back, leaving you exactly where you left off (but with the new object ready to select).
If the object you are creating needs more than two specs, you can return to the Object Screen at any time after saving the object and use the Component List controls to add additional components.