Design Module

Important: Be sure to read the section about the new "Illustration Sheet" reports below. Note: All Design module changes were included as of version 3.2.76.

General

Enhanced, reporting system: You can now save report options that you frequently use. After setting the options you want for a report, this is done by clicking on a new Save report options button on the report setup screen:

To save your preferred options, you simply change the name of the report on the "Save Report Options" screen (below) to create a new entry on the report list. Although you can save any change you make under a new name, the original report names (for both base reports and any custom ones you purchased) cannot be overwritten, since their default options are refreshed whenever a reports update is distributed:

You can also supply a permanent "Alternate title" and "Subtitle," which is useful if your new report name is simply the same as the original but with an identifying suffix or prefix. At this point, boilerplate text is not affected by saving report options (that is, the same boilerplate text you have entered, if any, will be used on your saved versions of the original report).

Saved report options can be saved again (with the same name) to update them or can be deleted if needed.

Note that updates to the system may require that your custom saved options be recreated if they do not work with the updated version of the original report. Be sure to test them prior to deadlines.

More about saving report options can be found under "Producing Reports."

FF&E Worksheet

Added: The six existing versions of the "Object Illustration Sheet" reports have been merged and superceded by a new set of three reports: the "Illustration Sheet" reports. The report name was changed to make it easier to distinguish the new from the old, and to allow you to move to them quickly by typing just the first two or three letters of the report name after clicking on the Print command.

The three new reports are identical to each other except the sort orders, which are the same as before: by tag, by area and by area + room. They are based on the original layouts, so they can be used in existing projects if needed.

The new reports use a large image for the main specification (as the original "Object Illustration Sheet" does) and a smaller image for all other specifications attached to that object (as the "multi-image" version of the original reports does). For people who have only used the single image layout, you will see almost no difference in the way the report prints. For those who have been using the "multi-image" version, the new larger main image of the Illustration Sheet should prove to be much more useful in communicating complex objects in an efficient report layout.

In addition to the change in how images are handled, here are the other features shared by the new reports:

• All the basic report options controlling the level of detail to be printed are the same (although those upgrading from a much older version may see a difference).
• For the main specification and for any specifications that do not have an image, a two-column format is used for the description.
• If you include the key word "Notes:" (with the colon at the end) in your long description, the report will attempt to break any two-column formats at that point, unless the lengths of the two columns are too unbalanced.
• Both the primary vendor (manufacturer) and the supplier can now appear on the report, with the same levels of detail available before.
• If no supplier is selected on the specification, the vendor information is printed in a two-column format.
• The specification detail should break a little more neatly if it cannot fit entirely on one page.
• All three reports can also print the billing and shipping information for the main object (although we still recommend that the "Ordering Worksheet" report be used for communicating ordering information).

Please note: In order to not disrupt current project work, the old report formats ("Object Illustration Sheet") are still available in the FF&E Worksheet report list. However, at some future point, the reports will no longer be distributed as part of the standard report set. They will still be available as a set of "custom" reports, at no extra charge, for those who still need them.

Specification List

Added: The new Template option is a streamlined version of the Import option, optimized to allow you to quickly select prototype templates from the Library and use them to prefill new and existing specs with product type information "prompts" (such as "Pattern:" or "Repeat:"), standard entries for certain product types and boilerplate text in the description.

You can also use the option to append boilerplate to existing specification descriptions. The option is accessed at the same point where you also see the Import option after selecting either Add or Edit on the Specifications List screen.

You can create prototype templates on the Library List screen, using the options on that screen. This includes templates that include an image, which can be useful if you use a generic image for certain types of specs (e.g., window treatments).

Added: A new Web Link field that allows you to paste a link to a web page containing information about the product being specified. If a link is pasted into this field, the field label turns into a button that will launch your browser and display the page. The new field can be found in the "Spec Status" section beneath the "Status notes."

Note that this is intended for recording product page links. If you simply want to be able to link to a vendor's main web site, enter that in the Vendor screen's "Web site" field. The link will then automatically appear in the "Info" pop-up triggered by the blue "info" dot under "Source" on the specification screen.

Orders, Processing

Fixed: When reprinting more than one order using a PDF printer, the software printed all records as a single report. It now cycles through each PO like it does for issuing orders, allowing you to assign a PDF file name (or use the automatic name that is copied into your clipboard for each). Reprinting to a regular printer is not affected by this.

Enhanced, issuing orders when using a PDF printer: The system pauses with a pop-up message at a more logical point after sending the PO to the PDF printer, allowing you to name the PDF file (or paste the automatic name generated by the system) and process it before moving to the next PO. The text of the pop-up message has been modified to make it more clear how to use this feature. For more information, see this page.

Changed, invoicing detail: The item detail shown on invoices for cost/sell projects ("Vendor is to invoice us" billing type) now shows the Spec ID of the item and if a shipping split occurred, the Split ID. The purchasing management billing types ("Vendor is to invoice client") will continue to show the PO number, item number and (if needed) Split ID. The change will help cost/sell clients relate the invoice item detail to the specific products being billed by your firm.

Fixed, invoicing setup: The test for uninvoiced items does a better job of handling single items added after the order was issued.

Order Items

Fixed  When adding or cloning a new item on an order on which billing or shipping activity had occurred, the item form did not make all fields available for editing. Since new items in an order are by default "unshipped" and "unbilled," this has been fixed to avoid having to revise the item to change status-sensitive fields.