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LinkLine: Winter 2007

Product Q&A

All Products

Q. Our company has a Citrix server that people run software from when they are traveling. Can we run BSD software this way?
A. Yes. On the Citrix server perform a standalone installation of SpecLink or CostLink/AE. You will need to get an Access Key for the server - call BSD Technical Support (800-266-7732) to discuss your options and to see if you will need to buy a key for the server, or if you have a license that you can move to the server at no cost.

Once the software is installed and has a key, employees at your company will be able to run BSD software from the Citrix server when they are traveling in the same way as they run other applications. No installation will be required on the computers from which the users are dialing in.

Q. Where can I find the user’s manual?
A. The user’s manual is on the quarterly CD. It can also be found on our website at www.bsdsoftlink.com/downloadcenter/userspage.htm">.

SpecLink+

Q. What does the paragraph that reads “Recent revisions to master text” indicate in one of the sections in my project? Why do I see it on the screen, but not in print preview or in the printed document?
A. We have non-printing text for checklists and important notes to specifiers. Please review the master note attached to the paragraph to get information about changes to the section. The paragraph does not need to be turned off and the text will print on the Draft and Master Text copies, however it will not appear in the final Document.

Q. I have asked to be a beta tester for the upcoming SQL version of SpecLink, but I haven’t heard anything about that. What’s going on with that?
A. BSD SpecLink-E development is entering its Beta phase this quarter. One or more “webinar” demonstrations are planned beginning in December to introduce features of the new product to customers and to allow feedback during this final stage of development. The first Beta release of the software is planned closely following the first webinar. For more information regarding SpecLink-E and participation in either a webinar or the upcoming Beta trial, read the article elsewhere in this issue of LinkLine. Previous versions of the newsletter, available on our Web page, outline the new features of SpecLink-E.

Q. How can I tell what has changed in a spec between when it was issued for pricing and when it was issued for construction?
A. The Compare Projects feature was created for this purpose, and also for tracking changes in addenda. To use Compare, be sure to keep a separate copy of your project each time it is issued. For example, when issued for pricing, keep a copy of the file called [projectname] pricing issue, and later for construction keep a separate copy called [projectname] construction issue. Also keep a copy for each issuance of addenda.

When you are ready to see what is different between two files, open the more recent project file, and from the Tools menu choose Compare. Select the older version of the project file, and then select whether you would like to generate a comparison of the whole project, a branch, or a single section. Then you will be able to print, preview, or export a comparison to word processing format.

In the comparison file, text that was added to the more recent project will be underlined, and text that was deleted will be struck out. There will also be a vertical line to the right of paragraphs that have changes to help you and the reader more easily locate changes.

Q. I accidentally added a word to my SpecLink dictionary that was misspelled. How do I remove it?
A. Words commonly used by you that are not found in the standard SpecLink dictionary can be added to the custom dictionary. This is a text file named CUSTOM.DIC and it is found in the SpecLink+\System folder either on the local drive or on the server. (If you are running over a network the software usually uses the CUSTOM.DIC on the server.). This file can be edited using a text editor such as Notepad, and you can add and delete words to and from it directly. To edit the CUSTOM.DIC, close SpecLink, open CUSTOM.DIC in Notepad, and make any necessary edits. Be sure to type a return after the last item so that there is a blank line at the end of the file.

Q. The names of several section titles are appearing in pink or magenta text in my Tree panel. What does that mean?
A. In short, it means the project has not been completely updated. The software automatically marks any section that has not been completely updated to the latest master by turning the document title magenta. To update the whole project, go to the Tools menu, select Update to Master, then select Update Project and click the

Update button. You can also update only certain sections by selecting Update Section selecting the section you want to update, and clicking the Update button. Once the sections are updated, the titles in the tree panel turn back to their normal colors, black or blue.

Note that SpecLink does not require that you update a project; there can be many legitimate reasons for not updating. The magenta titles simply act as reminders that those sections contain obsolete data. You can open any of those sections at any time to see which paragraphs have updated versions available (marked with a rust color), and you can view the individual paragraph changes before updating them. You can also print a report that lists every paragraph in your project affected by updates. For more detail on updating, see Chapter 11 in the updated User Manual on the latest BSD SoftLink CD-ROM or from our website at www.bsdsoftlink.com/support/sl_manual.htm.

BSD Costlink/AE

Q. Is it possible to include my company’s logo on the reports?
A. To insert a logo into the standard reports, rename the logo to logo.bmp, logo.jpg, or logo.gif, and place that file into your CostLink AE\System\Reports folder. The logo will automatically print in the top right corner of your reports.

Q. I have some questions on the costs in the estimate and the assemblies in the models. Who do I contact?
A. Your subscription to BSD CostLink/AE includes the current R.S. Means cost data in the AE Assemblies database and the Building Construction Cost Data database. R.S. Means stands behind its publications. If you have any questions about your estimate, about the costs you’ve used from their data, or even about the technical aspects of the job that may affect your estimate, feel free to call the R.S. Means editors at 1-800-334-3509.

More questions? Contact BSD Technical Support: