NEWSLETTER

Product Q&A

All Products

Q. I can’t find a Save As on the menu. How do I save the project with a different name?
A. Our products are database applications and changes are saved at the time of editing. The file does not need to be saved by the user because the program does it for you. If you want to save the project with a different name, close the project, go to the File menu and select Copy Project from the resulting drop down. Next, select the project you need to copy and when you get to the Enter Destination File Name, give it a new name. It will save the file with the new name. When you open the file, you should open the Summary Information dialog box and make any necessary changes. You can also start a new project using your existing project as the project source in SpecLink or as the template in CostLink AE. This method is generally better because the Summary Info Dialog Box will open automatically.

SpecLink+

Q. In SpecLink, how do I find a section on a particular product?
A. There is a catalog listing of all the sections in a searchable PDF format on the CD. It is located in \info\SpecPlus\. Open the file, click Edit in the Menu Bar, and select Find from the resulting drop down to search for the section you need. They are also on our web site at www.bsdsoftlink.com/speclink/catalogs/all_catalogs.htm. The listings are available in MasterFormat 1995 or MasterFormat 2004.

Q. I want to add a new choice to a list of choices in a paragraph so that whenever a new project is made based on this project, the new choice will be available. How do I do it?
A. Choices can be added to user-added or copied paragraphs. To edit an existing choice list in a master paragraph, copy the paragraph by clicking in it and using the Copy and Paste commands. In the copied paragraph, place your cursor in the choice field, select the Document dropdown in the Menu Bar, and navigate to Choices, Edit Choice. To avoid confusion about which paragraph to use, you can mark the master paragraph as excluded and add a project note to it explaining which paragraph to use instead. Alternatively, you can create links that will automatically exclude the master paragraph and include your modified version of the paragraph.

Q. What does it mean when there is no “+” in front of a folder in the tree panel?
A. An “empty” folder indicates that there are no master sections within a folder. You can create sections to populate these empty folders by importing.rtf files or writing you own using the section template.

Q. How do I add a new folder to the division tree In SpecLink?
A. To add a new subfolder click on the folder that you would like it to appear under. For example, if you are adding a Division 17, you would click on the main project folder at the top of the tree panel. Once the folder is highlighted in blue, go to the Tree Menu, click on Folders and then on Insert Folder. The Add Folder dialog box appears. Enter the title of the new folder and then click OK. The new folder appears in the tree, pushing down the existing folders. You can also rename a folder or delete a folder you have added at any time. Have that folder highlighted in the tree panel and then click on the Tree Menu, and under “Folders”, select Rename Folder or Delete Folder.

Q. How do I set up two-sided printing?
A. If your printer allows for two-sided printing, make sure you have set the printer up for this and that it is your default printer. Before printing the document from BSD SpecLink, go to the File menu and select “Page Setup.” Put a check mark in the box “Start document on odd page.” This will ensure that if you are printing multiple sections (or an entire project) that each section will start on an odd page number.

Q. Is there a place that abbreviations such as ASTM are spelled out?
A. Yes, in BSD SpecLink, section 01425 (MF 95) or 01 4219 (MF 04) - Reference Standards, under Part 2 - Construction Industry Organization Documents, bibliographical citations are listed. In PerSpective, they are listed in section 00840. Perhaps the easiest way to search this document is to use Find (located in the Edit menu) and type in the abbreviation you are looking for. (ASTM stands for American Society for Testing and Materials.)

BSD Costlink/AE

Q. I do not see the Models tab in my CostLink/AE project. How can I make use of the modeling feature?
A. In order to use any of the RS Means building Cost Models, start a project using the UniFormat II Project Template with Models.MPJ template. Once you have a project started with this template, you will have both the Cost Models and the Model Additives tabs in the Summary Info dialog box.

Q. I started a project from a template but I do not need all the folders. How can I get rid of them?
A. In your project, you can use the Delete Empty Folders command to remove folders that have no tasks. 1. Select Tools > Delete Empty Folders. BSD CostLink/AE prompts you to confirm the command. 2. Click OK. BSD CostLink/AE deletes the empty folders in the project except those at Level 1. To delete any empty Level 1 folders, right click on the folder and select Delete.

More questions? Contact BSD Technical Support:

• Toll Free: 800-266-7732
• In Atlanta: 404-365-9226
• Email: support@bsdsoftlink.com