Software of the Month Club 1997 March

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────────────────────────── ────────────── ─────── ┌────────────╖ ┌─────────────╖ ┌─────────────╖ ┌─────────────╖ ┌──╖ ┌┘ ╔═══════╕ ║ │ ╔══════════╝ │ ╔═════════╝ ╘═════╕ ╔════╝ ╘══╝ │ ╙───────┘ ║ │ ╙─────╖ │ ╙─────────╖ │ ║ ┌──╖ │ ╔═══════╕ ║ │ ╔═════╝ ╘═════════╕ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ ┌───┐ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ ╙──────────╖ │ └─────┘ ║ │ ║ │ ║ ╘══╝ ╘══╝ ╘═════════════╝ ╘═════════════╝ ╘══╝ ╘══╝ AEsti - Auto Estimator ────────────────────── Copyright (c) 1989-1996 Duke Associates ─────────────────────────────────────── All Rights Reserved ─────────────────── ─────── ────────────── ────────────────────────── .TOPIC: Contents ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ To navigate around the Help screens with a mouse simply click │ │ between the arrows │ │ │ │ The keyboard TAB and TAB+SHIFT keys can also be used to move │ │ between topics and Return activates the current option. │ │ │ │ Press ALT and the hilighted letter to activate that option │ │ for example, pressing ALT+C will go to the Contents page │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ AEsti - Auto Estimator ────────────────────── Chapter Contents 0.00 Recent Amendments Upgrading Previous Versions Material Data Bases Important Note Auto Cost Important Note Program Changes What Shareware is 1.00 About this Document How to Print this Document How to Print from a Word Processor How to Print from the DOS Prompt Extended Character Set 2.00 Software Summary Design Philosophy Target Market Documentation 3.00 Using the Software Mouse Control Keyboard Control Windows Editing 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial Estimate Keyboard & Mouse Control Estimate Section Headings Adding Items Manually Adding Items using a Data Base Starting a New Section Auto Costing 5.00 Main Menu Menu Structure 5.01 Professional Version Features 6.00 Estimate Adding & Erasing Items Items Item Cost Empty Items Section Heading Section Totals PC and Provisional Sums Profit & Loss Summary VAT/Sales Tax Import CSV File CADbill & CSV Files Menu Structure 7.00 Material Data Bases Main Material Dbase Window Items Minimum Words Headings Copying Dbase Items to an Estimate Menu Structure 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost How Auto Cost Works List of Data Bases Costing Types Match Options Section Heading Checking Reducing Time Costing Errors while Auto Costing Quick Cost Menu Structure 9.00 Time Schedule Section Headings Editing Data Location Menu Structure 10.0 Printing Print Destination Print Options Enhanced Estimate Printed Bar Characters Trouble Shooting Printing to a File 11.0 File Manager Making Directories Removing Directories Directory Structure 12.0 Tips General Data Protection Saving Estimating Sub Contractors Material Data Bases 13.0 Miscellany Speeding up Software Help Colour Compressed & Non DOS Drives Co-processor Chip 14.0 Program Limits Item Descriptions Minimum System Requirements Recommended System Requirements Value Limits Precision Miscellany Networks Read only Drives & CDROMs 15.0 Trouble Shooting Problem Solving Software Will Not Run Operating Systems System Configurations Warning ! Startup Locks up the System Allocating Memory Running out of Memory Loading Drivers High Bootable Floppy Disk Changing AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS Directories File Names How to Make a Boot Disk Hardware Failures 16.0 Frequently asked Questions General Running under Windows 3.xx Main Menu Setup Options Setup Special Note Estimate Material Data Bases Time Schedule 17.0 Upgrading Previous Versions Backing Up Install Considerations Installing into a New Directory Installing over a Previous Version Installing over a Previous Version Manually Setting Up 18.0 Installing into Windows v3.xx Files used By Windows v3.xx To Install Running under Windows v3.xx 19.0 Installing into Windows v95 20.0 Future Releases Registrations Feedback 21.0 Support and Help User Requests Beginners 22.0 Registered Users Copying Software Registered Version Display Moving Files 23.0 Ordering & Distribution Info Distribution How to Order Why Should I Register ? 24.0 Disclaimer Shareware License Licensing Information Disclaimer Trademarks .TOPIC: Recent Amendments 0.00 Recent Amendments ───────────────── As this is a Beta version which has undergone a major code re-write we will appreciate feedback regarding any problems encountered. Although there will probably be some "bugs" left, most problems have been resolved and the software appears to be stable. Upgrading Previous Versions ─────────────────────────── See Chapter 17.0 Upgrading Previous Versions Material Data Bases Important Note ────────────────────────────────── Users <<< MUST >>> change or create new Material Data Bases to suit their own requirements. The Data Bases supplied are for demonstration purposes only and should NOT be used for any real Estimates. We are unable to supply correct prices as they will change while the software is still circulating and prices are country/location dependent. Auto Cost Important Note ──────────────────────── The supplied MATERIAL.LiS file is blank, it must have Material Data Bases added to it before being used for Costing. Program Changes ─────────────── See the file -NEW.DOC for latest program changes and new feature list. What Shareware is ───────────────── Some users have been confused by the shareware status of the program, shareware is a means of trying software before buying it, it is not free. This allows evaluation of the software for a limited period of time (90 days for AEsti) after which you are obliged to either purchase a registered copy or stop using it. The only difference between Shareware and Registered (purchased) versions is the total number of estimate items, the Shareware version is limited to 50 and the Registered version allows 1000 items. .TOPIC: About this Document 1.00 About this Document ─────────────────── This file is the main help document, there are two versions ; AESTI.HLP - help file used by the software, it should NOT be changed AESTI.DOC - plain ASCii file used for printing or adding user notes to The program is under constant development and features may have been added or removed since this document was last updated. How to Print this Document ────────────────────────── There are several ways to print the help file ; by using the Help programs internal print routines, importing and printing from within a word processor (WP) or from the DOS prompt. How to Print from a Word Processor ────────────────────────────────── Import the file as plain text or ASCii text, if the WP has not converted the "" page break characters (Decimal 12 or ALT+12 in some WP's) to its own version of page breaks then search for this character and replace it with the WP's code for page breaks, format the text and then print it. How to Print from the DOS Prompt ──────────────────────────────── Print from the DOS prompt using a command line of ; TYPE AESTI.DOC>LPT1 or TYPE AESTI.DOC>PRN or COPY AESTI.DOC PRN LPT1 is the printer attached to printer port 1, change this to LPT2 if it is attached to port 2. Extended Character Set ────────────────────── Some printers do not support the line drawing characters in this document i.e. "───" (decimal 196), these may be printed as A's with umlauts or similar characters. If the printer does not support these characters then replace them with the minus sign "---". Non DOS operating systems or GUI's may also display these characters incorrectly. .TOPIC: Software Summary 2.00 Software Summary ──────────────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial 6.00 Estimate 7.00 Material Data Bases 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost 9.00 Time Schedule AEsti creates estimates, quotations, and schedules of works for various construction types ranging from simple house extensions to factory units. It was intended for use by the smaller building contractors working on projects with a maximum value of 250 000 UK pounds. Although it may be used for larger works it is probably not suitable for projects with a higher value than this. It features automatic costing of estimates, several types of estimate print outs, material/labour data bases, calculator, on-line help, windowed interface and a simple file manager. Design Philosophy ───────────────── The program was designed to be as simple and as easy to use as possible without the overkill or large system overheads that similar software requires. Due to this simple approach the program is limited in some areas although the available features should meet most users requirements. We will not claim it is "easy to use" but will let you, the user, make your own mind up. Target Market ───────────── The program was written by British authors and intended for use in the UK market. However, it may be used in other countries where the decimal 0.00 currency format is used - Australian dollars, USA dollars etc. The tax description and rate may be edited to suit different countries and currency signs have been left out. Documentation ───────────── All documentation has been made as brief, simple and as clear as possible. Explanations have been written in laymans terms and all jargon has been avoided where possible. Writing documentation is not my strong point so apologies in advance for any typo errors or you find any explanations hard to understand. .TOPIC: Using the Software 3.00 Using the Software ────────────────── Mouse Control ───────────── Probably the fastest way of navigating around the various options is by using a mouse. Menu's and buttons are activated by placing the mouse cursor on them and then clicking the left button. Use the horizontal and vertical scroll bars at the bottom and side of each window to move around a list of items. To edit an item when viewing a list of items click the left mouse button twice in quick succession. Windows can be sized by ; Clicking on a window's bottom right corner, hold the button down and then drag to the desired size Double clicking the top title bar to maximise and minimise Clicking the maximise/minimise icons at the top right To move a window click on the top of the window, keep the button pressed down and then drag the window to the desired position. Click on a window to make it the current window. Keyboard Control ──────────────── Menu's may be activated by pressing the ALT key, to select a menu item either keep the ALT key pressed down and then press the hilighted letter or use the cursor keys to move around menu's and then press return, ESCape will back out of a menu. Use the cursor keys and Page Up/Page Down to move around a list of items. To edit an item when viewing a list of items press the Return key, Insert and Delete will insert and delete items in a list. TAB and SHIFT+TAB moves around buttons, list boxes etc If pressing a key does not work as expected then you may not be using the feature you thought was selected. For example, moving from a list to a button by using the TAB key you will no longer be able to select an item from the list using cursor keys as the button is currently selected. To resize a window use the Window menu and select either Maximise or Minimise, short cut keys are also available ; Restore CTRL+F5 Move CTRL+F7 Size CTRL+F8 Minimise CTRL+F9 Maximise CTRL+F10 Next window CTRL+F6 Note that not all windows use the above options. Windows ─────── There are several states that a window can be in ; Normal - window is neither maximised or minimised Maximised - window takes up the whole of the screen Minimised - window is the smallest size that it can be If a window is maximised or minimised then certain features may not work correctly or it may not be apparent if an action has been completed. For example, when transferring items from a data base to an estimate, if either window is maximised or minimised then it will be hard to discern whether a data base item has been copied into the estimate correctly. The option to automatically re-size windows (Main Menu, Setup) may produce unpredictable results when attempting to manually re-size windows. Editing ─────── If nothing is entered when editing text, such as an estimate item or job details, then this is treated as though the user had pressed Cancel. A blank estimate item may be entered by using the space bar to enter a single blank space. This is not really a blank entry but the edit routine considers it to be valid and to the user it appears to be blank. .TOPIC: StartUp - Brief Tutorial 4.00 StartUp - Brief Tutorial ──────────────────────── See also Chapter 15.0 Trouble Shooting The software is relatively easy to use and most users who have had limited computer experience should have few problems. However, for those that need a little more help this brief tutorial describes the process of creating an Estimate. Try the program first before reading any documentation as this gives an overall "feel" for the software. Use the supplied demonstration Estimate and Material Data Base files to try out the features. Estimate ──────── The main menu at the top of the screen has several options available, select Estimate by using the left mouse button to click on Estimate or press the keyboard ALT key and then press E or move the scroll bar with the cursor keys and pressing return. From the Estimate menu select File, Create New, type in DEMO and press Return or click the OK button. A message should now be displayed saying that this file already exists, DEMO is one of the demonstration estimate files supplied with the software. Try Creating a New estimate again but this time type in DEMO2 or any other file name that has a maximum of eight characters, if the file name is valid or it does not already exist then a New File has been Created messsage will be shown. Note that long file names such as those used in Windows 95 are not supported. At the moment this estimate file is blank so select Edit and then Job Details, enter suitable data for the Job details. It is a good idea to save any changed data regularly so select File and then Save, this will save the file to disk as DEMO2.EST, the .EST file extension is automatically added and denotes it as being an estimate file. To add items to the Estimate select Edit and then Estimate Schedule, all entries should be blank as no data has been entered. Keyboard & Mouse Control ──────────────────────── To move around the Estimate either use the vertical and horizontal scroll bars and the keyboard cursor, PageUp and PageDn keys. Items may be scrolled left and right by using the cursor left/right keys and horizontal scroll bar. To use the vertical/horizontal scroll bars and buttons with a keyboard press the TAB and TAB+SHIFT keys to move to each control and then use the Return and cursor keys. This is not usually necessary as most options are available from the keyboard i.e. while editing Estimate items use the cursor left/right keys to scroll the item left/right, press A to add several items, C to copy items etc. Estimate Section Headings ───────────────────────── The first Estimate item is usually a Section Heading so put the scroll bar on the first item, the Home/End keys will go to the first/last items, and press Return. The mouse may also be used by placing the mouse cursor on the item and double clicking the left mouse button. Type in Preliminaries but put a space before the P, this space marks this item as a Section Heading. Section Headings are used to split Estimates into different sections so that they are easier to view and analyse. A typical example would be to put all bricks, blocks, wall ties and any other items associated with masonry into a section called Masonry. To get the program to recognise a Section heading you MUST put a space before it. A normal Estimate item does not have this space before it, to change a Section Heading to an Estimate item you must remove the space. Adding Items Manually ───────────────────── There are two ways of entering items - either manually type in the description and rates or use items held in a Materials Data Base. Manual entry of data is fairly easy to do, just enter the relevant information under suitable sections, try ; Scaffolding 1 No 200 16 6.5 Items can be added/erased by either using the Insert/Delete keys, the Add/Erase buttons or the menu. Adding Items using a Data Base ────────────────────────────── See Chapter 7.00 Material Data Bases To copy items from a Material Data Base there must be a Data Base loaded, select "Window", "Material Data Base" and then load the PRELIMS data base. Select Edit Materials, put the scroll bar on Scaffolding and either use the Transfer button or the menu Utils, Transfer. This has now copied the scaffolding description and rates from the Data Base into the last hilighted Estimate item. This method of copying items is probably the most effective and obviates the need for an Auto Cost as all necessary rates have been copied directly into the Estimate. Starting a New Section ────────────────────── Once a section has been finished leave two blank items after the last item in a section, a section sub total will then be automatically added, for example ; ──────── Item Description ─── Quantity - Units - Space here denotes a >────────────> Preliminaries section 134.10 Scaffolding 1 No 62.75 Remove debris to tip 1 No two blank >──> ──────── items here >──> 197 for sub Masonry totals 815.12 Facing bricks 22 m2 ──────────────────────────────────────────────── If you do not want to break an estimate into sections then simply fill in each item leaving no blank entries. For the above example the Preliminaries actual section sub total is 196.85. Section sub totals are rounded to whole numbers which allows larger values to be displayed. The Estimate summary does not round off numbers for the totals. Auto Costing ──────────── See Chapter 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost When all the items for an Estimate have been entered then it may be costed by using the Auto Cost option, it is advisable to save the Estimate before Auto Costing. Select the Auto Cost option and then Cost All of Estimate. If you use the supplied MATERIAL.LIS file to cost the estimate then you will first have to add data bases to it before it can be used. After Auto Costing the Estimate should be checked for any irregular, incorrect and missed items or values. .TOPIC: Main Menu 5.00 Main Menu ───────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial Menu Structure ────────────── ≡ - displays/hides version & licence info Estimate - See Chapter 6.00 Estimate Materials Dbase - See Chapter 7.00 Material Data Bases AutoCost - See Chapter 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost Help - Help manager Utilities File Manager - simple file manager See Chapter 11.00 File Manager Shell to DOS - shells to DOS, type EXIT to exit shell System Memory Info - shows information about free memory. Only used for debugging purposes, higher values indicate more memory is free Integrity - checks if AESTI.EXE is damaged, for more Check security use a 3rd party virus scanner Setup Separator - changes character printed between sections Character under headings etc. Display Background - changes background character, Custom Character allows any single character to be used Screen Display 25 Lines - sets display to 25 text lines VGA 43 Lines - sets screen display to 43 lines VGA 50 Lines - sets screen display to 50 lines 43 and 50 line options require a compatible VGA card, they will not work with non standard VGA cards. Auto Size Window - automatic window sizing, toggle ON if a mouse is not being used Keyboard - speeds up keyboard rate and window Accelerator scrolling Tax Description - used in the estimate summary, it is a description of the VAT or Tax Rate that applies to your country. For the UK this will be "+ VAT @ 17.5%" Exit to Dos - exits to DOS .TOPIC: Professional Version Features 5.01 Professional Version Features ───────────────────────────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial Note - the Professional version is not available yet as it is still under development. .TOPIC: Estimate 6.00 Estimate ──────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial 7.00 Material Data Bases 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost 9.00 Time Schedule The Estimate option creates a schedule of items that may be typed in manually or copied from Material Data Bases. Adding & Erasing Items ────────────────────── Use the menu options, buttons or INSERT and DELETE keys to add and erase items. Items ───── Valid estimate items have no leading spaces, the first character in an item MUST not be a blank character. Each item is limited to 30 characters, if an item description is longer than this then carry the description over to the next item. If a schedule of works has been provided then just enter the schedules item reference instead of typing in all of the items description. The schedule page numbers may also be used as section headings. Note that Labour Hours is the total hours required for this item and must be entered manually. Quantity is NOT used to automatically work out the labour hours. The current item is displayed in a bright white colour and a filled in triangle is displayed at the left of the window. If the cursor moves past the last item then this character changes to a ">". Item Cost ───────── While editing an estimate the total item Quote Cost is shown at the left side of the window. This is a total of the material and labour costs and has the profit margin added to it. Item Quote Cost is worked out by the equation ; ((Quantity x Cost Unit) + (Labour Hours x Cost Hour)) x Profit Item costs with zero values are not displayed. Empty Items ─────────── Due to the way that section headings are defined (see below) and section sub totals are added it is not possible to have an empty or blank item. However, using a "." (full stop) or any other single character as an item will give the appearance of an empty item. Section Headings ──────────────── It is advisable to break any Estimate into sections and group materials or locations together. For example, a house may be split up into several parts ; foundations, drainage, floor, lounge, bathroom, garage etc. A Section Heading is a description of the next section in an estimate. To allow the software to recognise a section heading it must have a space preceeding its description. A section heading does not display any values to the right hand side or an item cost to the left of the heading. If an item is edited and the software does not prompt for any material or labour rates then that item has been recognised as a Section Heading. Section Totals ────────────── Leaving two blank items after the end of a section allows section sub totals to be added. If no sub total is displayed where there are two blank items then try erasing the two items and then adding them again. Section sub totals are calculated from the item after a Section Heading and end at the next blank item ; ──────── Item Description ─── Quantity - Units - Space here denotes a >────────────> Preliminaries section 134.10 Scaffolding 1 No 62.75 Remove debris to tip 1 No two blank >──> ──────── items here >──> 197 for sub Masonry totals 815.12 Facing bricks 22 m2 ──────────────────────────────────────────────── Note that for the above example the actual Preliminaries section sub total is 196.85. Section sub totals are rounded to the nearest whole number, this allows larger values to be displayed. The Estimate summary sheet does not round off numbers for the totals. A sub total may be incorrect if a section heading is used within an existing section ; ──────── Item Description ─── Quantity - Units - Preliminaries 134.10 Scaffolding 1 No On Completion 62.75 Remove debris to tip 1 No ──────── Sub total >──> 63 Masonry 815.12 Facing bricks 22 m2 ──────────────────────────────────────────────── Section total material cost and section total labour cost are displayed in the Cost 1 Unit and Cost Hour columns. If the enhanced estimate option is used then they are shifted to the far right. These two sub totals do not have any profit margin or VAT/sales tax added to them. PC and Provisional Sums ─────────────────────── There can only be one section with the heading PC Sums and one with the heading Provisional Sums. They MUST also be typed in as "PC" and "Provisional Sums" to be recognised ; ──────────────────────────────────────────────── PC Sums 84.71 Electrical Works 1 No 10.00 Plastering 1 No ──────── 95 Provisional Sums 304.19 New Boiler Unit 1 No ──────────────────────────────────────────────── Profit & Loss ───────────── When editing actual cost values do NOT add tax or profit margin to any costs. If these are added to actual costs then the summary sheet After Works Completed section will not display a correct profit or loss. Summary ─────── The summary is only updated if an estimate item, profit margin or VAT/sales tax rate has been changed. The After Works Completed section uses actual costs that are entered after a project has been finished. It may be used to compare the original estimated profit against the actual profit made on the job. Approximate Build Time is fixed and does not use the Users Estimated Days in the Time Schedule. VAT/Sales Tax ───────────── VAT/sales tax is only added to the final Estimate Summary sheet total, use a 0 (zero) rate if you do not want tax to be added. Import CSV File ─────────────── See below - CADbill & CSV Files Imports a CSV (comma separated value) file created by other software, a typical application would be to import CSV files created by CAD software. Use the demonstration file DEMO-CSV.CSV to test this feature. CSV files must be in plain ASCii format, contain no control codes, each data item is separated by a comma and items must be in the format of ; "Item",Quantity,"Units",CostUnit,Hours,CostHr,ActualCost Each line consists of seven bits of data ; Item - item description, any description longer than 30 characters will be truncated Quantity - total units for this item Units - units of measurement, any description longer than 5 characters will be truncated CostUn - cost of a single item Hours - total labour hours required to complete this item CostHr - cost per labour hour ActualCost - actual cost of this item, this is only used for the Profit & Loss breakdown Note that each line MUST contain seven bits of data separated by a comma, typical example ; "Shower Unit", 1, "No", 286, 6, 7.5, 0 "", 0, "", 0, 0, 0, 0 "Bath", 1, "No", 192.50, 4, 7.5, 0 Each item is on a separate line, there must be no empty lines. To leave an item blank use empty double quotes or a 0, the second line shows how to leave an item blank. Using a comma or quote between quotes will produce an error, an example of invalid use of these characters ; "Shower, "Unit" ", 1, "No", 286, 6, 7.5, 0 CADbill & CSV Files ─────────────────── We also distribute a program called CADbill - this creates a bill of materials from a DXF file, the bill is formatted and saved to a CSV file which may then be imported into AEsti. DXF (drawing interchange format) files can be created by most CAD software including AutoCAD, TurboCAD etc. Menu Structure ────────────── File Load - loads an Estimate Save - saves using current file name Save As - saves using different file name Create New - creates a new Estimate Import CSV File - imports a CSV file Print - prints the estimate in several formats Exit - closes down the Estimate window Edit Job Details - edits job details - client, date etc. Schedule - normal schedule view of the Estimate Enhanced - enhanced view Cost per 1 Unit - shows cost per 1 unit Clients Copy - shows a Clients copy Tender Schedule - used for quotation purposes Profit & Loss - works out the actual Profit or Loss, to be filled in after the project is completed View Job Details - shows job details Summary - totals summary sheet Section Heading - shows section sub totals, 199 sections max. Double click or press return to go to the currently selected section. Time Schedule - switches to time schedule window Utils Add 1 Item - adds one item Add Several - adds several items Erase - erases current item Copy - copies item to another item Move - moves item to another position Find - finds an item, search starts from the next item and ends at the last item, if it fails then it starts again from the first item Replicate - replicates current item to next selected number of items Next item with - goes to next item with a cost per unit that Zero Cost has a zero value, it will not go to an item that has no quantity Next item with - goes to next item with hours that have a Zero Hours zero value, it will not go to an item that has no labour rate Above options can also be accessed via the keyboard while editing - use Insert, A, Delete, C, M, F, R, Z and H keys Window Main Menu - switches to the Main Menu window Estimate - Estimate Materials Dbase - Materials Data Base AutoCost - AutoCost Help - Help .TOPIC: Material Data Bases 7.00 Material Data Bases ─────────────────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial 6.00 Estimate 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost Some references in the software and this documentation to a Data Base has been shortened to Dbase. If the Auto Cost feature is to be used then some thought must be given to where Dbases are located. Auto Cost needs to know the directory they are located in and if they are moved then Auto Cost List files must be updated with their new location. If you think that you may create hundreds of Dbases then they should be put in a separate sub directory i.e. if the software is in a directory called C:\ESTIMATE then put the Dbases in C:\ESTIMATE\DATABASE. Material Data Bases hold material prices and labour rates required to fix, lay etc. each material item. Main Material Dbase Window ────────────────────────── This window shows information about the currently loaded Dbase ; Dbase Description - this is also used by Auto Cost to match an Estimate Section heading against a Material Dbase Description See also Chapter 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost, Section Heading Items in Dbase - total number of items in this Dbase Data Base File Name - DOS file name of the Dbase Items ───── Each item description is limited to 30 characters. The current item is displayed in a bright white colour and a filled in triangle is displayed at the left of the window. If the cursor moves past the last item then this character changes to a ">". Minimum Words ───────────── Some thought must be given when entering items as the Auto Cost feature matches words in Data Base items to Estimate items. The more words you use then the more accurate an Auto Cost will be. To get a better match ratio when Auto Costing try to use at least a three word description for each Data Base item or copy Data Base items directly into the Estimate while editing. Copying Dbase Items to an Estimate ────────────────────────────────── To keep terminology consistent the term "Transfer" is used to describe copying Material Dbase items to Estimate items. The Copy command in Material Dbase and Estimate windows will only copy items in these windows i.e. from Estimate to Estimate item and from Material to Material item. There must be a Materials Dbase and Estimate loaded if an item is to be transferred into an Estimate. From the Material Dbase window select Edit Material, place the scroll bar on the item to be copied and then either click the Transfer button, press the T key or from the menu Utils select Transfer. This has now copied the Material item to the last selected Estimate item. If the Estimate item prior to the transfer had a quantity then this will be used to work out the total labour hours. Note that the Estimate item that had a Material item copied into it is put at the top of the Estimate window and the current Estimate item is then set to the next item. To make it easier see if an item has been copied, resize the Material Dbase window to the bottom half of the screen and the Estimate window to the top half. This automatically occurs if Auto Size Window (Main Menu, Setup) is toggled on. Headings ──────── Code is the manufacturers reference (maximum 8 characters) Units are units of measurement, Unit Cost is the cost of one unit for that item, Labour hours are number of hours it takes to fix, lay etc. one unit of that item and Labour Cost is the labour rate per hour. A typical example ; Bricks 200/1000 m² 12.39 1.5 7.5 Each 1 m² costs 12.39 for bricks, takes 1.5 hours to lay at a labour rate of 7.50 per hour. Code ──── The manufactureres code for each item is currently not used for auto costing, users who wish to use the code for auto costing must include it in the main item description Menu Structure ────────────── File Load - loads a Materials Dbase Save - saves using current file name Save As - saves using a different file name Create New - creates a new Dbase Print - prints Exit - closes down the Dbase window Edit Description - edits data base description Materials - edits the data base View Description - shows file details Utils Add 1 Item - adds one item Add Several - adds several items Erase - erases current item Copy - copies item to another item Move - moves item to another position Find - finds an item, search starts from the next item and ends at the last item, if it fails then it starts again from the first item Replicate - replicates current item to the next selected number of items Sort on Code - sorts data base in alphabetical order based on items code Sort on - sorts data base in alphabetical order Description based on items description Transfer - copies current item information to the last selected Estimate item. If the Estimate item has a quantity then labour hours are worked out based on this quantity and the material hours Above options can also be accessed via the keyboard while editing - use Insert, A, Delete, C, M, F, R, S and T keys Window Main Menu - switches to the Main Menu window Estimate - Estimate Materials Dbase - Materials Data Base AutoCost - AutoCost Help - Help .TOPIC: Auto and Quick Cost 8.00 Auto and Quick Cost ─────────────────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial 6.00 Estimate 7.00 Material Data Bases 9.00 Time Schedule The supplied MATERIAL.LiS file is blank, it must have Material Data Bases added to it before being used for Costing. Before using this feature it is strongly recommended that this chapter is read thoroughly. A test estimate should then be Auto Costed to familiarise users with the methodology involved. The Material Data Base chapter should also be read regarding the location of Dbase files. If Material Data Base items have been transferred/copied into an Estimate then an Auto Cost will probably not be required. How Auto Cost Works ─────────────────── Material Dbases that are defined in a .LiS file are loaded and each Dbase item is searched for in the Estimate, if the item is found then its rates are copied to the Estimate item. Auto Cost is not case sensitive, it will treat Brick, BRICK and brick as the same word. List of Data Bases ────────────────── List files (with the .LiS file extension) hold lists of Material Dbases that are used when Auto Costing, each List file can hold up to 100 data bases. The files contain the drive and directory where each Dbase is located, the maximum path length is 76 characters, exceeding this length will produce errors. If Dbases are moved to another drive or directory after they were originally added to a List file then the List file must be updated with their new location. Various strategies can be adopted for List files, for example using a single List file with all Dbases in it is easy to keep track of but makes Auto Costing slow. Costing Types ───────────── All of Estimate - costs all of the Estimate Section Only - only costs a selected Estimate Section using a Dbase in the List file that has a Description that matches the Estimate Section Heading. Section using all Dbases - costs selected Estimate Section using all Dbase's in the List file. Use Loaded Data Base - costs all of the Estimate using only the currently loaded Dbase. Minimum Word Match - an Estimate item is matched to a Material Dbase item if it either matches it exactly or has a minimum number of words that are also in the Material item. Increasing words to be matched results in more accurate but fewer matches, lowering this number has an opposite effect. Setting the Minimum Word Match to 3 is a good compromise. Match Options ───────────── After selecting a .LiS file and before the Auto Cost actually starts the user will be asked if existing Estimate rates are to be replaced. Selecting YES replaces any existing Estimate rates with those found in Dbase items that match Estimate items. If Estimate items that are not in any Dbase have been used or existing rates are not to be replaced then select NO. The user will then be prompted if Estimate items with no quantities are to be costed, select NO if multi-line item descriptions have been used. Section Heading ─────────────── If Auto Cost finds an Estimate Section Heading that matches the Dbase Description then it will only search that Estimate section. This reduces time taken to cost the Estimate although it will skip Estimate sections that may contain items that are in this currently loaded Dbase. To avoid this make Dbase Descriptions or Estimate Section Headings unique so that they will never match each other. Statistics ────────── Statistics are displayed after each AutoCost ; Data Base Items used - total Material Dbase items used Estimate Items Costed - total Estimate items costed Exact Matches - total Dbase items that were exactly matched to Estimate items Total Matches - total Dbase items that were matched to Estimate items Hit Rate - percentage hit rate Time Started - AutoCost started at this time Time Finished - AutoCost finished at this time Total Matches may be more than the number of Estimate items, this occurs if Minimum Word Match (see above) is set to a low value, there are several Dbase items that are similar to each other or different Dbases contain the same item. Checking ──────── After any Auto Cost the Estimate should be carefully checked for rates with 0 values and massive or unusual values. Please note that AutoCost depends on Material Data Base item descriptions, if several item descriptions are similar to each other then unexpected results may occur or AutoCost may not use the appropriate item rates. Reducing Time Costing ───────────────────── The only way to reduce the time taken to cost an Estimate is to reduce the number of Dbases in List files. Errors while Auto Costing ───────────────────────── If a File Error message is displayed during an Auto Cost then one of the Dbases in the List file has either been erased or moved to another directory or drive after they were originally added to the List file. If any Dbases have been moved or erased after creating a List file then run the option Edit List, Check Data Bases. Quick Cost ────────── Works out an approximate cost for the project based on a cost per unit2 (m2, sq.ft. etc.) Building Type Rate, it relies on the users judgement in selecting the appropriate cost per unit2 rates. There is one user defined Type and three Building Types, rates for each Type may be edited and saved. Menu Structure ────────────── File Load - loads List file Save - saves List file Unload List - Unloads a loaded List file Create New - creates a new List file Save Building - saves the current set of Building Type Rates rates Exit - closes down the AutoCost window Edit List Add Dbase to List - add a Materials Dbase to List file, the Insert key can also be used Remove Dbase - removes Dbase from List file, the delete key can also be used Edit Description - edits the List file description Sort on File Name - sorts List on Dbase file name Sort Description - sorts List on Dbase description Check Data Bases - checks if Dbases in List have been moved from their directory AutoCost Cost All - costs all of Estimate Cost a Section - costs an Estimate section only Use Loaded Dbase - only uses the currently loaded Dbase to cost all of the Estimate Minimum Word - sets number of words in a Material Dbase Matches to match against an Estimate item for it to be a valid match QuickCost Total Area - total area of works Building Type - selects a rate to be used Rates Edit Building - edits the Building Type Rates Type Rates Window Main Menu - switches to the Main Menu window Estimate - Estimate Materials Dbase - Materials Data Base AutoCost - AutoCost Help - Help .TOPIC: Time Schedule 9.00 Time Schedule ───────────── See also Chapter 4.00 Startup - Brief Tutorial 6.00 Estimate The time schedule is very basic and should only be used as a rough guide for assessment purposes. Number of hours worked per week is based on 35 hours per man and can not be changed. Each week contains 5 days with each bar ("-") representing one day. If a section takes less than a day to complete then it is rounded up to one day. The maximum number of sections that the time schedule can handle is 199 with a time frame of 3 months. The time taken to complete a job is dependent on the number of men working on the job, if the number of men is increased then the time taken is reduced. Section Headings ──────────────── Estimate Section Headings are used for the Time Schedule and there must therefore be at least one Section Heading. Editing ─────── Edit Time changes start and end dates for each section, the following is a brief description of each heading ; Estimated Days - number of days to complete this section, this is worked out by AEsti and can not be changed. Your Estimated - users estimated days to complete this section, if you use 0 (zero) then the value in Estimated Days will be used instead. Days From Previous - the number of days after or before the previous sections end day that you want to start on this section For example, if a section called Drainage finished on day 8 and 2 was used for Days From Previous in the next section then this next section will start on day 11 which is 2 days after the last section (Drainage) finished. If -2 is used then the section starts on day 5 which is 2 days prior to when Drainage ended. Start and End Days - these are automatically updated whenever Your Estimated and Days From Previous are edited. Start day is the day that this section is started on, End day is the day that this section will be finished on. Data Location ───────────── Time Schedule user options such as Users Estimated Days are kept in each estimate Section Heading. If a Section Heading is changed to an item or is erased then this data is also erased. Menu Structure ────────────── File Print - prints the Time Schedule Exit - closes down the Time Schedule window Edit - Users Estimated and Days from Previous View - views the Time Schedule Window Main Menu - switches to the Main Menu window Estimate - Estimate Materials Dbase - Materials Data Base AutoCost - AutoCost Help - Help .TOPIC: Printing 10.0 Printing ──────── Print routines use Epson escape codes and will work with any printer supporting these codes. Even if your printer does not support these codes then it is likely that the print routines will work with your printer. Print Destination ───────────────── Before printing any data users will be prompted to send it to either a printer on LPT1, LPT2 or LPT3 or disk file, printers are usually attached to the printer port LPT1. Printed disk files are in plain ASCii format, this is also known as DOS text or plain text. Most word processors support this format and files may be imported into a word processor, formatted and then printed. Epson Print Options ─────────────────── All options in the Epson print Options box, except for Lines per Page, require an Epson compatible printer or a printer that supports Epson ESCape codes. Lines per Page This is the number of lines of text that will be printed on each page, most printers are capable of 66. Setting this to 0 (zero) will enable continuous feed. There is a minimum limit of 10 and a maximum limit of 199 lines to each page. The printer must be on-line and ready to print when any of the following options are selected ; Letter Quality - turns on letter quality mode Condensed On - turns on condensed print mode, prints text in a compressed format Condensed Off - turns off condensed print mode Elite 12cpi - sets printer to use this font Pica 10cpi - sets printer to use this font Enhanced Estimate ───────────────── All printing routines, except for the Enhanced Estimate, are based on an 80 column printer in 10 cpi mode. The Enhanced Estimate requires a 110 column printer or one that accepts the Condensed On option which prints text in a compressed format. Printed Bar Characters ────────────────────── Some line characters such as "═══" may not print correctly if the printer is set to a mode that does not support these characters. Trouble Shooting ──────────────── Most types of printers have been successfully used with the software ; 9 pin, 24 pin, bubble jets and lasers. If you have trouble printing then try adjusting the printer by means of its software, internal DIP switches or control panel and alter the configuration to Epson mode. The most common problem is if the printer is not compatible or is not in Epson mode and the Epson options such as Condensed On is used. This will sometimes lock the printer or it will not accept the printed data. If your printer will not accept any codes or you can get no printed output then do NOT use the Epson Options. If you still get no printed output then print to a disk file and then import this file into a word processor and print it from within the word processor Printing to a File ────────────────── Please note that the Enhanced options such as Condensed print are not used when printing to a file. .TOPIC: File Manager 11.0 File Manager ──────────── This is a fairly crude option but it does provide most of the utilities required to maintain files and directory structures. Making Directories ────────────────── The Make Directory feature requires a valid directory name to be used, trying to make several directories at a time will result in an error. For example, suppose there is a directory called C:\ESTI and the user wishes to create C:\ESTI\DBASE\TIMBER. The first directory to be created will be C:\ESTI\DBASE and then C:\ESTI\DBASE\TIMBER can be created. Removing Directories ──────────────────── A directory that contains files can not be removed, all files in the directory must be erased first. Directory Structure ─────────────────── It is suggested that users keep estimate files with .EST file extensions and Material Dbases with .DBE file extensions in different directories. This makes it easier to keep track of files, typical directory structure ; C:\ESTI Main program files C:\ESTI\ESTIMATE Estimate files C:\ESTI\DBASE Material Dbase files .TOPIC: Tips 12.0 Tips ──── This chapter covers some general tips and pointers, experienced contractors will no doubt be aware of the estimating pitfalls described. General ─────── Always manually check all data that any software produces, do not accept without question the data that ANY program creates. Data Protection ─────────────── Making backup copies of data depends on how much users value it, before users dismiss backing up as not worthwhile as their system never crashes, consider how long it will take to recreate any data if it was destroyed, lost or stolen. It is good practice to make regular backup copies of any data onto media not connected to the system i.e. floppy disks. If a backup copy is held on a hard disk that also contains the original data and the hard disk fails then both sets of data will be lost ! Users should also consider where backup copies are held, there is no point in having up to date backups if the media is held in an office which then burns down ! This may seem a bit extreme but it has been known to happen. Users working in large companies may also have to consider how valuable the data is and who has access to it. Saving ────── Save an Estimate or Data Base after editing and save Estimates before carrying out Auto Costs. Estimating ────────── Instead of creating an Estimate from scratch it is quicker to create a template estimate that contains section headings and/or materials that are used most often in similar works. TEMPLATE.EST is a typical example of a template estimate. Try to create estimates in a logical manner as if the structure was actually being built from the ground up ; Drainage, Foundations, Walls etc. Smaller jobs, due to their nature, cost more per square metre than larger jobs, as a rough guide allow 50% labour and 50% materials cost for jobs up to 30 000 UK pounds in value. Anything more than this is usually about 33% labour and 66% materials, these values obviously depend on the type of works. Study any drawings before starting an Estimate, this gives an overall view of any problem areas and where major costs are. Make a rough guess as to the final cost for the works and then compare this with the Estimated cost. Go through an Estimate two or three times to make sure that no items have been missed. It also helps to leave it for a day and then examine it from a fresh view point. Sub Contractors ─────────────── All sub contractors costs have the profit percentage applied to them, to leave these costs "as is" simple remove the profit margin that will be added. The equation to do this is - Quote/(1+(Profit %/100)) Material Data Bases ─────────────────── Certain items are regularly used in most building projects i.e. bricks, blocks, plasterboard etc. These items may be put into a single Data Base as this will allow easier copying into the Estimate when editing. In certain cases it will also speed up the Auto Cost and make the Data Base easier to update. Data Bases may also be created for a certain type of job i.e. a garage extension. On the same theme, they may be specific to a location in the structure ; kitchen, bathroom, etc. .TOPIC: Miscellany 13.0 Miscellany ────────── See also Chapter 14.0 Program Limits 15.0 Trouble Shooting 16.0 Frequently asked Questions Speeding up Software ──────────────────── Using a software or hardware disk cache will reduce the time required to load and save files, it will therefore also reduce any AutoCost. Most operating systems provide a disk cache or have one built in, for example the disk cache in Windows for Workgroups v3.11 is called Vcache. Help ──── Using Help while in Aesti requires the file AESTI.HLP to be in the current directory where Aesti is located. Colour ────── The software was designed for use with colour displays, it is possible to use a mono display but some options may not show up too well or may not be shown at all. Compressed & Non DOS Drives ─────────────────────────── There may be problems with some compressed drives or file systems that do not use the DOS FAT (file) system, this also applies to long file names such as those used in Windows 95. Co-processor Chip ───────────────── Some options use on-the-fly calculations and a co-processor chip for SX and older 386/286 systems usually makes screen updates slightly quicker. If you are not using a co-processor or have a slow PC and find the window scrolling speed to be unacceptable then try reducing the window size. .TOPIC: Program Limits 14.0 Program Limits ────────────── See also Chapter 20.0 Future Releases Maximum Items ───────────── Registered versions of the software are limited to 1000 estimate items and 500 material data base items in each file. A possible solution for larger estimates which exceed the above limit is to break it up into different files. For example, if the user was costing the construction of a large house then it may be split into several parts ; the main house structure would be saved to one file, the garage to another, external works to another etc. Item Descriptions ───────────────── Estimate and Material Data Base item descriptions are limited to 30 characters, this is not a problem for Estimate items as a multi-line description can be used. This limit was set to cater for 80 character wide printers. Minimum System Requirements ─────────────────────────── PC XT, 1.44 floppy drive, 550k free memory, mono display, DOS 3.3 or later. Running from a floppy is possible but not practical as the Auto Cost will be too slow. Recommended System Requirements ─────────────────────────────── 486 dx33mhz or better, 600k free memory DOS 5 or later, hard disk and colour display Values Limits ───────────── The maximum value that a quantity, cost, labour hours etc. may have is 999 999, maximum hourly rate is 99 999, there is also a limit of 999 999 for a total single item cost. Any value preceeded with a % sign or is displayed as N/A means it is out of the programs range to display it and usually occurs if the value is greater than 999 999.99 If you work with quantities or costs greater than this then this software is probably not suitable for your requirements. Precision ───────── The software uses single seven digit precision and may give unexpected results due to rounding. For example, a price may total 16.78 although a manual check gives 16.77. However, the actual figure is 16.776 and the program has rounded the .776 to .78. If it had been .774 then the figure would have been rounded down to .77. For small contracts of less than 250 000 (UK pounds) in value this will typically produces rounding errors of a few pence, larger contracts that use single item costs greater than 999 999 will be out by several pounds. Although this is not considered to be a major problem we are currently working on a fix for this. Estimate sub totals are rounded to the nearest pound. Networks ──────── This version is for use on stand-alone systems only and is probably not suitable for networked systems. Read only Drives & CDROMs ───────────────────────── The software will not work on read only drives such as CDROMs or write protected media as it saves the program settings to several .INI files in the AEsti directory. .TOPIC: Trouble Shooting 15.0 Trouble Shooting ──────────────── See also Chapter 13.0 Miscellany 14.0 Program Limits Although we are unable to test the software with every possible PC configuration and operating system, the software will work on most compatible systems without any problems. Problem Solving ─────────────── If you encounter a problem with the software then work through it in in a logical manner ; read all documentation, try all available options, try different key combinations etc. Software Will Not Run ───────────────────── If the software will not run or locks up the system then try starting it with the command line of AESTI /S The /S option switches off system and internal checking which may allow the software to run but may also produce unpredictable results or crash the system. Although unlikely, the .EXE file may have been corrupted or may be located on a hard disk sector that is bad. Try installing the software from the original archive or floppy disk it was supplied on. Operating Systems ───────────────── The software can be run under most GUI's (graphical user interfaces) or non DOS operating systems that support DOS sessions. Although it has been successfully run as a DOS session under Windows v3.xx, Windows 95, OS/2 and Linux, we are unable to give help on these systems as there are just too many options to setup and get wrong. If other DOS software has been successfully run then this software will also probably run under your operating system. If the software will not run then refer to your operating system manual about running DOS software. System Configurations ───────────────────── Non standard PC's or displays, such as portables and 640x400 CGA, may cause problems. This applies to TSR's (terminate and stay resident programs) and GUI (graphical user interface) or shell front ends, try running the software from the DOS prompt with no TSR's loaded. Warning ! ───────── Before changing AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS or any other system files you are advised to make backup copies of these files and have a bootable floppy disk in case you make the system unbootable. Startup ─────── When the software starts it carries out a system check and displays the following messages if it encounters an error ; "Not enough memory" - AEsti requires at least 550k of free conventional memory. See below - Running Out of Memory "AEsti not found in current directory" - change to AEsti's directory and start it from there or if running from a GUI change the working directory to AEsti's directory. "EXE file corrupt" - AESTI.EXE may have been damaged, install the software again. Locks up the System ─────────────────── Badly behaved TSR, background or other driver software may be conflicting with AEsti. If the program has crashed or locked the system then try ; a) Run from the DOS prompt and from the directory where it was installed to. Do not run it from a shell environment or GUI as this may be running in the background and conflicting with the program. b) Badly behaved TSR's are usually the main cause of software crashes. Re-boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk using a bare-bones system with no TSR's loaded. If the program works then one of the previously installed TSR's in AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS was causing the problem. Allocating Memory ───────────────── If there is not enough memory to use the maximum number of Estimate and Material Dbase items then a message will be displayed showing the maximum items allowed. Loading an existing file which has more items in it than the maximum items allowed in memory will result in not all of the items being loaded or subsequently saved. The software can still be used if it does not allocate the maximum number of items but there may not be enough memory to use other options such as Auto Cost or Help. Running out of Memory ───────────────────── Although AEsti will work with 550k of free memory, it is recommended that there is at least 600k of free conventional memory as this allows all Help screens and options to be used. Before trying any of the solutions below please refer to your DOS or operating system manual for information on increasing conventional memory. Loading Drivers High ──────────────────── On 386, 486 & Pentium systems with DOS version 5 or later, all device drivers can be loaded into the high memory area by using HIMEM.SYS, this frees up more conventional memory. For drivers in CONFIG.SYS use the commands ; DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\MOUSE.SYS (typical driver) and for AUTOEXEC.BAT use ; LOADHIGH C:\DOS\MOUSE.SYS Bootable Floppy Disk ──────────────────── Boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk with a bare bones system on it. If the software works then one of the previously loaded drivers in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT was crashing the software. See below - How to Make a Boot Disk Changing AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS ──────────────────────────────────── Try "rem"ming out any drivers from AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS and re-start the system. A typical line in CONFIG.SYS is ; DEVICE=C:\DOS\MOUSE.SYS To rem it out so that this driver is not loaded ; rem DEVICE=C:\DOS\MOUSE.SYS Directories ─────────── Moving the program from its original install directory is not advisable, if it is moved then make sure that all files that make up the software are in the same directory. If the software does not work after moving it then it will have to be installed again. File Names ────────── The software only supports DOS file names, there is a maximum limit of 8 characters for the file name and 3 characters for the file extension. A typical example for a file using the maximum allowable characters is TEST8012.EST An error message will be displayed while attempting to load a a file if ; the file does not exist, an invalid file name or path has been used, it has not been created by the software, the media is write protected, there is no disk in the drive if removeable media is being used An error message will be displayed while attempting to save a a file if ; an invalid file name or path has been used, the media is write protected, there is no disk in the drive if removeable media is being used How to Make a Boot Disk ─────────────────────── To make a floppy boot disk from the DOS prompt put a blank disk in the A drive and type in SYS A: Leave the floppy in the drive and re-boot the computer, the system should boot off the floppy. If it has not then the BIOS may have to be changed to set the boot order to A: C: so that the system looks at the floppy drive first and then, if there is a disk in the drive, boots off that instead of the hard disk. To change the BIOS you usually have to press a key while the system is booting up and before any memory or system checks occur. To find out what key to press refer to your systems documentation, if you have no documentation then try pressing F10 or Delete. Before changing any BIOS settings make a note of the current settings or press the Prt Scrn (Print Screen) button while in the BIOS to dump the screen to a printer. Hardware Failures ───────────────── Some hardware failures are sometimes hard to detect and this is especially true if it is of an intermittent nature. If several programs are behaving erratically then the chances are that some hardware component has partially failed. A typical example is when software is located on a bad disk sector, although the software appears to work correctly for most of the time it will occasionally corrupt a data file or screen display. A solution to this is to run a disk utility to correct the problem and then re-install the software. .TOPIC: Frequently asked Questions 16.0 Frequently asked Questions ────────────────────────── See also Chapter 4.00 StartUp - Brief Tutorial 15.0 Trouble Shooting 20.0 Future Releases Q = Question A = Answer General ─────── Q - I have a mouse but the program does not recognise it. The mouse cursor is not visible. A - A mouse driver must be loaded before AEsti is started. Note that some mono, LCD or obscure displays may not display the mouse cursor. Q - Some options do not display properly on my mono display. A - AEsti is optimised for colour systems, future versions may allow the user to select screen colours. Q - I try to open the Help window and it says that there is not enough memory. A - There is not enough conventional memory (below 640k) to use this option. Q - When I save/load a file it displays a File Error message A - Make sure that the disk media is not write protected, directory and drive names are valid and that there is a disk in the selected drive. Q - Scrolling through some windows seems to be very slow A - Toggle on the Keyboard Accelerator from the main menu, Setup. Running under Windows 3.xx/95/NT ──────────────────────────────── Q - When running in a windowed DOS box colours are brighter than usual and some options are not displayed. Mouse does not work when running in a windowed DOS box A - Run it in a full screen DOS box. Q - In Windows v3.xx, it displays a message saying it can not find a file. A - From within Windows, change the programs Property for its Working Directory to where AESTI.EXE is located. Q - I am running AEsti in a windowed DOS box, when I use the main menu, Setup, Screen Display to 43 or 50 lines it reports an error message. A - Run AEsti as a full screen DOS session and then try this option. It may still not work if the graphics card is incompatible. Main Menu Setup Options ─────────────────────── Q - How do I save the settings A - System settings are automatically saved and loaded Q - I change the separator bar to a "───" (decimal 196) and it displays correctly on the screen but it does not print out A - The printer must be Epson compatible to handle these extended characters, set the printer to Epson mode or use the minus sign as the separator. Q - The screen display option to change to 43 & 50 line modes does not work The 43 line mode works but the 50 line does not A - A compatible VGA card is required for both options. If running from a GUI then the software MUST be run full screen for these options to work, some GUI's do not allow 43 & 50 line modes even in full screen mode. Q - The keyboard accelerator does not work A - This option will not work on non compatible systems or one of the CMOS settings may have disabled it. Some operating systems, Windows v3.xx for example, have built in keyboard accelerators which are automatically activated when the software starts. A similar utility is supplied with most versions of DOS, it is usually called MODE. This can set the keyboard typematic rate and speed up the display. The DOS command line using MS-DOS 6.xx is MODE CON RATE=32 DELAY=1 For other DOS versions refer to your manual for the syntax. Some systems allow the typematic rate to be changed from within the CMOS. To alter CMOS settings the system must be rebooted and a certain key pressed down during the boot up sequence, it's usually the Delete key or F10. Setup Special Note ────────────────── If the setup options were changed and the software crashes the system when it is started again then one of the options may be incompatible with your system. Erase the AESTI.iNi file and change the setup options again. Typically this will occur if 43 line mode is used in a full screen DOS session under a GUI and then the user trys to run the software again in a DOS window. Estimate ──────── Q - When I try to add an Estimate item it says that it will exceed the maximum items. A - The maximum items is displayed below the main menu's AEsti logo at the right hand side of the Licence information. Q - I type in a description for an item and it appears to be correct but after filling in all the other item data the item description has been shortened. A - Each item description is limited to 30 characters, carry the description over to the next item if it is longer than this. Q - How do I move more than one item at a time. A - There is currently no option to do this. Q - Sub totals will not display between sections. A - Leave two blank items after the last item in a section. Q - I leave two blank items between sections but the sub totals still do not display. A - Try erasing these two blank items and then inserting two blank items again. Q - Estimate window scrolling is slower than scrolling the Material Data Base window. A - Section sub totals are calculated on-the-fly, leaving out sub totals (use one blank item instead of two) or reducing the window height will speed up scrolling. Using a mouse and the right vertical scroll bar is faster than using a keyboard. Material Data Bases ─────────────────── Q - Are the prices and rates correct. A - They are supplied for demonstration purposes ONLY and should NOT be used for any real Estimates. ^^^ Q - How do I put in more than 500 material items. A - Each Materials Dbase is limited to 500 items in each file. Q - I type in a description for an item and it appears to be correct but after filling in all the other item data the item description has been shortened. A - Each item description is limited to 30 characters. Q - How do I move more than one item at a time. A - There is currently no option to do this. Auto Cost ───────── Q - During an Auto Cost it stops and says that a Dbase was not found. A - One of the Material Dbases has been moved or erased after the .LiS had this Dbase added to it. Run the option Edit List, Check Data Bases. Time Schedule ───────────── Q - The time taken for the estimate goes off the 12 week scale, how can I view the rest of the time schedule. A - This is currently limited to 12 weeks. Q - How can I reduce or increase the number of hours worked by each man for each week. A - This is fixed at 35 hours per week for each man. Networks ──────── Q - The software is being used on a network and reports errors when saving/loading files. A - AEsti was not designed for use on a network, a copy of AEsti must be installed on each work station and only used by that work station. .TOPIC: Upgrading Previous Versions 17.0 Upgrading Previous Versions ─────────────────────────── Backing Up ────────── Before proceeding with any installation you MUST first make a backup copy of ALL old files to a floppy disk. Do not backup to the same media where the old version is located. It is important to backup the old version as there is little chance of recovering accidentally erased files. Install Considerations ────────────────────── If you use the Auto Cost feature and have made several .LiS files then install this new version into the same directory as the old version. Auto Cost .LiS files contain information about where material data bases are located on disk, copying or moving these data bases may therefore make .LiS files unusable. If you do not use the Auto Cost feature then the software may be installed into any new directory, old data files can then be copied into this new directory. Installing into a New Directory ─────────────────────────────── Use INSTALL.EXE to install the software. Installing over a Previous Version ────────────────────────────────── The INSTALL.EXE installer will NOT overwrite existing files, to upgrade an existing version users may either ; a) use the batch file -EXIST.BAT b) manually erase old version files with .EXE, .HLP, .DOC and .BAT file extensions and then run INSTALL.EXE. The installer will say that it failed, this message can be ignored. Installing over a Previous Version Manually ─────────────────────────────────────────── Copy all files with .EXE, .HLP, .DOC, .BAT, .KEY (registered users only) file extensions from the disk or archive where the new version is to the directory where the old version is located. Setting Up ────────── Once installed the new version will require configuring, from the main menu select Setup and change the relevant options. .TOPIC: Installing into Windows v3.xx 18.0 Installing into Windows v3.xx ───────────────────────────── See also Chapter 17.0 Upgrading Previous Versions From the DOS prompt run INSTALL.EXE to install the software. Files used By Windows v3.xx ─────────────────────────── Two files are included for use by Windows when running the software in a DOS session ; AESTI.PIF - used by Windows to configure the DOS session so that DOS settings are optimized AESTI.ICO - icon file can be used instead of Windows default DOS icon To Install ────────── From Program Manager select File, New, Program Group and for the description type in Estimating, click on OK. Select File, New, Program Item and then enter the following ; Description : AEsti Command Line : C:\ESTI\AESTI.EXE Working Directory : C:\ESTI It is assumed that the software was installed into the default install directory of C:\ESTI, if it was not then change C:\ESTI to the directory where it was installed to. Click om Change Icon, a message will display saying that there are no icons available, click OK and for the File Name type in C:\ESTI\AESTI.ICO. The AEsti icon should now appear, click OK and then click OK again. There should now be a Program Group called Estimating with a Program Item called AEsti using the AEsti icon, double click the icon to start AEsti. Running under Windows v3.xx ─────────────────────────── The most common problem when running under Windows is not enough free conventional memory below 640k. Most operating system manuals or on-line help usually contain topics about freeing up more memory, for Windows v3.xx see the help on the PiF Editor as PiF files control the memory available during a DOS session The software should be run as a full screen DOS session, it can be run in a windowed DOS box although colours may not display correctly and the mouse can not be used in the window. .TOPIC: Installing into Windows v95 19.0 Installing into Windows v95 ─────────────────────────── See also Chapter 17.0 Upgrading Previous Versions From the DOS prompt run INSTALL.EXE to install the software. Windows 95 includes comprehensive help on installing programs into the task bar - click the Start Button and select Help, use the Find tab and search for Adding a Program, double click on the help topic title "Adding a Program to the Start or Programs Menu". Follow the instructions, when it requests the program name either use Browse and double click the AESTI.EXE file or type in the path and file name. This will be C:\ESTI\AESTI.EXE if the software was installed into the default install directory. Windows 95 will display the standard MSDOS icon next to Aesti, no AEsti icon is currently available. Although the software may be run in a windowed DOS box, it will perform much better in a full screen DOS box. File Names ────────── The software does not support Windows 95 long file names, it only supports DOS file names. These consist of a maximum 8 characters for the file name and 3 characters for the file extension i.e. TEST1234.EST .TOPIC: Future Releases 20.0 Future Releases ─────────────── Due to work commitments we can give no definite release date for the next version, features that are currently being worked on or considered for the next version ; Windows version Under test, this is still very unstable, expected Beta release data is late 1997. Estimate Increasing items to 32000 in each file. Allow item cost values and totals to exceed 1 million for multi million pound works. Increasing item descriptions from 30 to 64 characters. Material Data Bases Increasing items to 32000 in each file. We are considering supplying up to date Material Data Bases with registered versions, these are used in our own business and are updated regularly, prices and rates will be for the UK market. Time Schedule This is a new option in the current version, it is crude and is still being tested. Edit number of hours worked by each man for each week. General Extended/Expanded memory support. Export data files to CSV (comma separated value) format for importing into spreadsheets and other software. Password protection for main program Password protection and encryption for data files. Drag'n drop for file manager, item copying, editing etc. Network and Server/Client aware version. Registrations ───────────── Please note that a lot of time and effort has been put into this software and any future releases depend on the number of registrations. FeedBack ──────── We welcome any feedback or constructive criticism from users as this enables the software to be modified to meet your requirements. Even if you are using a shareware copy we will still welcome any feedback. .TOPIC: Support and Help 21.0 Support and Help ──────────────── A registered user is someone who has actually bought a copy of the software, the shareware version is NOT a registered version. You must be a registered user to receive support, we will NOT give support to un-registered users. Unfortunately, this has resulted from personal experience of helping people who promised registrations and never followed through. However, we will answer queries from un-registered users as long as the query is specifically about the program itself and not other software. Please see the order form file for more information on the current support policy. User Requests ───────────── We do not appreciate requests from users such as ; a) I really like the software/I'm about to order a copy but can I test out a registered version before buying it ? b) I've bought a registered version but no program code was included ! c) Can I buy a copy of the program code ? Beginners ───────── We are unable to help those users who have little experience of, or are new to computers and computer software, we suggest that such users buy a suitable book on the subject. Expecting ourselves to explain how to make a DOS directory or copy files from a floppy disk is not really on ! .TOPIC: Registered Users 22.0 Registered Users ──────────────── A big thank you to all those who have purchased a registered version and given us some feedback. This really does make all those late nights spent hunched over a keyboard worthwhile, thank you ! Copying Software ──────────────── It is illegal to copy the registered version or to distribute it to other people, only the shareware version may be freely distributed. Illegal copying only pushes software prices up and does not encourage development of new features. If users wish to use the software on several systems then they must have purchased a suitable site licence. We are only a small concern and can not afford to lose sales to illegal copying or use of our software. We believe in the honesty of our customers and hope that this is reciprocated. Registered Version Display ────────────────────────── A registered version will display your name below the main menu logo. To the right hand side of this it will show a value, this is the maximum number of estimate items. Moving Files ──────────── Once the software has been installed it is recommended that it is not moved from that directory. Moving it from this original install directory may make some files unusable and it will have to be installed again. .TOPIC: Ordering & Distribution Info 23.0 Distribution ──────────── You are encouraged to distribute the Shareware version provided that no fee is charged for its distribution and that the archive and files are not modified in any way. However, pay Bulletin Board Systems may charge their normal fee provided that no additional charge is made. This software may not be included as part of any software library which is distributed on a commercial (for money) basis without prior written permission from the Authors. How to Order ──────────── Ordering and price information are in the -ORDER.DOC file. Shareware & Registered Versions ─────────────────────────────── There are very few differences between the registered and shareware versions. The shareware version is limited in the maximum estimate items and it will display a registration reminder when it closes down, there are no other "nag" screens. The registered version will include the latest features and any bug fixes. Why Should I Register ? ─────────────────────── You may think that there is no point in buying a registered copy of a shareware program as the software may be used indefinitely. However, buying a registered copy provides an incentive for the authors to keep supporting the software, makes sure that relatively cheap programs are available and ensures that software will be developed to the benefit of the user. .TOPIC: Disclaimer 24.0 Disclaimer & Licence ──────────────────── Shareware License ───────────────── The Shareware version has been released on a "try before you buy" basis, it is not free. This allows evaluation of the software for a limited period of 90 days after which you are obliged to either purchase a registered copy or stop using it. The following Licence Information and Disclaimer also apply to the Shareware version. Licensing Information ───────────────────── The Authors retain the ownership of this software but this copy is licensed to you under the following conditions. You may use the software on one computer and by one user at any time. You may not use or provide use of the software in a commercial, business or multiple user system to users who are not individually licensed by the Authors. Derivative works may not be created from this software and it may not be modified, reverse-engineered, disassembled or decompiled. The authors reserve the right to discontinue support and to refuse any registrations, they are in no way obligated to provide support for or future versions of this software. Disclaimer ────────── This software is provided 'as is' without warranty of any kind. The Authors do not warrant, guarantee or make any representations regarding the use or results of use of the software in terms of correctness, accuracy or reliability. The entire risk as to the results and performance of the software is assumed by you. The Authors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages (including business profits, information and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use the software. All software and documentation are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Neither documentation or software may be copied, reproduced, reduced or translated to any readable form without the prior written consent of the Authors. Copyright (c) 1989-96 Duke Associates, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2DX, England, all rights reserved. Trademarks ────────── All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. MS-DOS is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation Stacker is a registered trademark of STAC Electronics