Master specifications

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Author Message Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 389 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 11:19 am:    Show of hands, who all is using the following for base spec content: -MasterSpec -SpecText -BSD -Home-grown office masters not based on any of the above -Manufacturer guide specs cobbled together -SpecsIntact -Combination of above 3 to develop home-grown masters cobbled together -Other [__________] I've been developing my own office masters for a while, and am now taking that route entirely, unless required by contract to use one of the others. My question is not about software, nor BIM integration, although those topics are interrelated and sure to come up. For that, I believe there is still nothing that beats a human being who communicates well with the design team at the right phases and adds value to the project by offering concise spec terminology for drawing notes (in turn helping the spec writer be more efficient at writing what is actually needed), which leads to getting the right things into the model early on. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 854 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 11:55 am:    Home-grown office masters based on legacy SpecText. For missing sections I use manufacturer guide specs for a starting point because they typically are formated to CSI SectionFormat. Goggle ProductMasters for manufacturer's guide specs licensed by ARCOM to Manufacturer ("Licensee") I also dip into master specifications from soruces such as the VA Master Specifications and Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers found on the WBDG website, and the now defuct Spexplus free masters. Wayne Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1438 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 02:58 pm:    Masters based on MasterSpec. I'm still on the review committee. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 1016 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 03:07 pm:    Mostly MasterSpec (with specific edits for my market) with some home-grown sections; use manufacturers' guide specs for reference. J. Peter Jordan, FCSI, AIA, CCS, LEED AP, SCIP Liz O'Sullivan Senior Member Username: liz_osullivan Post Number: 239 Registered: 10-2011 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 03:30 pm:    I use MasterSpec. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 629 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 04:30 pm:    I inherited Office Masters (the origins of which were lost in the mists of time, but the previous spec writer never had a computer on their desk) around 2000. I quickly convinced the office to get MasterSpec. Since that time, I have probably replaced 80% of the text in the Office Masters. Article Names, "the", "and" and "End of Section" might be the only holdouts. I started with copying and pasting from MasterSpec into our Office Masters because our Masters had a lot of California hospital project DNA burned into them that MasterSpec was weak in. So my order of edit resources is: Office Master MasterSpec Other Spec writers in our immense firm Manufacturer's Model Spec Perennial Review Comments from AHJ's Dewayne Dean Senior Member Username: ddean Post Number: 148 Registered: 02-2016 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 05:12 pm:    BSD here Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 363 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 06:37 pm:    I write manufacturer guide spec and prepare them from scratch using CSI formats and principles. While I am aware of a manufacturer's marketing needs, my first criteria and final criteria are, "will this document be useful to a design professional that is not an expert in specifying this type of product," and, "will a project spec based on this guide spec help keep the project on track to a successful conclusion?" Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS 1-818-219-4937 www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1439 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 08:39 pm:    Steve: the "previous spec writer never had a computer on their desk"? in the year 2000? I inherited office masters from the troll before me -- he had his own macros, and his masters were all sort of based on the template from the Rough Carpentry section from Masterspec -- and the result was this: 1) none of the macros worked, and neither did any of the Masterspec utilities 2) if you changed anything, the formatting would completely blow up and be unfixable. I realize that this is a really big tangent, but what other part of the business would allow someone who worked for a big firm to remain so much of a dinosaur that they didn't stay current with industry standards? I can't even imagine a designer who never used a computer, and the marketing people have generally moved past rolodexes. Why do offices allow specification writers to be and remain so idiosyncratic? Why isn't there someone who says "you know what? you're not current. Either get current, or get out". David J. Wyatt, CDT Senior Member Username: david_j_wyatt_cdt Post Number: 225 Registered: 03-2011 Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 09:04 am:    I use MasterSpec as a primary information resource when I need to know something about a topic or need to update my own material. Arcom (now Avitru) has a long tradition of commitment to content through its hiring of good writers and its excellent review processes. I have worked with BSD SpecLink and SpecText. SpecLink was the first to provide an easy-to-use automatic editing system that I think could be useful to people who wear a lot of hats or who pre-edit specs for multiple project managers. I did not like the style of language it employed and found myself re-writing it and importing a lot of my own (termed "user") Sections, which negated some of the advantages it offered. I'm not saying that SpecLink is not a good system. It just has not been for me - yet. The early versions of SpecText were good examples of the 4Cs in practice. Bob Johnson told me that much of the original text was written by an engineer. It was written to make it easy to get the information. I still have an old print copy in a shed out back. When the History Channel rolls out an "Architectural Pickers" series, I may be one of the weird-o's they visit. For sentimental reasons, I also have copies of Hans's "Construction Specifications Handbook" and "Library of Construction Specifications." There is still a lot of humor and wisdom in those, even though much of the technical content is out of date. Anne, you make excellent points. Unfortunately, there are some spec writers who create smoke to protect their jobs. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 630 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 12:35 pm:    Anne, I know that sounds insane today, but this was 2000 and he was retiring at the end of a long career at some of the best regarded US A/E firms. What he did have was a carefully nurtured working relationship with a bevy of admin people who he carefully trained who maintained the specs (written in Word Perfect) from their terminals - not PC's. When I took over, those masters were very simple documents that I worked in MSWord with. If there were macros, I never found them. When I think back, it was a different tech world back then. We didn't automatically provide PC's for every desk until about 1994-1995. i suspect that the main driver was the advent of email. Before that, computers were provided as needed in unrelated silos. Accounting had their own mini network, the already mentioned word processing suite (mellow jazz, suspicious looking beverages and only the tiniest mini-spot task lights), and in the studios were the Sun Sparc CAD stations that were on a server with less memory than my phone. Principals and Project Directors were given desktop or laptop PC's, but when I first arrived in 1992, some had actually bought their own. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 364 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 12:42 pm:    I learned spec writing from Ken Gabel in OKC. He wrote his sections in pencil using beautiful architectural lettering, then had them typed. He never touched a computer. His work was awesome. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS 1-818-219-4937 www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1634 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 02:02 pm:    I currently use MasterSpec. Previously, I had used custom specifications that were created by the previous specifier. The advantage of MasterSpec is the language is updated fairly frequently, but the biggest advantage is the editing tools (MasterWorks). Every once in a while I will have to create a new specification that is not in the MasterSpect library. If I start with a manufacturer's guide specification I convert it over to MasterSpec styles. That way I can use the MasterWorks tools to edit it. I am currently finishing up a project from a client that the previous specifier recommended me. The client is so entrenched in the previous specifier's specifications that is has been difficult for me to use MasterSpec sections. I ended up using a combination of the previous specifier's specifications and my MasterSpec specifications. That was a big mistake. It was like putting a Chevy engine in a Ford automobile. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 390 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 03:09 pm:    Most repetitive spec tasks can be recorded as macros and then combined/modified to do whatever you want. After doing so for a good while, I strongly prefer my own methods. The longer I stick to what has worked for me the most reliably, the more I have been able to focus on content, researching, and updating. Curt Norton, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: curtn Post Number: 249 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Friday, January 26, 2018 - 08:06 am:    When I took over for our firm three years ago, we had office masters built off of Masterspec, but prior admin staff and/or my immediate predecessor had destroyed the formatting and styles from ARCOM. We had an ARCOM license, so I tired starting over using MasterWorks and found it very challenging to use. I tried e-Specs for a year and the quirks of that software and the difficulties I had lead me to cancel. We purchased Speclink (which I used at a prior firm) and are getting it set up for our integrated A/E firm. In the interim, I'm using Visispecs to edit sections. Years ago I became fluent in MS word (when that firm gave up WordPerfect) and wrote all kinds of macros. Those macros mostly stopped working when Word went to the ribbon and I decided you shouldn't need to be a programmer to write specs. Visispecs has been a very reliable tools with a limited learning curve and someone else handles the software. I am looking forward to using BSD again. I found it was easy to enhance the text where needed and that the software presented fewer challenges that ARCOMs products. Brian Payne, AIA Senior Member Username: brian_payne Post Number: 125 Registered: 01-2014 Posted on Friday, January 26, 2018 - 09:49 am:    Currently - BSD Past - e-Specs and MasterSpec/Word Dewayne Dean Senior Member Username: ddean Post Number: 150 Registered: 02-2016 Posted on Friday, January 26, 2018 - 10:47 am:    Glad to hear from other BSD users. I was starting to feel like the Lone Ranger Richard Gonser AIA CSI CCCA SCIP Senior Member Username: rich_gonser Post Number: 147 Registered: 11-2008 Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2018 - 09:20 pm:    Don't feel alone, I'm cranking out the work with BSD and remodeling my house. So, I'm about 10 feet underwater. My style doesn't like the repetitive wordiness in MasterSpec. They have a lot of content that I don't need. Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 602 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Saturday, February 03, 2018 - 04:29 pm:    MasterSpec. We've been pretty much joined at the hip with them since setting up in 2002. I've done some writing for them over the years, and sat on the MARC for 10 years. So I can look at the more common sections and know what was deleted, or should have been. We don't get issues based upon using their masters as our starting point. The language is structured to be understandable by stakeholders that matter (including mediators and judges) which makes sense. We see a lot of custom firm masters in our consulting work - a few of which are up to date and contain some very thoughtful content. Ivette Ramirez Bruns CSI CCS New member Username: irbruns Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2017 Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 12:53 pm:    Maintaining Office Master based on MasterSpec. Update with MasterSpec updates. deanmccarty (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 - 06:05 pm:    I began using MasterSpec years ago when I started consulting. I looked into BSD, too, and I still recall hearing someone at my first SCIP meeting say how slow it was. I went with MasterSpec because it was much easier for me to edit words than to edit from a database, and because of the supporting documents. I used BSD for the first time coming up on two years ago when I took a position in Seattle. BSD had been in place at that firm for about 18 years, and the specifiers in the Portland HQ raved about it. Personally, I thought it was a horribly slow program that crashed often, and had the worst spec language I had seen outside of many product guide specs. When I took the position at the firm I am currently with, they had started exporting the BSD masters into Word with the intent of then setting the specs up in eSpecs. Within a couple of weeks after starting, I noticed we had a current MasterSpec subscription, and I proposed that instead of exporting BSD, importing into eSpecs (shudder) and still having crappy language, we should just start using MasterSpec. I am happy to report that that is what I'm using once again. The firm still wants to get into eSpecs, and I ended up here (the discussion board, not this specific post) looking for comments about the program. I feel fortunate to have read a few posts about Visispecs (which was new to me), and I am now looking into that program as something to pitch to the firm. Kristi (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 08:32 am:    I am losing the formatting space in MasterSpec (periodically) when I delete a "bullet" number. ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED. Example. WELCOME TO ABC CLASS A. Introduction 1. Intro to Typing 2. Intro to Formatting If I delete #1. the same between A and 1 is removed.... BUT NOT EVERY TIME so I can not figure out what I am doing wrong... Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 409 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 09:06 am:    Ctrl A, then Ctrl Q. If Ctrl Q doesn’t work try Ctrl Space. Let me know if neither work. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 410 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 09:25 am:    You probably also want to become familiar with the "Space Before" property in the paragraph formatting dialog box. As I recall, MasterSpec uses 12 point whenever there is a level change in subparagraphs at PR2 and up. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 411 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 09:30 am:    A while ago I recorded and edited a macro to toggle the level change property and mapped it to Alt L. Sub LevelChangeToggle() If Selection.ParagraphFormat.SpaceBefore = 0 Then Selection.ParagraphFormat.SpaceBefore = 12 Else Selection.ParagraphFormat.SpaceBefore = 0 End If End Sub If you want to try that out but are not sure where to store the code, one easy way is Alt F8, type LevelChangeToggle, click Create, then paste the middle portion of the macro in. Switch back to your document, put your cursor in the offending paragraph, hit Alt F8, begin typing levelchangetoggle and run it. Running it once will toggle the level change format. Running it again will switch it back to however it was. If that works for you so far then you can map it to a keystroke by right-clicking any toolbar and look for the options Customize... Keyboard... In Categories scroll to and click on macros. In Commands click LevelChangeToggle. Click in box for Press new shortcut key. Type Alt L (or whatever you like), then Assign, and Close, Close. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 349 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 09:34 am:    Kristi, I think Chris has given you good advice. Our office is on a Mac OS, if you need help let me know. Occasionally I have individual sections that behave oddly or lose their formatting altogether. For the worst offenders, I copy the text, insert it (as unformatted) into a clean, properly formatted template, and start over. Our office is always on the lookout for a MSWord Wizard, specifically for Mac OS. If you know someone, please let me know. - Kristi (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 09:48 am:    Chris - Thank you! That reformatted the entire document to NOT have the space between the Letter and Number bullet. ORIGINAL: 2.1 Welcome to ABC A. Introduction 1. Into to Typing 2. Intro to Formatting EDITED WITH PROBLEM: 2.1 Welcome to ABC A. Introduction 1. Intro to Formatting My question could have been more detailed ... The master spec original has spaces between all bullets (Number to letter to number) But say I am deleting the #1... it removes my space there. How can I delete #1 and keep the space so that it will be consistent with the entire spec? I do however like the look of the reformatted (per your Ctrl A, CtrlQ) I do have the time to reformat all 12 specs, but I am still curious on the fix for my problem :-) Thanks again Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 412 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 10:08 am:    If you wish to maintain their spacing, see my later posts about the "Space Before" property. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 413 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 10:09 am:    (It is a constant chore to maintain their spacing though.) Kristi (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 10:07 am:    Thank you Chris, but I am by no means a "programmer" and that code you shared looks confusing to me. I expect to use Master Specs and pray it works the way it is meant to. LOL Thankfully I do not have to do specs that often, so I am a bit out of practice and was thinking it was human error or a trick I needed to learn how to work around. This forum has been great so far.. Kristi (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 10:30 am:    Thanks everyone! I am thinking that a quick reformat of all specs will insure consistency and make certain I haven't missed anything. Have a blessed day Ronald J. Ray, RA, CCS, CCCA, CSI, SCIP, AIA Senior Member Username: rjray Post Number: 180 Registered: 04-2004 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 10:58 am:    Kristi, why don’t you just call MasterSpec technical support? They can help you with the MasterWorks tools that may resolve the issue by automation. Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: don_harris Post Number: 307 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 01:32 pm:    This is getting into a question I have had for years with MasterSpec. There is a space between A. and 1. and no space between 1. and 2. But, 1. and 2. both have the same style name, PR2. There is no space under the text for A. (PR1). So, how do they get one style, PR2, to act differently in two different lines? Just wondering. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 79 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 01:51 pm:    I like the 12 point space preceding the first subparagraph P2 and lower levels in the outline format, with single-spacing for any following subparagraphs of the same level. It groups the text nicely and does not waste space with a lot of 12-point spaces between the lower level subparagraphs. In order to quickly add the 12-point space where I want it, I set things up as follows: I used the Customize Quick Access Toolbar function to add an Increase Space button on the left end of the top ribbon of Word. And then I created a keystroke to press that button - you can find instructions for creating keystrokes in the Help window of Word. Maybe a keystroke could even be created directly from the MasterWorks menu without making the Quick Access button. For me, my keystroke (Alt-4) is so quick I don't find it time-consuming at all. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 414 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 02:10 pm:    Don, it is the "Space Before" property in the paragraph formatting. Greta and I are describing the same thing. In my case I eliminate all the extra spaces which saves paper & extra bidding cost associated with thicker manuals, plus I never have to fuss with them except when I encounter a document that has them. In Greta's case she probably uses her keystroke to add them some places. And Ron, I do not recall a MasterWorks button or tool for toggling the extra space, which is why we both independently decided to invent one. Somewhere I saw one for reapplying a whole document's formatting. I found it to not work in some cases so I was glad that I had my own macro for that too. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 415 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 02:13 pm:    Style overrides tend to over-complicate making global format changes. I guess that is my #1 beef with level change spaces. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 80 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 02:16 pm:    Chris, actually when I referred to adding the Increase Space button, I was linking to a command already on the MasterWorks menu, in the Paragraph box, when you select Spacing. But that was too many clicks for me which is why I created the button and later the keystroke. Chris Grimm, CSI, CCS, SCIP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Member Username: chris_grimm_ccs_scip Post Number: 416 Registered: 02-2014 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 02:22 pm:    Ahh, that make sense. I reverted to pre-ribbons Word since it is much faster, so I haven't been watching at the way the more modern MasterWorks is set up, also I don't use it now. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1753 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 03:04 pm:    MasterWorks has a tool in the MasterWorks ribbon (added to Word when you start it) that can add or remove this "space before." It is inconvenient to have to do this each time, but a single click takes care of it. (Well, actually, one click to drop down the command list, and one click to select one.) Look for the "spacing" button in the "paragraph" group of tools. You can also ignore this for the time being, and then fix everything at once with the "reapply spacing to document" sub-command under the "paragraph" command I noted above. Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: don_harris Post Number: 309 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - 03:14 pm:    First, thank you for the macro Chris. I had a more complicated one that needed versions for each style. I use the space above 1. because MasterSpec uses it and why change? That being said when I reformat an old section, a consultant or manufacturer's section, it always wants to come out with no space between A. and 1. because PR2 does not have a space in the style definition. So, I made a MasterWorks style wizard to add the space. But recently, it seems that the style wizard is taking a long time to do its thing. So, maybe going with no space is the way to go. MasterWorks does have an option to remove spaces for Level 2 and below. But, I still don't know how they do two different things with one style. Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 610 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - 05:33 pm:    I wait until I am finished editing the document, then use the Masterworks / Paragaph / Spacing / "Reapply spacing to document" once to set the line spacing (leading) for the whole document with a single command. Hadley Breckenridge Junior Member Username: hadleybreck Post Number: 2 Registered: 07-2018 Posted on Wednesday, August 01, 2018 - 09:45 am:    MasterSpec SpecsIntact no problems with SpecsIntact Hate MasterSpec Margaret G. Chewning FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: presbspec Post Number: 307 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 01, 2018 - 02:51 pm:    Not sure how I missed chiming in on this thread.. But I use for commercial masters SpecLink (subscription online) and UFGS (free with SpecsIntact). Also pull information from previous projects that had unusual products or applications. Still have copies of my SpecText masters from a number of years ago. These are mostly out of date now. Don't like MasterSpec, altho MasterWorks which I had access to with SpecText was nice, don't have it anymore. If anyone has access to a similar add-on to Word that functions similar to MasterWorks I'm interested. David J. Wyatt, CDT Senior Member Username: david_j_wyatt_cdt Post Number: 260 Registered: 03-2011 Posted on Thursday, August 02, 2018 - 12:42 pm:    IMHO, posters on this forum ought to try explaining their reasons for "hating," "not liking," or even loving a guide specification system. Otherwise, like hating kale, it doesn't offer any basis for improvement. Kale haters should notice that "they" keep making the stuff. William Baker (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 12:02 pm:    How do you all use platforms like ARCAT, Sweets or even 4specs? Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 898 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 12:14 pm:    Willaim, Welcome to the creme de la creme of product data websites and discussion forums. ARCAT: I use as a last resort for manufacturers guide specs. Mostly when I am guided to this site against my will and better judgement. Sweets: Never. I have 4Specs.com. 4Specs: Everyday, all day long. For product data, manufacturer's guide specs, discussion forum. Colin G. and company maintain the most robust information exchange platform that I have found for this industry. Of particular importance is 4Specs tracking and recording of mergers, aquisitions, phone #s out of service, website down and out, etc. Jerome J. Lazar, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 2012 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 12:21 pm:    Ditto Wayne, add in 4specs.com "Changes in Companies" list. ARCAT has been disappointing. I did not realize Sweets still existed. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 1080 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 12:38 pm:    Ditto for ARCAT and 4specs. I also did not realize Sweets still existed. Avitru maintains a library of "product master specs" that I believe are free to anyone (some one at Avitru feel free to confirm or deny). Avitru works with manufacturers to do specifications that are tailored to a particular product or set of products. Manufacturers are licensed to distribute them to design professionals. J. Peter Jordan, FCSI, AIA, CCS, LEED AP, SCIP Helaine K Robinson (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 02:33 pm:    https://productmasterspec.com/default.aspx Liz O'Sullivan Senior Member Username: liz_osullivan Post Number: 247 Registered: 10-2011 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 03:59 pm:    Holly, thanks for posting the productmasterspec thing! Liz O'Sullivan Senior Member Username: liz_osullivan Post Number: 248 Registered: 10-2011 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 04:27 pm:    Regarding the productmasterspec.com listing, I knew that many products had the guide specs featured here. As a MasterSpec user, these are the guide specs that are most efficient for me to refer to. Somehow I just didn't realize there was a whole listing of them in one place. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: michael_chusid Post Number: 489 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 04:49 pm:    The most common way for finding a manufacturer's guide specification is from the various manufacturer's own websites. Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS 1-818-219-4937 www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 1083 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Wednesday, May 01, 2019 - 04:49 pm:    I don't use them because I always go to the master, but when I think about it, I need to look at them if only for reference. Avitru is trying to expand this list. J. Peter Jordan, FCSI, AIA, CCS, LEED AP, SCIP Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 625 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Thursday, May 02, 2019 - 01:59 pm:    ARCAT: Occasionally for odd items not in MasterSpec masters, and also to research what manufacturers are doing when we're writing guide specifications for building product manufacturers. ARCAT specifications have a wide range of quality depending on who wrote them and when; they are often structured to run on their SpecWizard software so are very awkward to actually edit and use and often contain pages of irrelevant information. Sweets: Who? I stopped going there 10 years ago due to their user unfriendly login procedures. 4Specs: A bunch. Also, I'm increasingly using searches on this forum when researching topics that our wise colleagues have discussed.