Anybody using SpecPoint?

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Author Message David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1912 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, April 15, 2022 - 12:33 pm:    Has anybody used SpecPoint for an actual project (not just testing it out)? If so, what are your comments? Thanks. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Edward J Dueppen, RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edueppen Post Number: 82 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Friday, April 15, 2022 - 12:59 pm:    Sorry, I tested it out about a month ago and found it to be a very tedious and aggravating experience even after watching the tutorials. I plan to check it again in 6 months or so. I am hopeful that if they put a lot more development effort into it, it could be a decent product. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1913 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, April 15, 2022 - 02:05 pm:    Deltek is REALLY pushing SpecPoint. They wanted me to renew my subscribtion more than 2-1/2 months early! My understanding is that SpecPoint is the main product and we have to download the individual MasterSpec guide specifications. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 855 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Friday, April 15, 2022 - 02:15 pm:    David, same for us. And I agree with your synopsis. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1915 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - 11:39 am:    So if nobody is currently using SpecPoint, is anybody going to use SpecPoint? David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1454 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - 11:54 am:    As much as I hate Word and MasterWorks? No. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - 10:16 pm:    What happened to Deltek e-specs? Too costly or ? David L. Heuring, AIA, CCCA Senior Member Username: daveh Post Number: 9 Registered: 04-2020 Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 11:08 am:    We still use E-Spec but it lacks alot of Sections- Like 13 11 00 Swimming pools... DOES ANYONE HAVE A WORD DOCUMENT SWIMMING POOL SPEC THAT THEY CAN SHARE? With E-Spec- we have typically been editing the E-Spec for project types, and then re-using that spec for new projects (editing as required.) David L. Heuring, AIA, CCCA, LEED AP, NCARB David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1916 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 11:10 am:    I think I heard that they got rid of it or E-Specs or it was merged into SpecPoint. There again, I am not sure but it is no longer on Deltek's website. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1455 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 11:30 am:    Look at www.e-specs.com I liked e-specs when I used it in the past but it's not for everyone. The database is lacking compared to SpecLink from my point of view. I do like their connection to Revit but what they have out of the box frankly sucks; you have to completely reconfigure it to suit your company's Revit system which means that independent consultants probably won't derive much benefit. Plus the cost is prohibitive for most firms from what I've seen. Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 23 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 - 02:16 pm:    I would like to TRY SpecPoint out. But the Deltek rep I have been talking to says that there is no trial. Without trying it first, I can't recommend purchasing it. The videos appealed to me. I like the text from MasterSpec better than SpecLink (though I appreciate the less "chatty" nature of the SpecLink text.) Just my three cents. (The price of opinions has gone up due to inflation.) (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, June 06, 2022 - 03:56 pm:    Our company has been using e-Specs since 2009. We have a love/hate relationship with it. (Sorry I'm posting as an unregistered guest BTW....it's been awhile since I've posted so don't remember my credentials.) Anyway, from what I understand, e-Specs will be around for the next few years (whatever that means), but eventually SpecPoint will replace it. I hope to be retired by then. Many of our project teams in various offices edit their own project specs. The notion of educating them to wrap their brains around thinking in Uniformat will definitely result in an increase in architectural and engineering PTSD! (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, June 13, 2022 - 10:18 am:    I believe we are missing the boat. Compare Masterspec from Deltek to Spec Cloud from BSD. I belive the focus of specpoint will be to remove the word document step in the process. You will enter your edits into a data base, and the data base will spit out a PDF of your finished spec. That is basically how BSD Transitioned, and I think that is whats going on here. Gail Ann J. Goldstead, AIA, CSI, CCS, CDT, LEED AP, BD+C Senior Member Username: ggoldstead Post Number: 35 Registered: 03-2015 Posted on Monday, June 13, 2022 - 12:26 pm:    I have not yet tried out Specpoint. I agree that with Deltek Masterspec or with BSD (now RIB) Speclink on your desktop or in the cloud, you can do all your work within the program and export individual section PDFs or a single combined project manual PDF. You can still export to individual Word Docs if you want to. The problem with these programs is that for overall workflow, there is still usually a need to maintain a separate folder to combine the total of everyone's work, including outside consultant and forms that are not formatted for these programs. Both of the current programs have issues with formatting. They are not always user-friendly. As long as you are not adding custom text, working within these programs goes smooth enough. When you have a need to add text, it's usually easier to do it within a word doc and not within these frequently quirky programs. For both of the current main programs, I have very mixed feelings about the way it is now and I suspect that Specpoint isn't going to make it any easier. Gail Goldstead Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 712 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Monday, June 13, 2022 - 01:24 pm:    What have users' experience been with preparing modified sections for addenda and change orders in SpecPoint, both within the individual documents themselves and also with managing addenda with multiple documents including documents coming from consultants? Phil Kabza FCSI CCS AIA SpecGuy Specifications Consultants www.SpecGuy.com phil@specguy.com (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 04:07 pm:    During todays Specpoint Introduction Training, I asked a "crafted" Question, designed to elicit the answer I wanted them to Answer: I asked, "When will Specpoint become the dominant application in the Deltek arsenal? " Their response was 2023. Or in layman's terms, By next year they will putting all their eggs in the Specpoint Basket! Get on Board or get left behind... David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1931 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - 01:02 pm:    I have the impression that Deltek has been funneling their resources to SpecPoint for some time now. It does not make business sense to improve a program that is just going to be discontinued. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Frank Huestis (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, June 16, 2022 - 12:23 pm:    MasterSpec Product Name listings have dropped substantially as they are now "pay-to-play." Masterworks no longer connects to the Supporting Documents. The Masterworks bulk PDF utility no longer plays nice with Dropbox. Signs of things to come. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, June 17, 2022 - 10:53 am:    Am following up on this, but there is a glitch with Masterworks and cloud-based Word365. According to the Deltek support people, Masterworks only works with the desktop versions of Word ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1471 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, June 20, 2022 - 12:04 pm:    Pay-to-play isn't such a big problem since, unlike SpecLink, MasterSpec wasn't exactly great at maintaining manufacturer and product lists anyway. MasterWorks requires that you change your security settings. Typically you need to get the newest certificate from Deltek since they haven't figured out how to issue updates with the latest certificates attached. Very disappointing. I would have expected Deltek to be more professional. They seem to just be another shlock operation now. "We don't care; we don't have to." (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - 02:54 pm:    Known Deltek problem: Masterworks only works with the 32-bit version of 365 Office (Word) not 64-bit. Also agree with comment "Specpoint is slow & tedious." David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1933 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - 04:58 pm:    Unregistered Guest, That is not true! I use 64 bit version of Office 365 (Word) with MasterWorks and have for years! David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 862 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - 05:05 pm:    Confirmed, the MasterWorks plugin for my 64 bit version of Word works fine. A different (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - 07:56 pm:    There are two install files when you download Masterworks: "setup.exe" and "setup64.exe." Logically, you should use "setup64.exe" if you are running a 64-bit version of Word. John Bunzick Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1877 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 - 11:07 am:    Now, with Microsoft Office 365 online as the primary method of getting this software, the typical setup with the base subscription is limited in features. For example, mail merge is not supported. I would expect MasterWorks would not work either. You need to have the next step up in subscription and download the app to your desktop, which I would expect any power user (like a specifier) would be using. You can buy a stand alone desktop version with no support, but it is priced at about three times the annual subscription rate. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - 03:52 pm:    Wondering if the standard AIA software that is used to create contractual agreements between Architects and owners, is going to address the MASSIVE change to the way Spec point is going to operate. In the past we transferred "intellectual" property to the owner because we as spec writers were considered to be creating the content. Now with the new system, we are going to be reusing someone elses content. Phil Zemke (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, July 18, 2022 - 02:53 pm:    I viewed the Specpoint program on the Deltek site. It is primitive and based on product specs only. I couldn't find any reference to standards like ANSI or Fed Spec numbers. Maybe they're in the paid for app and not the promotional app. Lots of pictures of products but no real criteria for selecting. You have to do a deep dive on every product's website to find the spec data. Many manufacturers are not represented. If your client likes to use a a certain product, Specpoint may not work for you. Deltek knows a lot about everything, but not much about anything, especially spec preparation. Jeffrey Wilson CSI CCS SCIP Senior Member Username: wilsonconsulting Post Number: 340 Registered: 03-2006 Posted on Monday, July 18, 2022 - 04:37 pm:    Phil Z, thanks for the insight. That is deeply concerning. We whose practices rely on MasterSpec Word documents may have to begin making our concerns heard loudly by the AIA to avoid a situation where MasterSpec is no longer offered in a tenable format. This appears to be rapidly approaching. Jeffrey Wilson CCS CSI SCIP Wilson Consulting Inc Narberth PA (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 - 04:23 pm:    I attended several specpoint trainings and the common theme throughout these trainings, is that the entire system is being derived from Uni-Format. Based on Assemblies so that BIM can integrate the specs into the Model. Is this moving in the opposite direction? Didnt we give up on Uniformat 20 years ago? Ronald L. Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1614 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 - 05:16 pm:    Who is "we"? Ron Geren, FCSI Lifetime Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1940 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 - 11:01 am:    It looks like Deltek fixed MasterWorks so it now connects with Supporting Documents. Yeah! David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC Michael Bray (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2022 - 11:48 am:    We gave the Specpoint product from Deltek a try, it was AWFUL, and I am being nice about it. Numerous errors in the specs themselves, along with changes not being kept once completed, the list goes on. This doesn't mention the amount of time it takes to write one spec in Specpoint is approximately 10 times that of SpecBuilder. We did not like the product and are very disappointed in the delivery and function. Our guess is Deltek doesn't understand how Architects and Engineers work and what really needs to happen during product production and delivery. We need specs assembled fast, and this is going in the wrong direction completely. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1483 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2022 - 01:00 pm:    Has anyone looked at Conspectus Cloud from Dave Stutzman and company? It starts with UniFormat and seems to provide continuity from SD to CA. Unlike MasterSpec it is not verbose and their database system seems a lot more intuitive than SpecLink. We had a short talk at SCIP but I've been laid up and haven't been able to follow up yet. BTW, "we" never gave up on UniFormat. That was just another stupid decision by Deltek and predecessors who have no idea how design is done. Jeffrey Potter Senior Member Username: jpotter Post Number: 27 Registered: 02-2017 Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2022 - 03:51 pm:    If anyone has any questions on Specpoint or would like a demo, please feel free to reach out to me. As a previous specifier for a large firm, I see tons of value in specification software. Reading through some of these posts, I think there is some need for clarification on Specpoint and want to offer any help I can. Please reach out to me at JeffreyPotter@Deltek.com Jeffrey Wilson CSI CCS SCIP Senior Member Username: wilsonconsulting Post Number: 341 Registered: 03-2006 Posted on Friday, August 05, 2022 - 06:16 pm:    Prompted by Ken's mention of Conspectus Cloud -- which I had not been aware of -- I reached out to Dave Stutzman, who graciously gave me an introduction to his system. He and his developers have created a really impressive platform that is based on a thorough understanding of the way specifiers operate. I was surprised to learn that Dave is offering the software to users outside his own practice -- including his competitors like me! From my introduction to Dave's platform, it appears to have the potential to be far superior to the other systems currently available. Dave also has a very interesting idea for integrating Uniformat and Masterformat, and the platform is based on that approach. In my view, this tactic has real merit for the construction industry and deserves consideration by the specifications community. I encourage everyone to check it out: https://www.conspectusinc.com/conspectus-cloud Jeffrey Wilson CCS CSI SCIP Wilson Consulting Inc Narberth PA David Stutzman Senior Member Username: david_stutzman Post Number: 86 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2022 - 07:17 am:    Thank you Ken and Jeff for mentioning Conspectus Cloud. I will be happy to provide a demo to anyone that wishes to see it. The Conspectus team has been using the software to produce all projects for over 3 years. Though new to the marketplace, it is a proven solution. We continue to add new features as development continues. Elizabeth Kertesz Advanced Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Thursday, September 15, 2022 - 10:29 am:    I tried setting up my first project in Specpoint today, and received an error. Couldn't even create a new project, even though all the required fields were filled out. Tried it in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Wow. Can't believe they are planning to ditch the MasterSpec templates so quickly when Specpoint clearly isn't ready for showtime. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1516 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, September 19, 2022 - 04:21 pm:    Elizabeth, any updates? Chris Sawyer, AIA CCS LEED AP Senior Member Username: csawyer Post Number: 20 Registered: 02-2009 Posted on Friday, October 14, 2022 - 07:44 am:    Specpoint users: is there a way to export out Masterspec content in Word format? Or is the software not configured to provide the full content of Masterspec in that way? We only use a limited amount of the Masterspec sections so moving completely into that system probably isn't going to work. Thanks Chris Sawyer AIA CCS LEED AP Donald Koppy (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, March 06, 2023 - 08:41 pm:    Realizing this thread is old, but wondering if anyone developed a comparison chart of the differences between SpecBuilder and SpecLink Cloud? Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 79 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2023 - 02:22 pm:    I think Deltek is retiring SpecBuilder in favor of SpecPoint. SpecLink is an RIB North America product now. BSD, who developed SpecLink, was acquired by RIB not too long ago. I can't offer a comparison of SpecPoint or SpecBuilder with SpecLink Cloud. I have only used SpecLink Cloud and good ol' fashioned Word-based MasterSpec. (All the "SpecSomething" can get confusing.) Seamus McGrady (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Friday, March 31, 2023 - 03:59 pm:    Hello Chris, I see noone answered your question although you may have already found out... Deltek has stated within Specpoint you "...can easily export your specifications to Microsoft Word if needed." https://www.deltek.com/en/blog/aia-masterspec-and-specbuilder-cloud Edward J Dueppen, RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edueppen Post Number: 88 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Monday, April 03, 2023 - 08:24 am:    Seamus, yes, masterspecs can be exported as Word files from Specpoint, but it is a VERY time consuming process unless someone only wants one file. Please see my review at: http://discus.4specs.com/discus/messages/23/9933.html?1670527494 When Deltek turns off the tap of bulk Masterspec Word downloads at the end of 2nd quarter 2023, they are inherently FORCING their customers into using their beta quality product of Specpoint in order to have current masterspecs. This is the antithesis of good customer service. Seamus McGrady (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, April 05, 2023 - 02:51 pm:    Thanks, Ed. Sounds like the "easily export your specifications" is relative term! Even still, if you had to export to doc files and it takes days to do so, that time is saved within the first 1-2 projects as per other editing comments on 4Specs. So justifiable if forced, but I understand everyone's frustration with the AIA docs being hidden in a proprietary application. Donald Koppy New member Username: archebuy Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2023 Posted on Friday, April 14, 2023 - 04:33 pm:    Is anyone currently migrating or considering migrating from MasterSpec to Specbuilder, and then to Specpoint (once it gets beyond beta)? Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 92 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Friday, May 12, 2023 - 09:38 am:    Checking in with people on SpecPoint. We use SpeLink. I really miss the CONTENT that MasterSpec has. The '"up-in-the-air" aspect of roll outs for SpecPoint has me concerned. I would really love to confidently suggest we switch to SpecPoint so we can get the content back. I have watched the four town halls that Deltek has posted, and that made me cautiously optimistic. But then I read hear about the time element for editing and for producing project manuals. Is anybody GLAD they switched? Is there anything POSITIVE about it? What are the latest opinions out there? Edward J Dueppen, RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edueppen Post Number: 92 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Friday, May 12, 2023 - 02:08 pm:    I've been testing Specpoint whenever I get a chance. While I have been impressed with the amount of new features and improvements that have been made in the last few months, I have no intention of using it for a real project anytime soon. Each time I've tried it I've run into errors and realize there are additional features that still need to be added before it would be on par with MasterWorks. When they add support for custom content later this year then it might be worth looking at again. But to be blunt, I don't think it will be a timesaver for at least another year. Deltek needs to keep offering quarterly Word updates until then. Myron K. Hudson New member Username: mkhudson Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2024 Posted on Thursday, March 07, 2024 - 07:04 pm:    We're MasterWorks users and I was doing the training for SpecPoint for a while. I'm certain that we will not migrate to it. Not sufficient value there for us. For one thing, MasterWorks is a site license and SpecPoint is a seat license. We're an MEP firm, and mostly our Engineers do their own specs. Giving everyone or even half of everyone a seat is too expensive. Another thing: speed of production is most important after completeness and clarity. Otherwise we loose money, and SpecPoint is a black hole for hours. Finally, as an MEP firm we never found the links to manufacturers in MasterWorks to be at all useful - if product data is not complete then we work directly with suppliers, manufacturer's engineers and reps. SpecPoint is heavily reliant on links to manufacturers, but not links to the people we work with. Sad to say the content in our Divisions has not necessarily been improving over the years. I'm looking at the task of once again creating an office master which will not have all of the options, but will have the options we need. After that it's just look it up and write it up. Elizabeth Kertesz Senior Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 6 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 10:39 am:    Well, I gave SpecPoint a shot. And I'm terribly disappointed. I tried using the application as intended, selecting the Sections, and then selecting the options within the cloud-based interface - it takes 7-30 seconds every time I click on anything in SpecPoint. Which equals Forever when you're trying to complete an entire project manual, so I had to ditch the effort, and downloaded the Word files instead. However, when you export the Word files, SpecPoint does not automatically include the critical PART 2 Product paragraphs. So in order to download a complete set of Word files, including the critical PART 2 product paragraphs, you have to manually select every single PART 2 paragraph that you want to include. Which takes 7-30 seconds per click, which, again, equals FOREVER when you're trying to produce an entire project manual. If I reduce the screen size in the cloud-based application, I get an error message stating that SpecPoint doesn't work at all when the screen size is reduced, which means I can't compare what's on the screen side-by-side to the cutsheets/ guide specs that I'm referring to. Perhaps it would work better if I chained myself to a CPU tower with dual screen monitors and an ethernet cable, but with MasterSpec/MasterWorks, I can work from my laptop anywhere in the world, something I'm not willing to compromise for Deltek's sake. I've noticed that some of the new writing isn't as good as I would hope. There is no way to delete sustainability requirements, related requirements articles, Construction Manager references, or Commissioning Authority references in one fell swoop using SpecPoint. You can still accomplish some of those tasks using MasterWorks after you download the Word files, but some of that functionality has been lost. I'm interested in using/ creating a custom API that leverages the power of AI to help me to quickly produce a well-written project manual based on an outline spec or spec checklist. This will enable me to spend more of my human time researching codes, standards, products, and lessons learned in the field, so that I can provide excellent technical writing for my clients. The purpose of technology is to make our human jobs easier. It seems that Deltek and SpecPoint have their priorities in the wrong place - instead of using technology to make our lives easier, they are holding the AIA copyrighted MasterSpec documents hostage in an attempt to force the use of their inferior technology, by creating barriers to a superior technology that we once had access to. I'm interested to know if anyone has tried using AI to assist with writing specs. Elizabeth Kertesz Senior Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 7 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 11:51 am:    There are couple of other things I forgot to mention in my previous rant. The SpecPoint interface only allows me to view 7-9 lines of text at a time. I can't even view the entire paragraph that I'm working on, most of the time. It makes it hard to figure out the context of the language that I'm editing at any given moment, and when I scroll up to see what the paragraph is about, the application usually freezes up, or the text starts bouncing around, or it scrolls up too far, or executes commands that I didn't intend for it to execute. And then, if I need to manually type over the existing text within SpecPoint, it takes 7-30 seconds for each keystroke to be entered. Whereas, in Microsoft Word, I can see the entire page that I'm editing to see how the paragraph I'm working on fits in with the context of the document, and Microsoft Word is capable of handling my superfast typing skills. Melody Fontenot Member Username: melodyccs Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2023 Posted on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 12:00 pm:    I have been attempting to use AI for product research and comparison as a start and it is WAY off; the results are simply not accurate yet. I've seen a few "Produce a 3 part spec" queries on AI that have also been far removed from what I deem acceptable; AI needs more 'training' (and it is getting it). In referencing web sources, AI will mostly find public project specs and we all know the differences in specs between public/private or different project types can be great; there is so much nuance involved. I am hopeful that AI is the key to really connecting drawings and specs- with human oversight, of course! Melody Fontenot, AIA, CSI, CCCA, CCS, CDT, LEED AP, SCIP Portland, OR Liz O'Sullivan Senior Member Username: liz_osullivan Post Number: 270 Registered: 10-2011 Posted on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 12:09 pm:    Elizabeth, thank you for your comments. My experiences (although limited) with my SpecPoint have been similar. I have the fastest internet available in the city of Denver in my home office, and the 2nd fastest internet available in the city of Denver in my office-office (fastest available in that location), and in both places, the lag between the time I initiate a command (a click) in SpecPoint and the time it is executed by SpecPoint is way too long. I think that those of us who have been writing specs for a long time are fast readers and are either fast typists or fast database users or both. I think we were probably that way before we started writing specs, and that is why the objectively tedious work of writing specs is something we can actually enjoy - because we are naturally fast at the tedious part, and can just focus on the interesting part, without being hamstrung by being slow typists or slow readers. Our eyes, brains, and fingers work faster than SpecPoint. Word (and undoubtedly some database systems which I don't have much experience with) can accommodate our fast eyes/brains and fast fingers. Ronald L. Geren, FCSI Distinguished Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1632 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 12:24 pm:    Elizabeth: I agree with you on Specpoint's performance. I use VisiSpecs to edit MasterSpec Word documents. I compared editing one section (09 29 00 Gypsum Board) in both systems. It took me twice as long to edit the section in Specpoint than it did in VisiSpecs. I performed the test two additional times and had very similar results (within seconds). Here is how I am handling the Specpoint issue--it is still a work in progress until I get something that works smoothly and is not very time-consuming. I created a single project called "MASTER" in Specpoint and exported it to Word documents. I uploaded the Word documents into VisiSpecs. I plan to annually compare my masters in VisiSpecs with the latest MasterSpec sections using VisiSpecs' Document Source Update to compare documents and create an update (I haven't done this yet since I just started my first year using Specpoint exported sections). Ron Geren, FCSI Distinguished Member, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSC, SCIP Elizabeth Kertesz Senior Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 8 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Friday, March 08, 2024 - 10:20 pm:    Thanks so much for the insight everyone - will have to check out VisiSpecs... and in the meantime, Ronald, I'm planning to take a similar approach and export of all the Word files from SpecPoint to use as an office master for now. Liz - thanks for sharing, it's comforting to know that it's not just my internet that's the problem. I think you're right, too - specifiers have certain gifts that make us good at our jobs. Melody - Re. AI - I wonder if there is a way to write a custom API that only crawls through acceptable resource documents saved in a hard drive or a specific share drive (like updated guide specs, codes, and referenced standards) rather than just pulling random stuff from the internet... Lol - I'm not tech savvy enough to write an API, but it sure would be nice to have an AI assistant help me with some of this stuff... Colin Gilboy Senior Member Username: colin Post Number: 483 Registered: 09-2005 Posted on Saturday, March 09, 2024 - 08:40 am:    Take a look at UltraEdit. I use it to search across all the 4specs sections for a phrase or term. It is now on a subscription only - $80 a year if I remember correctly. There is a free 30 trial. This has saved me many hours looking for a problem or checking that my listings are correct. https://www.ultraedit.com/ Colin Gilboy Publisher, 4specs.com 702-228-2811 - Las Vegas Curt Norton, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: curtn Post Number: 255 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 07:54 am:    We moved to Speclink years ago. Although it's not perfect, I still prefer it to using Word docs. However, Visispecs is hands down, the best editor if you have a library of Word document specs. Deltek's product is a mess. If everyone refuses to renew, they have to listen. Brian Payne Senior Member Username: brian_payne Post Number: 316 Registered: 01-2014 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 08:22 am:    FYI - If you end your Deltek subscription you are required per their terms to delete EVERY word file that contained masterspec language off of your servers. This includes all past projects, custom written sections, and office masters that include any Masterspec text. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1618 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 08:43 am:    Sounds like the makings of a class action lawsuit. Loretta Sheridan Senior Member Username: leshrdn Post Number: 130 Registered: 11-2021 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 09:31 am:    Brian -- Holy mackerel! That is insane! ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1619 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 09:57 am:    Brian is correct, however: 1. I've never heard of this being enforced. 2. There apparently is some question as to whether or not it can be enforced as this seems to (to my non-lawyer understanding) violate Federal copyright laws. 3. It sounds like (again, to my non-lawyer ears) like extortion at worst or scare tactics at best. These are obviously my personal opinions. If Deltek has a lick of sense they will continue to make Word documents available along with MasterWorks to provide subscribers the option of how we want to do our work. Or they can be obtuse POS dictators who are completely out of touch. I'm not hopeful. David R. Combs, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP-a, LEED AP Senior Member Username: davidc Post Number: 28 Registered: 02-2015 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 11:29 am:    Further to Ken's post above, there's also the issue of retention of documents ("Instruments of Service") during the Statute of Repose and Statute of Limitations time windows - which vary by state. Most legal counsels would likely encourage such retention, usually for purposes of supporting the Architect's position during a future claim. EXAMPLES: 1) Architect terminates subscription to MasterSpec. By Deltek's terms, all spec files (Word only, or Word plus all PDFs generated therefrom? I'm not sure on this point.) must be deleted from their server. What if some of those deleted files could have exonerated the Architect? Or worse . . . 2) Architect deletes files that could have exonerated the plaintiff? Architect could then potentially be sued for destruction of evidence. Might be worth having that discussion with Legal Counsel. David R. Combs, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP-a Corgan Associates, Inc. Sr. Specifier, Sr. Associate ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1620 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 12:12 pm:    I like the argument that Deltek takes on all of our liability regardless of what was done with "their" content and we walk away. Brian Payne Senior Member Username: brian_payne Post Number: 317 Registered: 01-2014 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 01:02 pm:    @David - PDF's are fine to keep, just have to delete editable word documents. (never mind the fact that we can recreate word documents from pdf's at will.) David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 2073 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 02:41 pm:    To add some further complexity... For those of you that give your clients edited MasterSpec Word files (I do not!) you would have to claw those back from your clients or insist that they delete them. David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 1621 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 02:45 pm:    Great point David Axt. And yes, there are numerous colleges, universities, state and federal government agencies that require them as part of their A/E services contracts. Elizabeth Kertesz Senior Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 02:55 pm:    The MasterSpec documents that I have say that the copyright belongs to the AIA. Does anyone have a contact with the executive team at the AIA national level? I have a contact with my local AIA chapter ED, but haven't spoken to her about this yet. I think that we should bring this to the attention of the AIA to find out more about the nature of their licensing relationship with Deltek. Perhaps there is a way that the AIA could claw MasterSpec back from the hands of Deltek? So that all hell does not break loose anymore than it already has? Lol. Elizabeth Kertesz Senior Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 13 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 03:08 pm:    Also, as far as a class action lawsuit, in my non-lawyer mind, I think we may have a pretty good case that Deltek has been engaging in unfair business practices per the FTC. Deltek has been misrepresenting their product by repeatedly makign false claims that SpecPoint will help us to save time producing specs. In fact, giving SpecPoint a chance cost me a lot of time, to the point that my clients are getting frustrated with me now for being too slow to deliver, so I think it's fair to say that SpecPoint has caused injury. Also, the MasterSpec documents are clearly intended to be edited and used in an edited form by A/E teams to specify the Work of their projects. It seems unethical and unscrupulous to me that they would expect us to delete all those files after we paid thousands of dollars to get access to the templates in the first place, and countless hours of our own time and innovative energy editing those documents to suit our projects. Anybody know a good lawyer who specializes in licensing laws or FTC/ unfair business practices? Elizabeth Kertesz Senior Member Username: ekertesz Post Number: 14 Registered: 08-2019 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 04:53 pm:    Colin, thank you for the recommendation to check out UltraEdit. I'll have to check it out. David Stutzman Senior Member Username: david_stutzman Post Number: 97 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 - 05:05 pm:    Remember there are other options available. See the list on this forum here. https://discus.4specs.com/discus/messages/23/9834.html?1709926500 I am happy to discuss what I did about the same letter I received over 5 years ago when I cancelled my MasterSpec subscription. Feel free to call me 609.513.6992 David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 2074 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, March 29, 2024 - 12:07 pm:    Here is the Deltek letter that people have been receiving when they do not renew their subscription to MasterSpec. ********** Re: MasterSpec® Cancellation Dear MasterSpec User: We are sorry that you have requested to cancel your license to use MasterSpec. We hope the use of MasterSpec has been a benefit to your firm. Please remember that MasterSpec is copyrighted material of the American Institute of Architects that you are authorized to use only as long as your specific site license remains current. It is a violation of your license agreement to continue using MasterSpec, office masters derived from MasterSpec, or re-purpose old project specs derived from MasterSpec for new projects without an active license. The agreement also requires that you return a signed letter of cancellation verifying that you are no longer using MasterSpec, that you will destroy MasterSpec-based masters and will remove MasterSpec software from your system. Please complete and sign the acknowledgement below and return this form to us as soon as possible. Once we receive the acknowledgement, we will complete the cancellation of your MasterSpec license. We regret losing you as a valued customer and hope to serve you again in the future. If you would like to renew, please send payment with a copy of your invoice. Sincerely, License Renewal Department _________________________________________________________________________ Acknowledgment: I understand that upon terminating our MasterSpec® license we will discontinue use of MasterSpec, including office-edited versions, and “masters” derived from MasterSpec, and will testroy all MasterSpec materials, including office-edited versions and “masters” derived from MasterSpec. I understand that I can continue to refer to existing printed project specifications based on MasterSpec. Signature: _______________________________________________ Print Name: _____________________________________________ Date: ______________________________ Reason for cancellation: _____________________________________________________________________________ ********* David G. Axt, CDT, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant Axt Consulting LLC anonymous (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, April 09, 2024 - 04:27 pm:    De-escalating for a moment on responding to the crazy legal threats. Just throwing this out there in case anyone has been through the firm master conversion process and has any suggestions. I am trying to import a firm master section from .docx into Specpoint (latest version, of course). I have gotten the section imported, after editing out any duplicate verbiage before a colon (":"). Also seemed to need to replace all "level change (lc)" para styles with non-lc styles. I got a pretty good import, except: (1) the entire 2.1 MATERIALS Article did not come through. Actually, it came in, and when the whole section was exported back from Specpoint to Word, the Article was there. But - it doesn't seem to be there in the online editing environment. (2) the Word tags (really probably the eSpecs Designer tags) for Imperial and SI units are at times (but not always) very screwed up. I admit they are probably screwed up in our master, but this certainly will be an issue with importing and doing QC for many firm masters in the future. The import comes thru like "3/4 inch (|END_SI||START_esUOMDelimiter|(|END_esUOMDelimiter||START_SI|19 mm)" Yuck. Thanks in advance if anyone has any suggestions. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 959 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - 05:21 pm:    I have used eSpecs since 2018. I have imported sections into eSpecs as *.rtf files. RTF is a requirement of eSpecs. At first, adding new text into eSpecs was a problem till I learned the paragraph styles protocol. I have been successful since then. However, eSpecs has always created unexpected formatting results in exported pdf files. It has flaws when using the F4 function key to delete a paragraph. It deleted the text but not the paragraph number. I usually did not see the error till I switched to the print screen mode or printed the document. I demonstrated this flaw to eSpecs tech support followed by their commitment the glitch would be fixed in the next upgrade. This problem persists to this day (several upgrades later). It is difficult to actually speak with a member of tech support. An email thread is created. eSpecs shuts down unexpectedly without warning. Gets tired I guess and goes to sleep, loosing my input. When it autosaves, it never returns the curser to it's last location. The words 'NOT RESPONDING' occurs every time the program is performing an unexpected function in the background. This is alarming. On a positive note, the program seamlessly updates headers/footers quickly. Is quick to make pdf files for publishing. My colleague has migrated to Specpoint. I have seen Specpoint demonstrated but as a fellow specifier in this discussion pointed out, the amount of text visible on the screen is to small to maintain the context of the Article or paragraph. Even with my large screens. I am giving VisiSpecs a great deal of consideration. The guru behind VisiSpecs created a lot of the functionality of eSpecs into VisiSpecs by Seamus McGrady. Seamus came from Deltek/eSpecs.