Guide Specs

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Author Message Steve Taylor Intermediate Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 4 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 03:23 pm:    I am developing guide specifications for the Architectural Woodwork Standards, soon to be published by the Woodwork Institute, AWI, and AWMAC. I have been following these forums for a while, and have already gotten some valuable help from the "Computers and..." discussion. I hope I can ask questions here as they come up. The MasterSpec guide specs use "hidden" text for their comments ane direction. Is this general practice? I assume I'm the only one who didn't know about hidden text until last week. If I distribute a guide spec with hidden text, does the person who receives the file have to turn hidden text on, or is that an attribute of the file? If the former, should I post a note at the top of the spec explaining about the hidden notes? Doug Frank FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 235 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 03:45 pm:    You should definitely post a note at the top of each section explaining about hidden text Steve, including the required keystrokes necessary to make the hidden text visible. You might also include a reminder that printer settings may need adjustment to print, or to avoid printing, the hidden text. IMHO, hidden text is great for experienced specifiers but can cause some grief for the novice user, especially if the master isn’t set up just right. I see lots of instances where several extra lines of “Blank Space” get included, margins get messed up, etc. In your position, I just might consider including the “Editing Suggestions / Comments” in a noticeably different color or font without being hidden. That way there's no worries about seeing them. Doug Frank FCSI, CCS, SCIP Affiliate FKP Architects, Inc. Houston, TX Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 866 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 03:53 pm:    Whether or not you use hidden text, having directions and edit notes in a different color and/or font style is helpful for distinguishing those from section text. The problem with those notes not being hidden text is that in order to produce a final section, you have to delete them (or make them hidden) and sometimes you want to leave them in for future reference and additional edits. If they are hidden and your printer command is set to not print hidden text, you have no problem producing a finished looking section at any time along the edit trail. So a note at the top, maybe in the header, to address all this would be prudent. Scott Mize Senior Member Username: scott_mize_ccs_csi Post Number: 9 Registered: 02-2009 Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 09:49 am:    I have to assume from your question that you are using a word-processing based system. If that's the case, the previous answers are good ones. I'd further suggest that you use the whatever feature your software allows to attach notes as part of the file properties instead of in the file itself (which eliminates the need for hiding/unhiding or color-coding text). I'm also compelled to point out that the database-based specification software systems support specifier notes in seperate windows that are always visible to the user but not a part of the text that appears (or prints out) in the section. Russell W. Wood, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: woodr5678 Post Number: 133 Registered: 11-2003 Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 10:11 am:    We also write Master Guide Specs. Our "Notes to Specifer" used to be hidden text. But most computers seem to be defalted so hidden text does not print. Even though you can turn hidden text on so it will print, we got so many complaints from our users that it was not printing and they were missing it, that we changed the "Notes to Specifier" to be conventional text. Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 760 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 01:43 pm:    I agree that hidden text is a bit of a pain; especially when people edit master guide specifications and they don't realize that they are there. One alternative that I use when I prepare product specifications for manufacturers is to use regular text, but, like all the other paragraphs, give the commentary its own paragraph style. This way you can delete all comments after editing by using the find/replace feature that deletes all paragraphs in that particular style. You can even create a macro and assign it to a custom button that you click to "clean up" the document when editing is completed. Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Steve Taylor Advanced Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 5 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 03:48 pm:    Thank you all for your help. I am going to go with hidden notes and a visible note explaining how to access hidden text. You've raised a new issue. Should I also explain how to print hidden text? Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 201 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 03:59 pm:    You asked "Should I also explain how to print hidden text?" No. Unless part of your job is to teach MSWord or Wordperfect tips and tricks. Your end users should know this stuff. Perhaps tell them to turn on hidden text to view the notes to the specifier. Format hidden text with a unique paragraph style. Wayne Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 6 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 08:33 pm:    I am inserting the following at the top of each spec section. "Comments in this spec are in blue “hidden” text. If you don’t see blue comment text you must change your settings in word. From the Tools menu select Options, select the View tab, and select the “hidden text” check box." John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1044 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 09:26 am:    Steve; Be aware that your proposed text only works in prior versions of Word. For Word 2007 the location for this setting is "Office button, Word Options button, Display (in navigation bar), Hidden Text." Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 867 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 09:30 am:    How about "Edit comments are in blue "hidden" text. If you don't see blue comment text, change your display settings." That way, folks using other word processors won't be looking for specific buttons or pull-downs. I'd assume that if you are using word processing software, you know how to do stuff like that. And yes, I know that's a dangerous assumption and there are people out there who are using a typewriter with a screen and don't have a clue. But you can't hold everyone's hand. Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 7 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 11:14 am:    John, Lynn, Good point. I'll change my warning to the more generic language. Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 302 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 01:22 pm:    Steve: When all is said and done, what are the chances that your guide spec section would be made available to SCIP members either by (1) email, or (2) available by download off your website? Better yet what about the entire AWI Standard? Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 9 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 01:29 pm:    Ron, The guide specs will be available for download from our (Woodwork Institute) website. They will also be on a CD version of the "Architectural Woodwork Standards" that will come with each copy. The AWS will only be available on paper and CD. The Associations aren't willing to put the standard on line because they do make money on sales. By the way, it's not the AWI standard, it will be jointly published by the Woodwork Institute, the AWI, and AWMAC. Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 303 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 01:43 pm:    Steve: What I meant to say is "free" or deeply discounted. Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 10 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 01:50 pm:    In the past the Woodwork Institute has given the Manual of Millwork free to architects and specifiers. I believe the powers that be plan to continue that policy for design professionals in our service area (west coast.) I don't know how they plan to handle requests from other areas. I know the AWI has always charged for their standard. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1046 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 04:08 pm:    Also of note: I believe that MasterSpec will also be revising their woodworking sections reasonably soon after release of this new joint woodworking standard. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 868 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, May 01, 2009 - 04:25 pm:    Woodwork Institute still provides its Manual of Millwork free to "Architects, Specifiers, and Design Professionals"; in fact, I just received my copy. AWI, however, to my knowledge, still charges for its Quality Standards. Oh yeah, I'm in the upper Midwest. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1047 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 08:55 am:    AWI membership costs $50 (I think) and includes the manual. I have no objection to such modest fees for technical materials. James M. Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 50 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 10:01 am:    I joined AWI at the beginning of last month and paid $75 for annual dues. That is still modest IMO. At no additional charge, I received the 8th edition of Quality Standards almost immediately with the CD mentioned and understand that I will also receive a complimentary copy of the Woodwork Institute publication when it beocmes available. Steve Taylor Senior Member Username: steveatwi Post Number: 12 Registered: 07-2008 Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 01:20 pm:    John Bunzick, We have been making suggestions to the team making the revisions to MasterSpec. I expect that the next version of their woodworking guide specs will reference the Arcitectural Woodwork Standards.