Product Description - Overview
eTakeoff Import Purpose
eTakeoff Import is designed to quickly name and organize construction drawing files for use with electronic takeoff software. It has the following general capabilities:
- Import files from Disks, CD-ROMs or scanners.
- Separate multi-page files into individual files.
- Organize drawings in multiple sub-folders underneath a main folder.
- Quickly view the title block of each drawing and name it.
- Automatically add the drawings to an eTakeoff project for use with the eTakeoff Plan Viewer.
The Import Process
The Import Process begins when eTakeoff Import starts. The Import Process consists of the following steps:
- Specify the Destination - A main folder and/or an eTakeoff project is selected.
- Specify the File Name, Description and Sub-folder Mapping - In addition to renaming drawings, eTakeoff Import can place them in sub-folders within the destination folder, and give them names within the eTakeoff project. The Filename Mapping Window is used to specify a mapping. For example, an addenda file might be named "CoverSheet.html", be placed in a sub-folder "Addendum1" and given a description "CoverSheet - Addendum1". Mappings are used to generate this information from a minimal amount of user input. In the case above, just the Addenda name (Addendum1) and the drawing name (Cover Sheet) are entered and the file name, sub-folder and description are generated via the mapping.
- Select and Organize Drawings -
After specifying the mapping, the
Drawing List Window is displayed. This window lists the drawings
to be imported. Initially the list will be empty. You can add drawings
to the list in three ways:
- File Selection - This uses the standard Windows File Open Window to select one or more files.
- Folder Search - First, the standard Windows Folder Selection Window will be displayed. Once a folder is selected, that folder and it's sub-folders will be scanned for drawing files. The files found will be displayed in a selection tree and you can check off those you wish to import.
- Scanner Input - First a document scanner is selected. Then as documents are scanned, they are added to the list.
- Name and Convert the Drawings - When you press the "GO" button on the Drawing List Window, the actual naming and conversion begins. Each drawing is displayed in the main window. You can zoom, scroll and rotate the drawing so that the title block is displayed. The Drawing Conversion Window floats above the main window. You can move it as needed to view the drawing title block. In the conversion window, you enter the information needed to specify the file name, description and sub-folder for the drawing. Then press the "Next" button to convert the current drawing and proceed to the next drawing. The next drawing will be displayed with the same zooming, scrolling and rotation as its predecessor, so in most cases the title block will already be visible. Naming and converting continues until all drawings are processed.
