Templates:
The Pre-purchase template is the default template and is the only
one available in the basic version unless you purchased others,
specifically Re-insurance and Commercial Fish templates available.
Item Choice Editing:
Item Choices can now be reordered in the list by dragging and dropping them to the desired
line. NOTE: Item Choice editing pertaining to reordering is only an option in the main
systems section. Although you can still edit and save Item Choices in the Findings and
Recommendations section these Items can not be reordered by the drag and drop method. And
since Findings are Item specific only and Recommendations have a pool of about 15 global
recommendations except for what you add, this should not pose much of a problem or
inconvenience.User Definable Heading
Items:
There is now two "user define" Heading Items in each section or sub-section at
the near end of these sections you will see a code with the last three digits of UD1 AND
UD2 example in the hull construction section the two user definable headers have a code of
"HCUD1 & HCUD2" respectively. These headers can be named anything that the
program user would like by clicking on the header item in the "Heading Window"
and then on the icon to the right of the light bulb or "Findings" icon the
dialog box will walk you through the naming of the heading item. This can be changed and
customized over and over again from survey report to survey report if you wish.
********New version 6.53
Note The Heading Item IN1W formally known as "Introduction Page One Words" is
Now user definable and has a default heading name of "Scope of Survey" this
header does not have the UD1 or 2 designation but due to popular request we made it User
Definable anyway. When this Heading Item is highlighted you will notice that the modify
header icon the hand with page is not grayed out and can be used to edit the Heading Item.
***
Tip:
this can now be used to sub-title the Introduction section as you see fit. A couple of
suggestions from our more seasoned users are; Use it to differentiate an
"Addendum" or "Appraisal" etc.
Printing:
You can now select and setup your printer in the print utility box under printer setup.
You can print sections of the report separately now for those of you who need to FAX there
report from a FAX/MODEM this may be very useful. The condensed report printing is
available for any survey report produced in V. 6x it just prints in a smaller font and
formats the page differently. It currently can save about 30% on the number of pages over
the regular report printing. And we are told it is a good style for re-insurance or
C&V type reports.
Printing Tips: When you start to print your survey report, a notice will usually come up
and tell you that you have so many blank items (these are items in the survey report that
you did not edit or change or mark as NA). Go to Next and Previous Blanks buttons) Go
though the survey by pressing the blank arrow buttons, and address each item by either
entering data if necessary or NA the item with the NA item button. Once edited or marked
NA it will not be counted as BLANK. Use the buttons to go to previous and next blanks
until the program says that there are none found. The important thing here is you have
checked your survey for accidentally missed or unmarked items, and corrected them before
printing.
Photo Pages:
Printing "Photo Pages" may be done from the File/Print pull down menus only. You
can print the number of Photo pages and the starting page numbers using the dialog box
presented when you choose print for the File pull down menu then choose Photo Page option.
Search Utility:
The Search Button or (CTRL & F keys) is used to navigate quickly to parts of the
program or search for specific text in the windows. It has drop down box feature and will
display your last most recently search codes. Clicking the code will put it in the search
box again and enter or the OK button will take you to that Heading or text. The last code
that you used is at the top of the list, so jumping back and forth is easy. New tip: from a
customer he prints out an outline and uses a micro-cassette recorder on the boat. To
accomplish this transition from tape to the report he records the ITEM pneumonic (code)
first and in Hull Construction Type the pneumonic is HCT so he first looks up the ITEM in
the outline list and records HCT then records what he wants about that item. The
transcribe listening to the tape clicks on search and types in HCT (the program jumps to
HCT hull construction type) and then enters the text description from tape. If you use a
tape and you do your own transcriptions for a while you will soon be saving ITEM choices
that are mostly pre-written and that will save you even more time.
Hey thanks for the tip Peter.
Program Navigation:
To search through the survey to a particular Header
Item in the Heading Window set your search options under the OPTIONS menu, Search to
Heading Window Only and Match first Characters. Click the Search quick Icon and type the
three or four digit code ( in upper case all CAPS ) closest to the Header Item listed in
the included printed Outline. This is very useful when editing from a draft copy of your
survey report since you can not go by page numbers. Note: When going back and editing if
you only change a word or two you probably will only have to reprint that page number.
(Use the FROM TO boxes in the printing dialogue box). If you add or subtract significant
amounts of text you should reprint from that page to the end of the report to insure
proper page numbering.
Spell Checker:
The spell checking program has a user dictionary file that allows you to save your special
marine terms and company names or whatever you don't want it to try and correct each time
you spell check. We have included a file that gives a head start on that and will simplify
your spell checking significantly. Check the manual for operation of the spell checker.
Keyboard Tip:
When entering data in the EDIT WINDOW and going from the
edit window to the HEADING WINDOW clicking can become a waste of time for some of your
more fluid typists, (a member of this elite group I am not). So there is a little trick
that we have incorporated into the program, Click on the HEADING ITEM that you want to
address, the press the TAB key and you will see your blinking cursor appear in the EDIT
WINDOW type in your text and then hold the SHIFT key down and TAB once and you will be
back at the highlighted ITEM HEADING (trust me your there). Next use your down arrow key
and that will take you to the next HEADING ITEM, use your TAB key again and you will be in
the EDIT WINDOW again. These shift tab and tab functions are straight Windows editing
conventions but it does make it a little smoother for you mouse hating typists. To make it
a little more interesting you can also TAB from the edit window to ITEM CHOICE WINDOW and
use your arrow keys to choice an item choice and then use the enter key and shift tab
again to go back to the edit window. The rule is TAB to go ahead and SHIFT TAB to go back
again. Try it you might like it.
Red Window Banner:
The Window banner the gray bar at the top of Edit Window or Default Window will turn red
edit windows when there is an empty line or more specific a carriage return (enter key) by
itself followed by no text. This is usually caused by typing text into an Edit Window and
at the end of a block of text you hit the enter key, and the cursor changes lines and you
don't type anymore text but go on to the next heading Item. A blank line or several, will
print as extra white space in the body of the report. To remove an un- wanted blank line,
click into the edit window and backspace it to the top right end of the line above the red
line will disappear. Note: a red banner on the THAW & THBW in the Thru-Hull section is
OK and you don't have to delete it.
**Tip** If the program ever prints a blank page with no text just the footer and page
number make sure you go to the last item addressed on the previous page and make sure that
you do not have a Red Window Banner. Putting a carriage return (hitting the enter key)
will not leave a visible mark on the page but will let the program think it must move that
hidden mark to the next page none the less. Back space out all unwanted characters to the
end of the visible text and you should not have unwanted lines, spaces or blank pages.
Help or Hint Boxes:
Right clicking over the Icons will turn off and on the hint bar help boxes. that appear
when you move your mouse over and Icon or button. Of course you can turn on and off the
Hint Bars by pulling down the Options button and clicking on the Show Hints or by using
the F7 key on your key board. All these methods are just toggle switches to turn the
feature on or off.
Tables:
The table feature is temporarily turned off until we can provide and easier way to make it
work for you. But the heading still exists so you can type your own list in that space or
just NA it. Look for this feature in version v6.75 and our 32 bit version v7.xx in the
late fall at the SAMS national meeting in St. Louis and in Ft. Lauderdale at IBEX 98.
Findings and Recommendations:
Findings and Recommendations are only allowable in the System Section III and you must
enter and edit them at the heading item that they apply to, NOT at the Finding and
Recommendation sections. The Findings and Recommendations section is available to allow
you to change the heading item and to view all of the Findings and Recommendations that
you have accumulated in the report by category i.e. *A *B or *C. The Tabs have the Heading
code on the tab and if you click the tab it will display the associated Finding and
Recommendation text. If you wish to edit the text you must either Shift click the left
mouse button over the tab you want to edit or click once with the right mouse button over
the tab. This will take you back to the Heading Item edit window so you can edit or remove
the Finding or Recommendations Item. All the same editing features are available in the
edit windows of Findings and Recommendations as in the main text Edit Window, i.e. spell
checking, cut, copy, past etc.
NOTE:
To enter findings and recommendations at a heading item there must be at least one
character of text or a space in the main Edit Window. The Findings button (the Light Bulb
Icon) will then be enabled (not grayed out anymore) and useable. Multiple findings and
Recommendations are allowed in this version of Force5. No editing of Findings and
Recommendations at the Heading code of FRA, FRB or FRC but cntrl left click or single
right click on the tab and it will jump to the heading code that you want to edit then use
the search button to get back.
PROGRAM
SUPPORT:
Please email or Request
Tech Support for any questions you may have.
Helpful steps to take:
1. Read the manual to try and resolve your problem.
2. Create a test survey and see if your problem persists.
3. Try and repeat the problem consistently, then document the steps to doing that.
4. Experiment with one of the two sample survey files that the program installs. They are
named COOK.SVY KELLYBEL.SVY. Print one, or both out.
5. Is this a Force5 issue, or a Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 issue ? If it is not a problem
with Force5 then read your Windows documentation or try and call Microsoft. For example if
your printer won't print anything from Windows notepad or from DOS it is more than likely
a printer setup problem or a Windows problem not Force5.
6. In the event of an emergency! call this phone number 772 334 8555 . If you don't get a
live body, please leave a brief message at 772 229-8691 describing the problem, and a
phone number and time, we will call you back collect. When you leave a message on our
voice mail we get beeped on our pagers so we know a message is in the box. We will act on
it as soon as we can. If your call is not urgent please say so in the message and we will
prioritize and respond in a timely manner.
For New Features
in Force 5 version 6.53 |