NEWSLETTER

SpecLink-E Is Here and Is Interoperable With Revit

Building Systems Design, Inc. (BSD) is extremely pleased to announce the long-awaited release of BSD SpecLink-E (SLE) in two new versions that link to Autodesk Revit using the also released final beta version of BSD LinkMan-E (LME).

The Professional Edition of SpecLink-E is now available free of charge to all current subscribers. The Professional Edition can handle approximately 25 medium-sized SpecLink projects in varying stages of development and up to 9 users. Projects can be archived to make room for other projects. The SQL Server engine for Professional Edition is the Express version of Microsoft’s product, and is limited to use of 1 GB of memory, 4 GB of database space, and a single server processor.

The Corporate Edition of SpecLink-E runs the Standard version of Microsoft’s SQL Server database product. This version has no limits on database size, can use multiple gigabytes of memory and servers with multiple processors to boost its processing speed and throughput. In addition, the Corporate Edition supports a designated system manager who can limit use of the system to specific network users. The manager can also assign ‘roles” to users to limit the types of editing activities they can perform. Both versions are embedded in SLE’s standard install process. SLE is designed to minimize database maintenance activities, make them automatic and/or easy to use from the tools menus, and obviate the need for a database administrator (DBA) to either install or maintain the systems databases. 

Both editions can be easily linked to the third product we’re releasing this quarter, the BSD LinkMan-E Beta. In fact, It’s possible to connect an SLE project into an LME “Group” with a single command, use the Autodesk Revit Add-In to connect the Revit Project to the same LME Group, click Refresh to pick up the latest data from both projects, and then use the Synchronize command to automatically turn on specifications text in SpecLink-E that is related to the Revit project objects in use. This is not the only way to use LinkMan – LME provides “dashboards” not only to show the things that are linked, but also to show you, and let you adjust for the things that are not linked. The Revit Add-In delivered with LinkMan-E works with both Revit 2009 SP1 and Revit 2010, all flavors – Architectural, Structural, and MEP. We think you’ll find that LinkMan-E is easy to understand, easy to use, highly flexible, and a real boon to project coordination.

What else is new that you don’t have in SpecLink+ and can’t find in other specifications software? These are the major new management tools that will make life easier:

• Collaborative specifications development on large networks including WAN’s and VPN’s;
• Internet-based, master data updating delivered and applied to the master database automatically;
• Software updates for user computers handled automatically once you choose to place the update package on your network;
• Ability to copy SpecLink+ projects, including “office master” projects, into SpecLink-E.

There are also many new or enhanced editing tools to further improve productivity:

• Specifications text  that collapses/expands to produce outline, short form, and full construction specs from the same data;
• Project-wide Find, Replace and Spell-Check functions that let you choose the documents to include in the search;
• Ability to insert images and hyperlinks into specifications;
• Ability to add, edit and delete choices and choice fields in user versions of master paragraphs without disrupting master database updating;
• Export documents to Word, PDF, HTML and RTF;
• Import specification documents from both Word and RTF;
• Improved table management commands;
• And more, of course.

December 1 is our target to provide both SpecLink-E Professional Edition and LinkMan-E Beta on our download site ready for use. This will be followed by a DVD that includes the Corporate Edition of SpecLink-E as well as the Professional Edition and LinkMan-E Beta. Our agreement with Microsoft prohibits distribution of the Corporate Edition by download.

As with all our products, we’ll continue to improve these latest offerings with new software releases three or four times per year. Data, of course, will be delivered via the internet as it becomes available. We look forward to serving all our customers over the long haul. Please do not hesitate to let us know how we’re doing. Comments to support@bsdsoftlink.com will always get our attention.