Once you have your project set up, you can search through the Means Cost Books to locate the lines that will make up your estimate.
You have the ability to search by Line Number or by Keyword.
The Line Number search allows you to type in a partial or full 12 digit CSI Line Number.
In the image below, the user has typed "0811" into the Line Number field, and clicked Enter.
The Search Results have returned the entire section 0811, and these results are displayed in the data display area of the Construction Estimate screen.
The Description field allows you to enter keywords such as "door" or "copper wire".
There are three search options available for the Description field: Keywords, Index, and Advance. To select your search option, use the dropdown list located directly to the right of the Description field. This dropdown list is shown in the image below. Keywords will search the descriptions, Index will search the division and subdivision headers, and Advance will allow you to refine your search with operators like "and" and "or".
In the image below, the user has typed "door" into the Description field, and has used the Keywords search option.
The Keywords search results are displayed in the data display area of the Construction Estimate screen. In the example below, if you look in the upper right area of the image you will see an indication that lines 1-50 of 2438 results are being displayed. Click the green arrows to view lines 51-100, or lines 101-150 or etc. The data display area of the Construction Estimate screen can only accommodate 50 lines at a time.
In the image below, the user has typed "door" into the Description field, and has used the Index search option.
The Index search results are displayed in a new popup window. In the image below, you will see the popup window for this search. The results are links to all of the sections of data that contain the keyword "door" in the header. If you click on one of these links, you will be directed back to the Construction Estimate screen, and the section of data that you have clicked on will now display in the data display area of the Construction Estimate screen.
In the image below, the user has typed "door" into the Description field, and has used the Advance search option.
The Advance search results are displayed in the data display area of the Construction Estimate screen. In the example below, if you look in the upper right area of the image you will see an indication that lines 1-50 of 2447 results are being displayed. Click the green arrows to view lines 51-100, or lines 101-150 or etc. The data display area of the Construction Estimate screen can only accommodate 50 lines at a time.
With the Advance option, you can refine your search to those results:
that contain ALL the search terms you type in
that contain the exact phrase you type in
that contain at least one of the words you type in
that do NOT contain words you type in.
Note: When you are performing an Advance search, place quotes around your descriptive entries.
Try some of these Advance searches:
OR search: Enter decorator or carved in the description text box.
Complex exclusion search: Enter "decorator" AND NOT "pine" in the description text box.
Proximity (NEAR) search: Enter storm near residential in the description text box.
Phrase search: Enter "storm and screen" in the description text box.
Exact Phrase search: Enter aluminum storm door in the description text box.
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