Collaborate with specifications

Explore the Specifications module, which allows you to manage project specifications. When you're ready to upload and publish specifications, follow the steps below.

Create a specification set

A specification set groups specifications together. You need to first create a specification set and upload documents (.pdf files) into the specification set.

During processing, the specifications are detected automatically from the bookmarks, or if no specifications are found, they are identified from the text in the files.

  1. In the Records section of the project menu, select Specification Sets.
    2. Open specification set
  2. In the Specification Sets view, select Create icon (Create).
    3. Create specification set
  3. Upload the specification document.
    4. Upload specification document
  4. Enter the information for the specification set.
    5. Enter specification set information
  5. Select Done.

Edit specification sets

You can enter or edit information for the specifications and the specification set.

  1. Open the specification set.
  2. If a specification is missing information, enter it in the Information panel.
    3. Add missing specification information
  3. To save the changes, select Save icon (Save).
    4. Save edits
  4. In the Information panel, edit the details for the specification set.
    5. Edit specification set details

Create a new specification

If the specification document wasn't broken down into the correct specifications, you can add section breaks to create new ones in the specification set.

  1. Navigate to the page that will start the new specification.
    2. Navigate to first page
  2. Select Add break.
    3. Add break button
  3. In the Information panel, enter the information for the new specification.
    4. Add info for new specification
  4. To save the new specification, select Save icon (Save).
    5. Save new specification

Remove a specification

When you remove a specification, its content is not deleted. The content is merged with the next section (if the first section is removed) or with the previous specification.

  1. Select the Batch Edit button.
    2. Batch Edit button
  2. Select the specification.
    3. Select specification
  3. Select the Remove button.
    4. Remove button
  4. In the confirmation dialog, select Remove.
    5. Confirm removal

Add an annotation

You can add annotations and comments to communicate with other team members.

  1. To open the annotation tools, select Annotate.
    2. Open annotation tools
  2. To add an annotation, select an annotation tool, and then select the specification.
    3. Add annotation
  3. To add a comment to the annotation:
    1. To open the Comments panel, select Notes (Comments) on the toolbar.
    2. In the Comments panel, select the annotation card.
    3. In the Reply field, enter the comment, and then select Save.
      4. Add comment
  4. To edit the annotation:
    1. To open the annotation menu, select the annotation.
    2. To link the annotation to an item, select Link and then select the item.
    3. To make the annotation visible to other team members, turn the Public toggle on.
    4. To change the color of the annotation, select Style and then select a color.
      5. Edit annotation

Publish specifications

You can publish specifications so that they're available to your team members in the specification viewer.

  1. In the Specification Sections panel, select Publish All Sections.
    2. Publish All button

    —Or—

    Select the Batch Edit button, select the specifications, and then select Publish Selected.

    Publish Selected button
  2. In the Publish Specifications dialog, set the publishing notification.
    3. Publish notification
  3. Select Publish.

View the published specifications

In the specification viewer, you can review the published specifications and add annotations and comments.

  1. In the project menu, select Specifications.
    2. Open specifications
  2. To open a specification, select the specification in the list.
    3. Open published specification
  3. To add a comment to an annotation:
    1. To open the Comments panel, select Notes (Comments) on the toolbar.
    2. In the Comments panel, select the annotation card.
    3. In the Reply field, enter the comment, and then select Post (Post).
      4. Review annotation in Comments panel

    You can also add annotations to the specification.

    Annotation tools

    Annotation tools in the published specification

  4. To save the changes, select Done.

Upload and publish a revision

You can upload and published new specification revisions. The revisions must be uploaded in a new specification set.

  1. In the Specification Sets view, select Create icon (Create).
    2. Create specification set
  2. Upload the revised specification document.
    3. Upload specification document
  3. Enter the information for the specification set.

    4. The Group field must be the same as the specification set that contains the previous revision.

    Enter specification set information
  4. Select Done.
  5. Open the specification set.
  6. To review the annotation:
    1. To open the Comments panel, select Notes (Comments) on the toolbar.
    2. In the Comments panel, select the annotation card.
    3. In the Reply field, enter the comment, and then select Post (Post).
      4. Review annotation in Comments panel
  7. To save changes, select Save icon (Save).
  8. Select Publish All Sections, set the publishing notification, and then select Publish.