Trimble AllTrak 3.0 is here!

Trimble AllTrak 3.0 is a powerful asset tracking and life cycle management tool that allows you to track acquisition information, distribution, utilization, and billing data, service and maintenance needs, as well as asset retirement and ROI details.

This is the version of AllTrak that you have been waiting for… A new display grid has been implemented in Trimble AllTrak 3.0 and we have upgraded the database platform to Sybase Anywhere v12. All of this results in significant increases in product performance when working with large databases. That means faster navigation, faster transfers and faster reporting. With all of the speed ups and improvements to the user experience, the industry leading features that you love will be that much better to use.

To minimize loss and reduce costs, you need to be able to track every piece of information about your asset that is important to you. For example, not only do you need to track the name, part number and serial number, you also need to track the manufacturer and vendor, along with the warranty expiration date. Tracking the inventory location and assigning a responsible employee, helps to put a geographic location to the asset, as does defining and tracking service and maintenance tasks. Storing event and damage information, along with the Owner's Manual and catalogued photographs for your equipment can help give a visual account. All of this and you haven't even transferred any assets yet!

When transferring assets, you can now check assets out to a Branch at a specified location and to a specified employee. With the billing tools, you can quickly know who has your asset and for how long and how much you should bill them. You can even view the entire transfer history of any asset.

Alerts and Notifications can let you know when your assets need attention. You can be automatically notified about scheduled maintenance, expiring warranties, rental return dates, low stock level on consumable items, assets that are overdue for return and so much more. View your notification in the Alerts window or set up automatic emails to notify the correct person to take action.

Trimble AllTrak uses the Trimble Nomad as its ruggedized mobile scanner. This is one tough device! It is designed to military specification and carries an ip67 rating. What does that mean to you; well you can drop it over 100 times or submerge it in a bucket of water for about a half hour and keep right on working. The Trimble Nomad, used with Trimble AllTrak, includes an integrated 1-D barcode scanner and an integrated 3 megapixel camera.

The Trimble Nomad runs Trimble AllTrak Mobile on a Windows Mobile 6 platform. The mobile software allows you to Add and Transfer Assets directly from the field.

If you are not tracking your tools with a Trimble AllTrak, you owe it to yourself to take a closer look . And with all of the improvements in Trimble AllTrak 3.0, this is the best AllTrak yet!

Trimble proudly announces the release of QuickPen PipeDesigner® 3D 2012 v2. This release provides each user with the following updates and enhancements.

• New! Trimble Field Link export and support
• The Restore functionality now allows you to restore over an existing database. Keep in mind that all existing data is replaced in this procedure. Note: You still have the option of restoring to a new database if desired.
• When you create Field Points within a block, these points are included in the Field Point Export file.
• The Spool Manager sequencing functionality now displays only the incrementing character, rather than the full name of the spool and the incremental character.
• The Orient BOM in spool template now works as expected.
• In paper space, you can now place a BOM at the desired location.
• You now have the ability to merge Metric databases.
• Swivel Traps are now placed according to how you orient them. You are no longer required to specify an end angle. 

Trimble proudly announces the release of Trimble Design Link 2012 v1. This release provides each user with the following updates and enhancements.

• Extended support of the AutoCAD MEP 2012 platform
• New! Licensing features
• New! Trimble Field Link export and support
• New! AutoCAD MEP 2012 templates with default routing preferences
• New! 20 new fittings
• Continued support for imperial catalogs as well as added support for metric catalogs.

We're taking our show to the road! 

I am so excited - I get to be the first to break the news to our users.  Get out your calendars and mark down this date:  Tuesday, August 9th - Thursday, August 11th.  On those dates, we'll be hosting the Trimble MEP Workshop at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bethesda, MD.

  So, what is the Trimble MEP Workshop? 
It's an opportunity for us to bring learning to our customers.  Our goal is to bring one-day classes to the users of our existing Trimble products - AutoBid Mechanical, AutoBid SheetMetal, PipeDesigner 3D, Vulcan Fabrication, Trimble MEP Layout solutions, Accubid Classic Electrical, Accubid Enterprise Electrical, and Accubid Enterprise Mechanical.


I'll let the other product managers talk about their content -but here's what you can expect from the AutoBid classes.  Each class will be designed for users who came to class sometime prior to 2008 and need a refresher.  These refresher classes will be cover topics such as OnScreen View of TakeOff, Rapid Reports, Tips & Tricks from our consultants, and Database Maintenance. 
We're still designing these classes - so if you want us to cover something in particular, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ! 
The classes will be slightly different then the User Conferences.  The User Conference format was lecture-based.  The Workshops will be completely different - this is a hands-on learning experience.  We'll have laptop computers for each trainee and the classes will be exercise-based.  We hope this will give our customers an opportunity to "learn by doing".  The classroom will be manned (or should I say womanned?) by myself and one of our consultants. 
We'll teach AutoBid Mechanical on one day, and AutoBid SheetMetal on another day.  Specific days have not yet been decided, but we'll announce that in a few weeks.  Since this is a true classroom environment, registration will be limited.  Mark your calendar and be ready when the registration goes live later this month.

I hope to see you there!

It’s more than just a passing fad! Taking off material on the screen (instead of with a digitizer) has come of age. Check out your local Craig’s List and you’ll see more and more customers have ditched their digitizers and moved to a paperless format.

Why are people bypassing paper prints for piping, plumbing, and sheet metal estimating?  The reasons vary. We have customers who are saving thousands of dollars by not printing off drawings anymore. Others like the convenience and portability of being able to cart their takeoff with them outside of the office. Many customers like seeing the drawing and tracing directly on it during their takeoff.

Customers are using On-Screen View of Takeoff for more than just plan and spec work; they are using it to bid conceptual estimates and design build work. It’s easy to place your assemblies for hook-ups and bathrooms, and then play “connect the dots” to quickly generate estimates based on partial design documents.

On-Screen View of TakeOff uses QuickPen’s patented automatic fitting generation to produce fittings, duct, or pipe during takeoff. The correct branch connections in piping – or taps in sheet metal – are automatically generated based on your specifications. And even when others claim to “auto generate” pipe or duct, our automatic fitting generation is still half as many mouse clicks as other estimating systems.

Have you done takeoff on the screen but have been less than impressed with the results?  It may be a hardware set-up issue. The number one issue customers typically have with On-Screen View (OSV) for AutoBid Mechanical (Piping and Plumbing) or AutoBid SheetMetal is how to use that “pesky” mouse. Proper mouse configuration and usage can be the difference between hating OSV and loving it.

So, how can you set-up your mouse to work properly?  You need a mouse that has a roller wheel on it. This roller wheel should be in between the left and right mouse buttons of the mouse. Not only does this wheel roll, but it can also act as a mouse button. If you depress the mouse, it can act as a middle button on the mouse.

That middle button functionality is the key to being successful with On-Screen View of TakeOff. By pushing and holding in on the roller wheel, you can now pan through the drawing in OSV. You can even do this while you are in the middle of a takeoff command. If you are taking off a piping or duct run and you get to the edge of the page, hold down on the roller wheel, pan the drawing to where you can see your next takeoff area, and then release the roller wheel. You’re still in TakeOff mode and can keep stripping the drawing.

Rolling the mouse wheel in OSV will also allow you to zoom in (by rolling the wheel up) or zoom out (by rolling the wheel down). Just like the panning capability, these can also be done dynamically in takeoff.

If you’ve been watching our latest releases of AutoBid, you’ve probably noticed that we continue to focus much of our update efforts on On-Screen View of TakeOff. This trend continues as we are in Beta release for AutoBid Mechanical 2011 v1. This release includes ways to quickly adjust item elevation to offset around obstructions during takeoff – as well as the ability to compare a revised drawing and see what changed (which can also be handy during the conceptual estimating phase).

Are you ready to give it a try or do you want to hone your OSV skills?  Here at QuickPen, we want you to be successful!  If you are interested in learning more about our On-Screen View takeoff, please attend one of our webinars for On-Screen View of Takeoff. You can find a calendar of these webinars by clicking here.  Or, if you’d like a one-on-one approach, please contact me directly to discuss options. You can reach me here or by phone at 303-268-3260.