BidPoint XL, an Excel add-in program, digitizes directly into Microsoft Excel. That makes fast takeoffs even easier. No need to flip-flop back and forth between Excel and a separate digitizing application. Simply click on a spreadsheet cell and electronically measure and draw items from paper plans in seconds. The digitized quantities and drawings are saved with the Excel cell and file. BidPoint XL is so user friendly that most estimators are up and running in less than fifteen minutes.
Main features:
- Ability to delete selected objects.
- Improved print features with the ability to rotate the image and select the desired print scale. The print title block information is now automatically saved.
- Ability to measure areas and perimeters of rectangles by entering three points instead of the previous required five points.
- Ability to measure the area and circumference of circles by entering three points instead of tracing.
- Ability to measure and draw arcs by entering a high and low point instead of tracing.
- Macros can be assigned to the digitizer buttons to initiate measurements under Windows 2000. This feature is available using the GTCO Windows 2000 Wintab driver.
- Ability to assign digitizer buttons for arc, circle and rectangle measurements.
- Ability to assign a digitizer button to activate a popup menu that allows you delete objects, measure arcs, circles and rectangles, access style settings, close areas, end lines and stop the takeoff. The popup menu can be applied to a button on the cursor or pen stylus.
- Status messages are now displayed as you digitize.
- When tracing around curves, the number of points generated has been reduced.
- New program setup and configuration capabilities with easily accessible toolbars in the takeoff window
- New and improved style library and the ability to share styles across multiple users and Vertigraph programs
- Display the estimator designed Style Pallete conveniently on the takeoff screen for easy access and selection
- Negative line segments
- User definable keyboard shortcuts
- Ability to annotate items on the takeoff screen
- Enhanced print capabilities
- New customizable report setup
Comments (1)
We bought the software after a WOC demo. It looked promising. After installing it and going through some live training we started using it. After using it I was surprised at how difficult it was to move around in the take-off window. I was disappointed at the lack of layers, even though they claimed the supported layers. I found that the software would not run on both my desk top and laptop as they claimed in the demo. I was disappointed that every time I opened excel, even for just a regular spreadsheet, it now took 10 time longer than before I installed the software and many times a nag window popped up saying I needed to upgrade. When I would click the up grade button the upgrade would fail. Worst of all for me was I pretty quickly found that is does not open all PDF’s as claimed. I called tech support and was told if I spent $200 more then it would do what I wanted. I installed the new software and still it does not work as promised. Called again and was told for $150 more it would work. So I tried it and still it does not work. So I called again and they went through the try this, uninstall that, try this other thing. After about 15 hours of debugging their software I called it quits. I asked for a refund because there software did not work as advertised and was told too bad.
This is not a good company, they do not stand behind their product. They just try to get you to pay extra and then they don’t fix their bad software.