- Can I input my pricing list right into TradeTek?
- Yes. TradeTek lists work just like a database or spreadsheet with multiple columns of data.
Assemblies in TradeTek will connect to lists and can be updated with your current pricing.
Click here for more details: list-connection.mp4
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
Click here for more details: list-update.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Connection Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I connect a list to an external CSV file on disk?
- Users can connect the list to a .csv file that is located on your computer, on a server,
in DropBox, OneDrive or any other drive or folder that you can choose from.
From the List tab, click the Add List button to launch the List Layout dialog.
To connect the list, select the External radio button and choose the CSV File on Disk radio
button and click the location Select button at right, navigate to and select the list file.
See List Layout Dialog section in the User's Guide for further instructions.
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panel: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Which takeoff and estimating software works with a National Cost Book database?
- TradeTek allows the user to connect cost database lists as an external list in the List tab.
Craftsman cost data works well for this purpose.
- Can I connect an external file with my supplier's pricing list to TradeTek?
- Yes. Users can create lists in TradeTek from external spreadsheets and database files that can
easily be updated when pricing in the source file changes.
Click here for more details: list-connection.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
Click here for more details: list-update.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Connection Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Where can I store / save a connected external list?
- External list files can be stored on the local computer, local area network (LAN) server
or in a cloud storage location, such as DropBox or OneDrive.
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I manage my List side panel in TradeTek?
- The List side panel contains 8 list related buttons:
Add List: The Add List button launches the List Layout dialog, allowing you to either add
a local list or connect to an external list.
Property: The Property button launches the List Layout dialog allowing you to make changes
to the selected list.
Delete: Deletes the selected list.
Import List: Imports a list file that has been exported from another computer.
Double clicking on a list file will automatically import the list.
Export List: Exports the selected list file to the desktop to be imported by another computer.
Archive List: Archives a copy of the currently selected list file by date.
Restore List: Restores the currently selected list from the chosen archived list file.
Up or Down: Moves the selected list up or down one row in the side panel.
Click here for more details: list-side-panel.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Can I use ODBC to connect a List to an external database on Mac?
- The Windows operating system has some ODBC drivers installed by default. You can download and install others from the Internet.
MacOS use to include an ODBC driver by default, but newer versions of the OS no longer include an ODBC driver.
You can still get third party ODBC drivers for Mac, but you may need to buy it.
An alternative solution is to save your Excel workbook or database containing the List data as a CSV file.
That file can be stored on your hard disk, on an Internet server or in TradeTek Cloud and referenced as an external list from TradeTek.
- How do I create a local list in TradeTek?
- Navigate to the List tab.
From the List side panel, click the Add List button to launch the List Layout dialog.
Users can create the entire list all within the TradeTek application.
In the List Name field replace the New List Layout text with the name of your new list
and then choose the Local radio button type.
Add the desired columns by choosing them from the Add Column Name drop-down menu and click
the OK button to create the list. Properties must first be added to assemblies located in
an assemblies group in the Template tab or Items in Set Default Property tab before they're
available to choose from in the drop-down menu.
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
See TradeTek Userls Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I add a new list to a job in TradeTek?
- Navigate to the List tab. From the List side panel, select the Add List button to launch
the List Layout dialog, allowing you to either add a local list or connect to an external list.
Users can add a local list and create the entire list all within the application or connect
to an external list file and import the list.
With an external list, the connection to the source file is maintained so that when updates
are made to the file, the list in the application can be updated.
In the List Name field replace the New List Layout text with the name of your new list and
then choose either Local or External list type:
Click here for more details: list-side-panel.mp4
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I connect a list to an external CSV file on URL?
- Users can connect the list to a .csv file that is located on a website.
From the List tab, click the Add List button to launch the List Layout dialog.
To connect the list, select the External radio button and choose the CSV File at URL radio
button and type the exact URL into the URL field and click the Load URL button.
See List Layout Dialog section in the User Guide for further instructions.
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panel: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I add / delete a list row in the List Area display?
- Navigate to the List tab.
From the List side panel, click to select the desired List.
To add a row in the list, select a row and click the Add Row button and the
new row will be added above the selected row.
To delete a row, select the row to be deleted and click the Delete Row button
at the top of the list area.
See TradeTek’s User Guide – List Tab – List Area: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I encrypt / decrypt a CSV file in TradeTek?
- Navigate to the Tools button group located at the top of List tab.
Click on the Encrypt/Decrypt button to launch the CSV Encryption dialog.
Create a password using five or more characters.
Click the Select CSV File button, navigate to and select the CSV source file of the selected
list then click the Encrypt button.
At this point, any other user that either attempts to connect to the same source file or to
import a list file connected to the source file must enter the password successfully to complete
the connection or import.
You can check the status of a source file by clicking the Status button and can decrypt a source
file by clicking the Decrypt button.
Click here for more details: list-encrypt-decrypt.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Tool Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I create an external list in TradeTek?
- Users can connect to an external list file and import the list.
With an external list, the connection to the source file is maintained so that when
updates are made to the file, the list in the application can be updated.
Navigate to the List tab.
From the List side panel, click the Add List button to launch the List Layout dialog.
In the List Name field replace the New List Layout text with the name of your new list
and then choose the External radio button type.
Choose the type of file that you will be connecting to:
- CSV File On Disk
- CSV File at URL
- ODBC Connection
TradeTek recommends the use of .csv files for external lists when possible. CSV files
can optionally be password protected.
Click the File Location Select button to navigate and select the file to be connected.
Once the external file is connect, its contents will be displayed in the List Layout
Preview tab.
Click on the Setup Tab to map the external list to the file.
See List Layout Dialog in the User Guide for additional details on mapping an external list.
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I edit or modify an existing list's data in TradeTek?
- Navigate to the List tab.
From the List side panel, click to select the desired List and to edit the list data,
click the Editable checkbox at the top of the list area and click into the cell that
you would like to edit.
To edit data in derived columns in an external list, the Editable check box does not
need to be checked.
For multiple column lists set the Tab radio button at the top of the list to Right and
for single column lists set the Tab radio button to Down to make adding and editing
list items faster.
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- What image file format can I use in TradeTek?
- Property Images can be either .JPEG or .PNG image file type.
Click here for more details: list-property-images.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Tool Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- I don't see a property name from the Add List drop-down menu?
- Properties must first be added to assemblies located in an assemblies group in the Template tab
or in Items in Set Default Property tab before they're available to choose from in the drop-down
menu.
Click here for more details: list-side-panel.mp4
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I connect a list to an ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) Connection?
- Users can connect the list using an ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) connection that
will allow you to create a database connection to a Microsoft Excel Workbook, Microsoft
Access Database file and any other database file that is supported by Microsoft ODBC.
To connect the list, select the External radio button and choose the ODBC Connection
radio button and click the Select button to launch the ODBC setup dialog.
See the full list of ODBC setup instructions and List Layout Dialog section in the
User's Guide for further instructions.
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panel: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I map my connected list in TradeTek?
- The connection to the external list source file is maintained so that when updates are made to
that file, the list in the TradeTek application can be updated with a few simple clicks.
Once the data source connection has been made, the List Layout dialog will be presented in the
Preview tab. Scroll horizontally and vertically to preview the data from the connected source to
verify the connection.
Click the Setup tab at the top left corner of the dialog and perform the following steps:
Map (connect) the columns that you add in the internal list to the appropriate columns in the
database file. You can either choose to select the database file columns by column number or by
column header name. Make your selection by setting either the Number or Name Map by Column radio
button.
If your database file does not contain column header row names in row 1, check the Ignore Header
Row checkbox and set the Map by Column radio button to Number.
Add columns to the internal list by clicking the Add Column Name drop-down menu and selecting a
property name.
By default, the Name column is added to each new list.
Internal list column header names must match existing property names that exist either in an
assembly in the Template tab, a takeoff tool in the Set Default Property tab, or a takeoff item
in the Estimating tab.
The properties will only be available to choose from the column name drop-down menus once they
have been added as a property in one of the items mentioned above.
Once all the desired internal columns have been added, click on the first column name and then
click the Map Column button to connect it to a database file column.
Choose either the column number or column name from the source file to connect to.
Repeat step 4 for all added internal column names.
Once all added columns have been mapped, click the OK button to complete the connection and
create the new list. The new list name will now be visible in left side panel.
Click here for more details: list-internal.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Will my list's property images be displayed in other areas of TradeTek?
- Yes. Once property images are added to lists, they will be updated in any assembly sub-items
that are connected to that list as with all other property types.
List property images can also be displayed in reports where that image property column has
been added.
Click here for more details: list-property-images.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Tool Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Can I add property images to my list(s)?
- Yes. Navigate to the List tab.
Click the Property Images button found in the Tool button group to launch the Property Images dialog.
All images that will be used as a property image must be added here in the property images library first.
Property images will typically be displayed in a cell in TradeTek, either in the Estimating tab when a
column has been added to the Estimating layout to display the column, in a list in the List tab when a
derived column of type Image has been added to an external list or a column of type Image has been added
to a local list, or in a column in a report.
In the Property Images dialog, choose the image size at the bottom of the dialog, set any of the optional
parameters and click the Add button to navigate to and select the image to import.
When selecting the image import size, keep in mind the size of the area that you intend the image to be
displayed, and match the import size to the display size as closely as possible.
Once a property image has been imported, it can now be added either as an image property in a dialog,
or can be added to an item in an image column of a local list or a derived column of type image in an
external list.
Once images are added to lists, they will be updated in any assembly sub-items that are connected to
that list as with all other property types.
Click here for more details: list-property-images.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Tool Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I easily search for an item name in an existing list?
- Navigate to the List tab.
From the List side panel, click to select the desired List.
To search for an item in the list, type the name of the item into the search box
at the top of the list area, choose the column to search in from the drop-down menu
and click the Find button.
Each time you click the button it will proceed to the next match item in the list.
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – List Area: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I import / export a list file in TradeTek?
- Navigate to the List tab.
From the List side panel, click on either the Import List button or Export List button
found at the top of the of the side panel.
The Import List function will import a list file that has been exported from another computer.
Double clicking on a list file will automatically import the list.
The Export List function will export the selected list file to the desktop (default location)
to be imported by another computer. You can change the Default Export Location by changing
your Preference dialog setting.
Click here for more details: list-side-panel.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Can I copy / paste data from other spreadsheets, like Microsoft Excel?
- Yes. TradeTek users can easily copy and paste to-and-from the application and external
spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel.
Navigate to the Clipboard button group located at the top of the List tab.
The Copy Table button copies all data in the selected list to the clipboard that can
then be pasted into other locations, such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
The Paste Table button pastes all data from the clipboard into the selected local list.
For example, you can copy an entire spreadsheet and paste into the selected local list.
The number of columns in the copied location must match the number of columns in the local list.
Click here for more details: list-clipboard.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Clipboard Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I copy / paste specific columns in a list versus the entire list or spreadsheet?
- Navigate to the List tab and the Clipboard button group.
The Copy Columns button launches the Copy Columns dialog.
Type a number at the top of each column to copy its data and number it to specify the order that
you want the individual columns pasted in. Click the OK button to copy to clipboard.
The columns can now be pasted to another locations, such as an external spreadsheet.
Once you have copied column(s) of data from an external source, click the Paste Columns button to
launch the Paste Columns dialog.
Type a number at the top of each column to specify the order in which to paste each column of data
into the selected local list.
Click here for more details: list-clipboard.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Clipboard Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I map vendor pricing lists in TradeTek?
- Navigate to the List tab and the List Connection button group at the top of the screen.
Click the List Map button to launch the List Map dialog.
This dialog allows you to connect up to four lists together by mapping like item names so
that price comparisons can be generated. In the Default List column, choose the desired list
and column containing the item names to be mapped.
Add up to three additional lists by selecting the list and column containing the item names
to be mapped. Click the Populate Default Values button at the bottom left corner of the dialog
to load the Default List item names.
For List 2, click into the cell at the first row and the item names for that list are populated
in the Find Value area to the right. Start typing characters to search for an item name and the
list narrows based on your search. Select the appropriate matching item to the Default List’s item
for that row, then click the Set button at the top right corner to make the selection.
Continue through all rows of the additional lists until all item names have been mapped.
All mapping is saved so that when you update the lists in the future, including adding or deleting
line items, the mapping is retained. If only values have been changed in the lists, there is no
need to reload the Default List. If new line items have been added to the Default List, click the
Populate Default Values button and map the newly added items.
Click the List Select button to launch the Select List dialog.
Select the vendor list to toggle all assembly sub-items in the Estimating tab to that list.
Click the Update Job button located in the Update button group in the List tab to update all assembly
sub-items connected properties with the values from the selected list.
You’re now ready to print the comparison report for the selected list.
Click here for more details: list-connection.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – List Connection Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Can I compare multiple vendor pricing lists in TradeTek?
- Yes, TradeTek users can link or map multiple vendors lists together so that you can easily compare
pricing for the open job.
Both local list and external lists can be mapped together to toggle between lists to compare vendor
pricing for your takeoff(s). A list map will only need to be setup once. Updating a pricing list
can easily be done without affecting the list map.
Click here for more details: list-connection.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – List Connection Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- How do I export / import mapped vendor pricing files?
- Navigate to the List tab and the List Connection button group at the top of the screen.
Click the Export Map button to export the list map file to the desktop (default) or to the
export location you have selected in your Preferences. You can now share the list map with
other users, save as a backup, or create multiple list maps that you can import and use
whenever needed. With this capability, essentially there is no limit to the number of vendor
lists that you can quickly compare for all of your projects.
The Import Map button will import the selected list map file.
Click here for more details: list-connection.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – List Connection Button Group: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- What's the best takeoff and estimating software to compare vendor pricing for takeoff(s)?
- TradeTek users can connect multiple vendor lists together so that you can easily compare
pricing for the opened job. Essentially there is no limit to the number of vendor lists
that you can quickly compare for all of your projects.
Click here for more details: list-connection.mp4
- Why can't I edit the List Layout Area in TradeTek?
- Ensure the Editable checkbox at the top of the list area is selected. This will allow
you to click into the cell that you would like to edit.
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab – Side Panels: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Can a list have more than one column in TradeTek?
- Yes, lists with multiple columns can be created that properties can be connected to.
Takeoff folder and takeoff tool properties can be connected to a single column list to create a
drop-down menu to choose values from.
Assembly sub-items can be connected to multiple column lists and when the sub-item name is chosen
from the drop-down menu, other properties in the sub-item will be updated from the data in the
other columns for that item.
Click here for more details: list-side-panel.mp4
Click here for more details: list-local.mp4
Click here for more details: list-external.mp4
See TradeTek User's Guide – List Tab: TradeTek-User-Guide.pdf
- Can I use Numbers on Mac instead of Excel to create an external list for TradeTek or import into TradeTek Cloud?
- Yes, hide extra column and row headers in Numbers to create a table as illustrated below.
Add column names into columns A, B and C of the first row and data into each following row.
Item Description Cost
111 111 Name 1.00
222 222 Name 2.00
333 333 Name 3.00
Now choose File->Export To->CSV. Link that file as an external list or imported it into Cloud.
- How can I compare pricing for different vendors?
- A Takeoff can link to a List that holds data like the item name, description and price from a specific vendor.
After completing the takeoff, that price data is used to generate reports that consolidate and organize the costs.
Create a separate price list for each vendor, then use the List Map feature to switch vendor and review costs.
The List Map dialog can create and select maps for Concrete vendors, Framing vendors, Paint vendors, etc.
- When data changes in an External List, what buttons to I click to get List, Assembly Tags and Jobs updated?
- Here is where your data resides [ ] and the Button names from the List panel to update that data:
[External List] -> Update List -> [TradeTek List] -> Update Assembly -> [Assembly Tags] -> Update Job -> [Job]
So if data changes in the External List and you what that new data to flow into the current Job, then click those three buttons.
- Are non ASCII characters like ®, © and ™ supported in a Local List or External CSV file?
- Yes, but the external CSV file must be saved with UTF-8 encoding.
Microsoft Excel support several CSV file types including CSV UTF-8, MS DOS Comma Separated, Macintosh Comma Separated, etc.
If your original file was in MS DOS CSV format, you can open it into Excel and save as CSV UTF-8 format.
You may be required to reselect the column mapping in the List Layout dialog in TradeTek before using the Update List command.
- How can Property Images be stored in a List that is connected to an Assembly?
- During the takeoff process, the user can select a SubItem name from a connected list and pull in an associated image.
TradeTek has the ability to connect a SubItem of a Template Assembly to a key column name in a List.
The List has a key column name and other column names that can match property names in the SubItem.
During the takeoff process, the user selects the SubItem name from the key column of the associated List.
All column names from that row in the List are automatically copied to the Property values within the SubItem.
If List has a named column that matches an Image property name in the SubItem, that cell holds an image file name.
Make the List editable and select the cell, then click the Property Images button. Select an image and click Select button.