Well, it’s been a couple years since the spacing of six digit Masterformat was discussed. ( http://discus.4specs.com/discus/messages/1097/1061.html) I’d be interested to know what folks have settled on for numbers within the text of a Section, and for file naming (discounting the 8-digit anomolies). We have to make this decision now. Possibilities are endless, but I’m guessing most are probably using one of these for text:
012345
01 2345
01 23 45
and for file names: 012345
What did you came up with?
I use
xx xx xx
for both section names and file names.
Same here. No problems yet. I’ve tried the others, and the former just seems easier to read.
I’m sticking with the xx-xxxx format, for both section numbers and filenames.
Use 012345 for Section and file names; verbally use 01-2345.
No problems; readily accepted by all in this A/E shop.
Using XX XXX for both section & file names.
Same as Ralph…I’ve only heard one grumble from a mechanical engineer and that had to do with what he perceived as a multiplication of Sections like pipe insulation. Wanted to know why we changed everything. I explained and now it’s OK. But nothing about the new numbers or their format, just about having to learn them anew (and that’s from me)
We are using the same spacing as William. I include extensions in the file name (like bp2 or cd) to let me know when I’ve finished editing a section. Whenever I have a section that I’ve started editing and have a question on, then a “q” goes in the extension. That way I know at a glance which sections are completed and which ones have questions.
We are using the (xx xx xx)three sets of paired digits as well.
We are trying to get our consultants to avoid the decimal and extension numbers to accomodate the in-house CA and submittal worksheets that will be used during construction. This latter issue seems to be harder to accomplish but I think we are making some headway.
We’re using XX XXXX for section names and XXXXXX for file names.
Interesting.
I had one of our MEP consultants use
xxxxxx
And those are hard to read. Especially when you are looking for a section that is perhaps 222000 or something hard to see and numbers nearby ar visually similar. Also, some of them use long lists of ‘related sections’ and seeing those line up under each other is rough to see.
file names are one thing, but in the text when you are going for visual display, the unspaced/unbroken string of numbers is rough.
(At least the MEP did do MF2004 - actually, I have had quite good luck with them. I had only one local group balk at this saying they were still looking at legal implications through the middle of this summer and appealed directly to our principals who let them by. But then their came over anyway in 04, so much for legal implications -grin!)
“legal implications”, huh…that reminds me of the doctor who, when told his patients where going to an all-natural diet, stated “you don’t know what the medical implications of such a diet are…”
xx xx xx or if forced xx xxxx
Deep Down inside, I always want to space the groups between the salad and dinner fork on the left side of the plate: division (level 1), salad fork, level 2, dinner fork, level 3 and Level four.
There has been a move afoot to move level four to the right side near the soup spoon or horizontally over the plate and parallel to the dessert fork and spoon with the bowl of the spoon pointing to the left, the tines of the fork pointing right and level 4 equidistant between the two.
Marc:
So where do you put the chop sticks?
Ron
Although not an expert (I play one on TV) I would suspect that chopsticks should be placed front of you above the plate, parallel to the edge of the table, with the narrow ends on the hashi oki. The hashi oki is the the little platform you rest the tips of the chopsticks on. Hashi Oki to the left I assume for all of you right handers
I am now in the process of converting office master sections to MasterFormat 2004 and have two comments:
-
By using the three pairs of digits with spaces between, we will have numbers that are easy to say (such as O-nine, twenty-one, sixteen for 09 21 16). I think this way of labeling them on the documents themselves will help communication.
-
While I think MF04 is quite good in many respects, I am not willing to use eight digits for any section. I am afraid this means disobeying dogma when I decide to call a certain document “Section 09 21 17 - Gypsum Board Shaft-Wall Assemblies”. I am concerned that we need a consistent number of digits for the future when specifications become part of a data base, and 8 digits would be wasting cyberspace.
Friday MasterFormat Haiku
The hand with five digits
Built the ancient garden wall
Specified with eight.
Marc stayed at a Holiday Inn Express at some point in time.
It has been over 2 1/2 years since this topic has been addressed within this “thread”. With the “slow times” right now, we are making our move to MF04 - full service firm. I have seen quite a variation in the approaches to Section Number spacing through various thread discussions. My personal preferance is for XX XXXX. I feel that this gives emphasis to the Division Number which I feel should make it easier to process the overall location of the Section in the context of the project. For those of you who have been actively using MF04 do you see any movement to a consensus on how the Section Numbers are spaced. What is working for you?