I think the most tangible thing is that the SpecAgent window will now stay where you put it, without “reasserting” itself when another spec is opened. I’m assuming that is the thing that annoyed most people, but I don’t really know what others may have found to be a problem. It definitely seems better in that respect, though I haven’t run it through any sort of rigorous test regimen.
In response to Mr. Johnsons message of July 27, specifically,
We feel dynamic live data is a more reliable method of providing information to our users than static material that is updated periodically as sections are reviewed and released by our writers.
I have the following premonition: Arcom is going to use SpecAgent as a way to stop doing the fantastic, and perhaps costly, comparative research they provide in their evaluations. We can soon kiss goodbye the comparative charts of different manufacturers products. These charts are probably a big burden for Arcom to maintain. By just using links to manufacturers information, which we can all access online anyway, and repackaging it through SpecAgent, Arcom can both reduce the money they spend on research and ask more money from manufacturers to list their products in a dynamic new interface. Just my opinion. Posted anonymously to reduce the chances of my MasterSpec license being revoked.
to Anonymous: I don’t think the comparison charts will go away, because the review committee usually wants them as part of the available information. What SpecAgent does do is keep Arcom from sending out what could be weekly updates with manufacturers product names, data and other stuff that they seem to change with no regard for anything. Since the spec sections (and supporting documents ) are typically updated every 3 years … or so.. SpecAgent provides the fill-in product information between updates.
I’m not a fan of Spec Agent either as a thing, but I understand the need to have dynamic product information out there. You don’t want established technical staff doing nothing but updating products in the spec sections – you really want them to do actual work to update the useful information.
Actually depending on the spec section many SA links take me to strange and not-so-wonderful places. I’ll stick to 4specs.com to get my product information. SA links is a good idea, we used to do something similar in my previous firm, but the links need to be checked and updated whenever manufacturers remap their information. If Arcom doesn’t have time to update the links, they become useless.
I’ve uploaded Masterworks too many times now trying to get it to work right but it continues to give me headaches, including resizing my documents. I like the ability to use the macros for changing headers and footers and to some extent when doing edits. Some problems are that my headers and footers do not always come out uniformly from one Section to the next. When editing, I don’t like skipping over text that needs to be changed but isn’t in an edit field. Very often in multi-file, SA turns on my Track Changes even when I don’t tell it to.
Very frustrating. It needs an off switch or preferably a menu where we can choose which features we want to turn off or on.
With the latest version, I’m having no trouble with SpecAgent behaving now, it willingly submits to being minimized and leaving document placement alone, and it’s there whenever I need it.
It’s very easy to report a bad link or similar issue by clicking the “Suggest a correction” button right in each mfr’s listing.
From talking with Arcom staff it is clear they are fully intent on maintaining this data, and giving the same level of evaluation that has always been in MasterSpec - of course it is a new system.
It also has features that do not exist in the Evaluations. And comparison tables are not going away, in fact they are integrated into SpecAgent, actually easier to find now.
Anne’s right about it being for intermediate, real-time updates of manufacturer and product data. With what the economy has done to cause manufacturer and product changes at an accelerated pace, and the toll it has taken on architects’ time to keep up with all the changes, there couldn’t have been a better time for SpecAgent. Waiting years for section updates no longer works for specifying manufacturer data. Out of date information leads to ever increasing substitution requests, RFIs, and change orders.
Arcom has been listening to the pains that firms deal with. You can also tell that by them quickly fixing the window placement problems.
Well now SpecAgent is hanging up my system! I called Josh at technical services and he said that there is a problem with the SpecAgent website. My documents are trying to access the website and hanging.
David I’m having a problem just trying to open spec documents in Word. Started this morning. Is there a workaround? They open real slow or crash my Word program.
I started experiencing trouble opening MasterSpec sections yesterday, and continue to have slow opening specs (sometimes taking several minutes). I wasn’t aware of SpecAgent causing the problem, but that would explain why it happens only w/ MasterSpec documents.
If anyone finds a solution, please post here.
Thanks.
I’m having no problem - I guess I’m special
…but I knew that… and modest too!
We have been having the problem with opening documents - it has really slowed us down.
I contacted Arcom - they indicated that the problem is at a third party server that they utilize as part of their system. They have been trying to get it corrected - thought they had it yesterday afternoon - but resurfaced this morning. We are anxious for a resolution - as Murphy’s Law would have it - it has been a bad week to have problems.
Well Marc, you’re lucky. And, of course, special. Both spec writers at my firm are having problems with Word but no one else running Word seems to be having the same problem. Thanks again SpecAgent! So, how do we turn this off again?
Marc, I have more modesty in my little finger than you have in your whole body (I stole that from a 60’s sitcom). Unfortunately my kind of ‘special’ seems to be more like ‘special education’.
Wow. I was worried that it was my computer. I’m so glad I looked at this. It’s reassuring to find out that I’m not the only one. I’ll keep you posted - I’ve been experiencing the same very-slowly-opening spec files in Word that other posters have.
I spoke with Josh yesterday and was told that there was a server crash. SpecAgent reaches out to this server and if it doesn’t get an answer, it keeps asking and hangs up the document. When I found this out I was livid. Friday, Monday and Tuesday were disasters for getting work done. SpecAgent needs an off switch and needs it now. Or, even better would be getting rid of it entirely. I’m going to ask IT if rerouting the SpecAgent IP address to one’s localhost will stop the communication.
I agree. Fortunately I was not under a deadline but needed to get work done. All I could do was stare at my screen hoping that my document would come up. My IT guy is upset because Monday he wasted time a bunch of time troubleshooting my computer and the company’s servers.
Spec Agent needs to be like the supporting documents where you can open the website as needed. Even when Spec Agent doesn’t hang, it is annoying to have it open all the time.
BTW, recently Spec Agent has been opening twice on my documents!
The problem seems to be fixed - no problems last night or today.
I agree with Don - SpecAgent needs an off switch. I have never found it to be beneficial to me.
What happens if there is a disaster that distroys the building where this critical server is located? Does it mean that no specifications get written? What are the liability implifications if this keeps a project from being submitted on time thus loosing funding?
Next you’ll be telling me that loose regulation of the banking industry and investment companies will lead to abuse of trust and a major financial meltdown
It will never happen
Does anyone know if BSD and e-Specs users are affected by this? My guess is that they’re insulated from Spec Agent since they do their initial edits in their databases and then can finish editing using Word. What a mess.
SpecAgent is a MasterSpec feature. As such, there should be no link to SpecAgent. [for BSD or Word - added by Colin]
BSD is a completely different company and has no connection what-so-ever with spec agent. I can’t say about e-specs
AND as far as BSD is concerned - as long as my server is running the rest of the country could go black and I’d still be up.