Formatting

1. Formatting
2. Bill and chart format 
3. Basic bill format worksheet options
4. Page Length - Formatting 
5. Page Width - Formatting
6. Top Margin - Formatting
7. Last Line of Text - Formatting
8. Binding Margin - Formatting
9. Text Left Margin - Formatting
10. Item Indent - Formatting
11. Extras Indent - Formatting
12. Text Right Margin - Formatting
13. Quantity Right Margin - Formatting
14. Unit Left Margin - Formatting
15. Rate Right Margin - Formatting
16. Ext. Right Margin - Formatting
17. Page Number Column - Formatting
18. Decimal Tonnes - Formatting
19. Dimension Style - Formatting
20. Collect Page Totals - Formatting
21. Split/Continuous Item - Formatting
22. Printing B, U, N or A - Formatting
23. Justify Text - Formatting
24. Block-Out Text Y / N - Formatting
25. Pages in Bills - Formatting
26. Totals- Sub totals - Formatting
27. Special Characters - Formatting
28. Continuation Heading Y/N - Formatting
29. Underline Totals Y/N - Formatting
30. To Collection footing Y/N - Formatting 
31. Collection on New Page Y/N/F - Formatting
32. Collection page spacing - Formatting
33. Specific bill format worksheet
34. Header/Footer
35. Justification - Specific Bill Format
36. Printing -Headers/Footers - Specific Bill Format
37. Start Page No - Specific Bill Format
38. Indents - Specific Bill Format
39. Line spacing - Specific Bill Format
40. Draft Bill Y/N - Specific Bill Format
41. Print NEDO Codes - Specific Bill Format
42. Print Prices Y / N - Specific Bill Format
43. Automatic Dimensions - Specific Bill Format
44. Suppress Quantities Y / N - Specific Bill Format
45. Print Description Codes Y/N - Specific Bill format
46. Basic Bill Format - Specific Bill Format
47. Output Document File Name - Specific Bill Format
48. Page No. Prefix - Specific Bill Format
49. Include WG/Trades - Omit WG/Trades - Specific Bill Format
50. Include Elements - Omit Elements - Specific Bill Format
51. Valuation chart
52. Valuation chart format - Formatting
53. Valuation chart name - Formatting
54. Column Number - Valuation Chart - Formatting 
55. Work Group/Trades - Valuation Chart Formatting #
56. Description Field - Valuation Chart Formation
57. Sub-Totals - Valuation Chart - Formatting
58. Line Spacing - Valuation Chart - Formatting
59. Column Width - Valuation Chart Formatting
60. Paper Width - Valuation Chart Formatting
61. Amounts to Round Numbers - Valuation Chart Formatting

Formatting

These facilities allow you to Customise the Calculix Output documents to suit your requirements.

Back to Top

Bill and chart format

The Bill Format worksheets determine the appearance of the various Bills of Quantities that can be produced.

The options available are extensive and are divided into two separate worksheets :

Each contract can have as many different Bill Formats as required, each one being given a name which will be used to select the appropriate details when producing the Bill.

Both of the worksheets have to be completed in order to produce a Bill although the Specific Bill Format includes a record of which Basic Bill Format is to be used with it.

The Basic worksheet is, ideally, set up for the normal office presentation and then never altered. The Specific worksheet is to cater for the individual needs of each Contract Bill and as such must be set up for each document.

Back to Top

Basic bill format worksheet options

The options available on the Basic Bill Format are explained in detail below.

Back to Top

Page Length - Formatting

The number of lines to each page of stationery being used; A4 = 70 lines, standard computer stationery = 66 lines.

NOTE Laser printers can't always address the whole page and it may be necessary to artificially reduce the Page length to allow for this.

Back to Top

Page Width - Formatting

The number of characters that will fit on to each line of the page. This will depend not only on the size of the page but also on the "pitch" of the characters being used by the printer

NOTE If the document is being output to a word processor the last character of a line may be specially defined for the "carriage return" and this should be allowed for. Make sure also that the line length in the word processor is the same length as used here or the line will not fit properly onto the word processor screen.

Back to Top

Top Margin - Formatting

The number of lines from the top of the page before the first line of text will appear. It will include any header lines asked for.

Back to Top

Last Line of Text - Formatting

The line number on which the bottom line of the text will be placed. This is the last line of "Text" on the page and excludes any footer lines and also the line containing page number.

If the settings are such that there is insufficient space for the Footer the Last Line of Text will be reduced to make enough space available.

If there are spare lines left over these will be inserted after the last line of Text and before the Footer.

Back to Top

Binding Margin - Formatting

This field determines where the first character i.e. column 1 of the Bill will be printed. It is as much to do with where the page is positioned in the printer as anything else, but generally assumes that the page is positioned so that column one of the printer corresponds to the first character position on the paper. In this case the binding margin represents the column number of the first character to be printed.

The first character is, in fact, the item reference letter. All subsequent column numbers relate back to column one as defined by the binding margin.

Back to Top

Text Left Margin - Formatting

The column number of the left hand side of the description field.

Back to Top

Item Indent - Formatting

This is the number of spaces by which Items are indented. It is ONLY used in conjunction with the Split/Continuous option described further down the page. The indentation is measured from the Text Left Margin.

Back to Top

Extras Indent - Formatting

This gives you the option of choosing how many spaces Written short items are indented by. The indentation is measured from the Text Left Margin.

Back to Top

Text Right Margin - Formatting

The column number of the right hand side of the description field.

Back to Top

Quantity Right Margin - Formatting

All of the number fields are right hand justified and this is the column number of the right hand side of the quantity field.

Back to Top

Unit Left Margin - Formatting

The left hand column of the Unit field.

Back to Top

Rate Right Margin - Formatting

The column number of the right hand side of the Rate field.

Back to Top

Ext. Right Margin - Formatting

The column number of the right hand side of the Extension field. (i.e. product of the quantity x rate).

Back to Top

Page Number Column - Formatting

The column number on which the Page number and any associated Prefix will start.

Back to Top

Decimal Tonnes - Formatting

The number of decimal places to which quantities in tonnes will be printed ie 2 or 3.

Back to Top

Dimension Style - Formatting

This option allows a variety of different presentation styles in which the dimensions of a bill item will appear. They will normally be associated with a clause in the Preliminaries indicating how the dimensions will be shown.

Back to Top

Collect Page Totals - Formatting

Three different options are available for Page Totalling.

FF = Carry Forward / Brought Forward

The cumulative total of preceding pages in this Section is printed at the bottom of each page and also at the top of the following page. The two totals are annotated "carried forward" and "brought forward" and the process continues until the end of the Section when the Total is printed. The levels at which the Section Totals are printed are determined by the "Totals" entry of the Basic Bill Format.

CC = To Collection

This option prints the individual page total at the bottom of each page. The page total is also Formatted into a Collection Page. The Collection Page is printed at the end of the Section and includes a Total which is carried to Summary.

PP = Page Totals

This option merely prints the individual page total at the bottom of each page.

Back to Top

Split/Continuous Item - Formatting

This option relates to the format of "Items" in the Bill.

SS = Split Item

If the Split option is selected, the item descriptions will be split with the descriptions for items 1a and 1b printed as a HEADING and the descriptions for items 2a and 2b printed as the item description proper.

The heading and the item description will be separated by a blank line and the item description will be indented according to the Item Indent field.

CC = Continuous Item

If the Continuous option is selected, the separate descriptions which make up the item (items 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b) will be joined together to form a continuous description.

The next batch of data is a table providing a series of options for the different levels of description. The levels of description affected are all those above item description level

The options available for each level are as below:

Back to Top

Printing B, U, N or A - Formatting

The text can be printed Normally or it can be enhanced with Bold text, Underlined text or it can be printed with All enhancements ie bold and underline.

Back to Top

Justify Text - Formatting

The descriptions can be positioned as follows :

L = Left justified - text starts at left and works forward.

R = Right justified - text finishes at right and works backward.

C = Centered - text positioned at centre of each page.

Back to Top

Block-Out Text Y / N - Formatting

This facility allows any of the heading descriptions to extend beyond the item description field and into the quantity and unit columns. The options are yes or no. If no, the "Text right margin" determines the right hand side of the description. If yes, the right margin of the unit column is used as the right hand margin for the text description.

Back to Top

Pages in Bills - Formatting

The page option allows you to force a page break whenever a new entry at the appropriate level is encountered.

You can't select a new page at Specification level

When producing a Trade Bill, you must have a new page for the beginning of each Trade.

When producing an Elemental Bill you do not have to have a new page for each new Trade.

Back to Top

Totals- Sub totals - Formatting

This option will provide sub-totals for the appropriate section if the selection is yes.

Back to Top

Special Characters - Formatting

These entries show which sequences of characters must be used to print the special characters such as quarter, half and three-quarters, degrees, squares, cubes and the pound sign. They can be altered to suit different printers.

Back to Top

Continuation Heading Y/N - Formatting

When selected this option will print the Section heading in the top right hand corner of all pages in the section except the first page. For a Trade Bill the section heading will be the current Trade and for an Elemental bill the section heading will be the current Elemental section.

Back to Top

Underline Totals Y/N - Formatting

The bottom of the extension column can be ruled off to introduce the page total. If you are using pre-printed stationery you may not want this.

Back to Top

To Collection footing Y/N - Formatting

When selected this option automatically prints "To Collection" in the Footing before the page total.

Back to Top

Collection on New Page Y/N/F - Formatting

This field is only used when Collection pages have been selected on the "C/F - B/F, Page Totals, Collect" option.

There are 3 ways in which the Collection Page will be produced.

Force will always start the Collection on a new page.

Yes will start the Collection on a new page UNLESS there is only one page in the Collection. If there is only one page the "To Collection Footer" will be modified and the page Total will be carried straight to the SUMMARY without an intervening Collection.

No will fit the whole Collection page onto the last page of the Section IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT ROOM. Otherwise the Collection will start on a New page.

Back to Top

Collection page spacing - Formatting

This option determines the line spacing of the Collection page (when used).

S will introduce a single line between successive Page totals of the Collection

D will insert two lines between successive entries.

Back to Top

Specific bill format worksheet

The entries on the Specific Bill Format worksheet are as follows :

Back to Top

Header/Footer

Headers and Footers are text which appear at the top and bottom of each page of the Bill e.g. Company name, job name etc.. Note that any text entered will appear on every page of the Bill.

Back to Top

Justification - Specific Bill Format

Justify: Each line of Header and Footer text can be justified as follows :

L = Left justified - text starts at left and works forward.

R = Right justified - text finishes at right and works backward.

C = Centered - text positioned in the centre of the page.

Back to Top

Printing -Headers/Footers - Specific Bill Format

Each line of Headers and Footer text can be enhanced as follows:

B = Bold - The text will be emboldened

U = Underlined - The text will be underlined

A = All enhancements - The text will be emboldened AND underlined

N = Normal - The text will be printed normally.

Back to Top

Start Page No - Specific Bill Format

Insert the page number required on the 1st page of the Bill Document. Subsequent pages will be numbered sequentially starting from this number.

Back to Top

Indents - Specific Bill Format

This facility allows a description to be indented to suit the users' requirements. Wherever the description contains Indent A the text will be indented by the number of spaces assigned to A on this form and so on. These 'indents' may be set to any number.

Back to Top

Line spacing - Specific Bill Format

If the Bill is to be used by contractors to prepare an analytical estimate, it is often desirable to have adequate space under each item for handwritten prices. The amount of space can be selected by the number of lines entered against this option. One blank line will be left by default.

Back to Top

Draft Bill Y/N - Specific Bill Format

Selecting this option inhibits all bolding and underlining and therefore speeds up the production of the Bill.

Back to Top

Print NEDO Codes - Specific Bill Format

This option determines how the NEDO work categories are to be incorporated into the text.

N - Option N

If N is selected then the NEDO work categories will NOT be printed at all.

Y - Option Y

If Y is selected the work categories will be printed in () (round brackets) after the Sub-section text.

M - Option M

If M is selected, the work category will be printed in the binding margin on the sub-section line.

D - Option D

If D is selected the Nedo work category will be printed against every item description in the binding margin before the description.

I - Option I

If I is selected the Nedo work category will be printed against every item description in the binding margin on the last line of the description i.e. on the same line as the quantity.

Back to Top

Print Prices Y / N - Specific Bill Format

This option allows the bill rates to be either printed out or suppressed. The Bill rates will obviously only be printed if they have been previously entered in the Pricing process. The option is yes or no.

Back to Top

Automatic Dimensions - Specific Bill Format

This is archaic and is assumed not to be used. It will be removed from future versions.

Back to Top

Suppress Quantities Y / N - Specific Bill Format

This offers the opportunity to suppress the quantities when producing the bill. The option is yes or no.

Back to Top

Print Description Codes Y/N - Specific Bill format

If required the description codes can be printed in the bill beneath the description. The option is yes or no.

Back to Top

Basic Bill Format - Specific Bill Format

This is the space for the name of the Basic Bill Format which is to be used in conjunction with this Specific Bill Format. If the <HOME> key is pressed on this option, Calculix will list all of the available Basic Bill Formats.

Back to Top

Output Document File Name - Specific Bill Format

Calculix will check to see that it is a valid file name. The File name is displayed on the screen when the processor Formats the Bill.

Back to Top

Page No. Prefix - Specific Bill Format

Text of up to 10 characters which will precede the page number on every page

 e.g. Bill no 2/.

Back to Top

Include WG/Trades - Omit WG/Trades - Specific Bill Format

Complete Work Groups or Trades can be included and others can be excluded as required. Calculix automatically knows whether it is processing a Work Group or a Trade Bill and uses this code to Include and exclude the relevant sections.

Back to Top

Include Elements - Omit Elements - Specific Bill Format

This facility allows Elements to be included and omitted from an Elemental Bill. It is a 3 character field which would normally start with "000" and end with "zzz".

NOTE These are Elemental Analysis type Elements and NOT Calculix Elements.

Back to Top

Valuation chart

The Valuation Chart processes are designed to re-process the priced Bill into a suitable form for assessing the value of the work in progress for Interim Certificate purposes.

The Format of the Chart is based on the Traditional tick chart with the Work Stages arranged in rows down the page and with Work Locations arranged in columns across the page.

The work stages are automatically determined as the work contained within each Trade sub-section, Work Group Section whichever is relevant.

The Work Locations are determined by the column numbers assigned to each room in the Valuation Column number.

Back to Top

Valuation chart format - Formatting

The Valuation Chart can be formatted in a variety of different ways to suit the users' requirements:

Back to Top

Valuation chart name - Formatting

Each Project can be divided into as many valuation charts as is convenient. Each chart will be identified by a different name which will be used to specify which chart is being processed.

As with the Bill Format, Valuation Chart Formats are stored in the system for future processing.

Back to Top

Column Number - Valuation Chart - Formatting

The Valuation chart will start with the column number specified in the first column field and finish with the column number specified in the last column field.

Back to Top

Work Group/Trades - Valuation Chart Formatting

The Valuation Chart will contain all Bill Sections covered by the entries in the range "Include From _ To _". These entries would normally be all-embracing to include the whole bill.

A group of Bill Sections can be omitted from the Chart by completing the entries

"Omit From _ To _".

Only one continuous range of "Include" and "Omit" sections is possible. It is expected that the M & E sections will normally be the ones that will be omitted.

Calculix automatically knows whether it is processing a Work Group Valuation Chart or a Trade Valuation Chart. It determines this by an entry in the Work Group code field ( A trade chart will be blank in this field ). The entries made in these fields will automatically be either the Work Group or the Trade codes as applicable.

Back to Top

Description Field - Valuation Chart Formation

There is no restriction on the length of a description, but the width of the description printed on the Valuation Chart will be restricted to the number of columns specified here. If the description is longer than this, two things can happen. If the word-wrap selection is No, then the description will be truncated at the end of the specified length. If the word-wrap selection is Yes, the description text which will not fit on the first line will be put on the next line etc.. Valuation Charts will frequently use more than one page width to get all of the data on. Successive continuation pages will also contain the description field if the appropriate field is set to Yes.

Back to Top

Sub-Totals - Valuation Chart - Formatting

Sub-totals are automatically calculated for each row of each page. These totals will be printed out at the end of each continuation page, the start of each continuation page and the end of the last page if the appropriate field is set to Yes.

Back to Top

Line Spacing - Valuation Chart - Formatting

This field determines the number of lines assigned to each row of data, and will normally be 1 for single line spacing. It is not necessary to consider complications such as where descriptions are word-wrapped on the next line.

Back to Top

Column Width - Valuation Chart Formatting

This field determines the number of character positions allocated to each column of the chart.

Back to Top

Paper Width - Valuation Chart Formatting

The Width of each page of the Valuation Chart is set by the actual size of the paper in the printer and entered in this field. Where the chart is too large for the paper, Calculix will automatically organise the document for continuation sheets. Continuation sheets down the chart are allocated consecutive page numbers and continuation sheets across the chart are allocated consecutive section letters.

Back to Top

Amounts to Round Numbers - Valuation Chart Formatting

If required the decimal pence can be suppressed by setting this field to Yes. In this case each cell of the Valuation Chart will be rounded to the nearest pound. The Totals and Sub-totals will all be calculated to the nearest pence and rounded at the end of processing. This will prevent cumulative inaccuracies.

Back to Top

Send mail to with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © E-Quantities Ltd.