Press Releases
For the latest announcements regarding Masterspec and SpecText Section-editing Tools, please refer to the press releases on this page.
ARCOM Announces Masterworks 7.0 – For MasterSpec and SpecText
Salt Lake City, Utah (September 13, 2011)—ARCOM is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Masterworks 7.0,
the latest in its SpecWare® suite of specification productivity software.
This release of the industry's most extensive productivity software for use with word processors will, for the
first time, allow licensed users of both SpecText and MasterSpec to seamlessly use the same tools to produce
construction specifications quickly and easily. Masterworks tools include: Project Wizard, New Specification
Wizard, Format Wizard, global editing, extensive reports, and much more. Masterworks will continue to be provided
complimentary to all current MasterSpec and, now, SpecText, clients.
A much-awaited new feature is the automatic and seamless update of Masterworks without the user needing to
reinstall the software; Masterworks will contact the ARCOM server for software upgrades and will automatically
download and install the upgrade once given permission by the user. In addition, a new “Push Notification” capability
will allow a firm’s IT staff to install and update Masterworks on their users’ computers without the users doing
anything -- the IT staff “pushes” the installation to the client boxes.
"These enhancements to Masterworks will be a major time-saver for the IT staffs of MasterSpec and SpecText
licensed users,” Christopher Bushnell, President and CEO of ARCOM. “This release of Masterworks brings long-needed
productivity tools to SpecText users, and provides a seamless environment for those firms who use both master guide
specification systems."
MasterSpec Small Project - 2011 Edition Now Available!
Salt Lake City, UT (June 8, 2011) - ARCOM is pleased to announce that the MasterSpec Small Project 2011 Edition
is now available.
This upgrade has more to offer than any previous upgrade, including 26 new sections; optional requirements for
LEED-NC, LEED-CI, LEED for Homes, and ICC-700; specification coordination checklists; 16 Division 00 documents;
and access to SpecAgent–the most complete manufacturer and product resource in the industry.
MasterSpec Small Project is an abridged specification resource for projects limited in size, scope, and
duration. It contains over 230 abridged MasterSpec building specification sections from both the architectural
and engineering libraries, including mechanical and electrical sections.
Specifying LEED Requirements, Third Edition - Platinum ADEX Award Winner
Salt Lake City, Utah (May 18, 2011)—ARCOM announced today that the third edition of Specifying
LEED Requirements: The Best of Green from MasterSpec won the platinum ADEX (Awards for Design Excellence)
sponsored by Design Journal.
Specifying LEED Requirements is a comprehensive LEED specification reference tool that includes an
overview of LEED requirements, a checklist of relevant specification sections, several full-length Division One
MasterSpec sections, and relevant specification text and instructions extracted from hundreds of MasterSpec
sections.
The book is available from ARCOM in various print and electronic forms.
Altarix - ARCOM's New Specification Productivity Tool - More Tools for the Specifier
Salt Lake City, Utah (March 25, 2011) - ARCOM recently announced its revolutionary Altarix™ product, a new productivity tool in its SpecWare® suite of specification software.
Built into the sleek Altarix interface are two unique panels that appear with the specification section editor: SpecAgent and SpecTools.
Altarix’s SpecAgent Panel provides a wide variety of resources needed by specifiers with the specification sections they are working on, including:
- Manufacturer’s contact information and links to websites
- Product information, photos, catalogs, and data sheets
- List of referenced standards and links to standards organizations
- Lists of relevant references
- Product comparison tables
Altarix’s SpecTools Panel provides features to help improve specification writing, review, and editing efficiency:
Question and Answer (Q&A) Tools - Altarix incorporates ARCOM’s popular question and answer editing capabilities from the Linx Automated Editor, with several enhancements:
- Altarix guides the user through a series of questions and answers, and automatically edits the specification text, deleting text and related text that do not apply, throughout the specification section.
- Altarix allows the user to mark the text for deletion (rather than deleting the text) by showing deleted text as grayed out and in strikeout so the specifier can review edits and reverse deletions.
- Altarix remembers where the user stopped in the last Q&A session.
- Altarix automatically tracks how many questions were answered and how many still need to be answered, and displays this information at the end of each Q&A session
- Altarix allows the user to print the questions and answers at any time during the Q&A session - either as a record of decisions, or for filling out by another project team member. The Q&A list can be exported to Word.
Navigation Tool - Navigating around specification sections can sometimes be difficult. Altarix includes a built-in tool that allows users to quickly jump to any article and first level paragraph, thereby improving editing efficiency. As specifiers add custom articles, Altarix also automatically adds them to the navigation list - in the correct location.
Notes Tool - ARCOM recognizes that spec writers typically need to make notes while writing and editing specification sections. These notes are often reminders to check on items that need clarification, or notes to other project team members. Altarix makes creating and managing project notes easy by allowing users to:
- Add multiple project notes to any article or paragraph
- Find project notes in the specification text through a notes icon
- View project notes in the Notes Panel Bar
- Graphically indicate whether project notes are resolved or not
- Navigate to the location in the text where a note applies by clicking on the note in the Notes Panel Bar
Status Panel Bar - Altarix is the first software that helps specifiers to keep track of the completion progress of specification writing efforts. Initially, specifiers will be able to track the percentage completion of each section, as well as the last date a section was updated and by whom. This information is aggregated to the project level so one can see overall project completion. Specifiers can also view all sections in the Completion Progress report and export it to Word.
“Altarix’s SpecTools are the latest evolution in providing the tools that design professionals need to easily and quickly create project manuals,” stated Christopher Bushnell, ARCOM’s President and CEO. “Along with the built-in SpecAgent resources and the MasterSpec Supporting Documents, Altarix provides unparalleled productivity enhancements right at your fingertips.”