UDS Green Industry Software, Inc. Newsletter
July 2005
This newsletter is a must read for any ActiveApplications customer. ActiveApplications Version 8 is almost complete. The last of the program changes are made. Final testing is being run as you read this text. We have significantly enhanced our support and Brian has moved to Florida.
Topics in this newsletter:
New Instant Messaging support service is now available.
ActiveApplications Version 8 is available soon
Playmaker Play list
Changing a security setting to allow help to display within AA
Active (portable) Estimating adds Costing options
Brian Has Moved
Travel Schedule
Release 8 is now available.
Preliminary reports on Version 8
Much More…
Version 8 of ActiveApplications will be available soon!
You update CD of AA version 8 should be mailed to you soon. Look for it in the mail.
New Service Added to Support Services
Effective immediately we are adding a new way to contact UDS Support. It is called Skype instant messaging. It is better than email because you know immediately if anyone is available. It is more convenient than a phone because you do not have to dial and deal with the dreaded voice mail. It is also easy to conference multiple people if outside consultation is needed. A bonus feature is that a text chat session can easily be turned into a phone call if your PC is equipped with a microphone and speakers. Better yet it costs you nothing! See the technical details on our www.activeapplications.com web site.
I have seen the light!
Recently we discovered a new tool that makes your PC more functional and reduces the cost of making some phone calls. It is called Skype instant messaging. It fits in nicely with Brian moving to Florida. It will increase our service level to you and help us control the cost of phone service. At the same time Skype instant messaging is a superior method of staying in touch within a far flung company.
For many years Jeff, Wes, and I have been using Microsoft’s instant messaging to communicate between us. In the office and when Brian is on the road we have regular IM conversations. Although a few customers have joined our little group from time to time, we have not actively announced our availability on this platform. With this announcement we could change the way you contact UDS email support service.
Our policy on email support is 2 day maximum response time. Although during the business day it is seldom more than a few minutes, the unknown can be frustrating. With IM you will know immediately if anyone is available to answer your question. If we need to ask a question in return it will be quicker, too.
In addition to the ability to transfer files and have instant text messaging you can have an “on line” phone conversation. Through the speakers and microphone on your computer you can have a conversation with one or multiple other persons.
Instructions for signing up for the Skype account can be found on www.activeapplications.com web site or go directly to www.skype.com This will be the IM format supported by UDS.
Skype has other services that you may be interested in reviewing visit the www.skype.com web site for information on those services. They offer inexpensive long distance phone calls and other services you might be interested in.
Once you sign up for Skype you can request to connect to Skype address weswhiteuds for support. Jeff is also available at jeff_uds. Brian has two names one for his desktop PC and one for his Tablet PC they are briandontje or briandontjefl. We look forward to hearing from you.
New menu option: “Playmaker Play List”
Some of you have viewed one or more Active Help Plays and appreciated them. Many of you would take advantage of them more often if it were just more convenient. Release 8 of Active Accounting answers this need with a new menu added under the Help button on the main menu. A “Playmaker Play List” option will appear that lists all current Plays by application. Though the order in which these Plays are listed takes a ‘start-to-finish’ approach, any Play may be selected from the list for viewing at any time, even while Active Accounting is open and running. The Active Accounting user now has the option to view a Help Play or use their F1 key to read printed help.
What are Active Help Plays?
Active Help Plays are animated training presentations that explain a particular feature, function, or benefit within Active Applications. There is a "Help Agent" resembling a cartoon character that talks, moves around, and sometimes makes life-like gestures to further articulate important information being presented.
Why view Active Help Plays?
For many of us Active Plays offer the quickest method for familiarizing ourselves with what we need to know to use the software. All the viewer has to do is select the Play they are interested in viewing, sit back, then watch and listen. Plays are particularly useful for demonstrating procedures and processes from start to finish. Realism is enhanced through the extensive use of screen images taken from the actual software.
Active Help Plays are now even easier to use!
Two capabilities have been added making learning from Active Help Plays easier: There is now a “Step” button that when pressed, causes the Play to wait for the user to press the “>>” forward button to advance the Play one step at a time or the “<<” backward button to play it in reverse one step at a time. The user can now progress at there own pace rather than the tempo at which the Play is presented. The second new feature is a “Text” button that when pressed will cause the help agent’s entire dialog to be viewable all at once. This makes searching for and finding a key word or description much easier. This would be especially true if it were one’s simple desire to review the contents of the Play.
How will new Active Help Plays be distributed?
A new and exciting feature has been added to the Active Estimating product. Job Costing in a limited format has been added to Active Estimating. Bringing the ability to complete an Estimate, Job, Job Costing Transactions and a bill all in one program.
If you are familiar with the Job Create screen, then creating new Jobs in the Active Estimating program will be no problem. The same goes for Job Costing Transaction Create and Job Cost Immediate Billing. All three of these functions have been put in to one program as a Report in Active Estimating.
Some limits do apply, as you do not have access to the full Active Accounting program. Any Jobs that have been created in Active Accounting are not available to the Active Estimating program. The Job Costing Transfer routine does not bring Jobs from the Main system back out to the Active Estimating system. It only pushes the information into the Main System. Also once that information has been posted to the main system, it is not available for the Active Estimating System. These are limits to maintain consistency of data on the main system.
The new program will work great for small jobs that can be started and completed in a day a two and the Job, Job Transactions and Billing can be done at the job site.
Look for this new function available in Release 8 coming soon.
Does Your F1 Key Still Load On-Line Help?
If you have not pressed your F1 Key on your keyboard in a while to bring up the on-line help system, you might want to try it. A recent security update from Microsoft has affected many of our customer’s ability to start the help system. Usually a message, such as, “Page Canceled” or “Action Canceled” or some similar message will appear instead of help documentation.
A change must be made to any workstation experiencing this problem. We ask that you contact your System Administrator and have them follow this link: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=896054 for complete directions on how to add a registry option that will allow the user to then use their F1 Key again to summon “Help”.
On our “Tips & Techniques” web page: http://www.activeapplications.com/Tips%20&%20Techniques/Tips%20&%20Techniques.htm there is an article named: “F1 Action Cancelled’ that discusses the issue in greater detail.
In closing we should mention that this issue is not particular to just the UDS Active Applications on-line help file, but in fact affects all other manufacturers compiled help files as well. Therefore if your system administrator performs the necessary adjustment they will also be enabling any other program’s “Help” residing on a shared drive or Server.
Brian has moved
After years of preparation, Brian has moved to Hudson, Florida. You can still
reach him through the phone system at extension 203. The calls are transferred
to his cell phone. His home phone number is 727 869 0183 if you would like to
contact him directly. “I promise to answer your calls in the same way I did
while in the office.” is Brian’s only comment. Brian’s duties have not changed
only his location has. He will still be traveling quite a bit, too. The current
plan is for the rest of the office to stay as it is at the same address in
Grand Rapids. Services should not be affected. Eventually he will get another
phone number for a home office.
UDS will be at the following trade shows this summer:
Ohio Short Course Columbus OH July 10 to 12
SNA Atlanta, GA August 11 to 13
Farwest Show Portland OR August 25 to 27
Perhaps the Florida Nursery Allied Trade Show in September