Add specifications and elevations

You build a proposal on its Elevations tab from two things:

• A specification sets the product for a group of openings: the type of system, the product system (a manufacturer's framing line), its product validation and the finish.
• An elevation is a front-view drawing of one opening that uses that product: its size, its grid of lites (glass panels) and any doors. Each specification can hold many elevations.

You can add, change or remove specifications and elevations until the proposal is finalized, and only while the project is open. After the proposal is finalized, the tab is read-only.

For a short summary of these steps in the app, click Learn more on an empty Elevations tab.

Add a specificationCopy Anchor Link

1. Open the proposal and go to the Elevations tab.
2. Click Add specification.
3. Click a system type, such as Storefront & entrance, Curtain wall or Window.
4. Click a product system. Each row shows a picture of the system. You can search by name, manufacturer or system type, and filter by manufacturer. Your company's own systems have a Your company badge.
5. Click a product validation. A product validation is a test or approval document for the product system. Each card shows the authority that issued it, its document number, the largest size it allows and its design pressure (the wind load it is rated for, in pounds per square foot). If there is only one validation and you can pick it, BidUnity picks it for you and skips this step.
6. Fill in the details:
   • Specification name: up to 100 characters, unique within the proposal.
   • Finish color and Finish type: the finish for the specification's parts. The types on offer depend on the color.
   • Finish display name: the name shown for the finish. BidUnity fills it in from the color and type, and you can change it. If you change the color or type afterwards, BidUnity replaces the name, so set it last.
   • To charge more or less for the finish, click Modify the finish price and set Multiply finish price by (from 0 to 1000).
   • Glass layers: shows only when the system's glass has layers. Click it to open it. Each layer has a dropdown for each of its glass settings, already set to the defaults. Change any you need.
7. Click Create specification.

The specification appears on the Elevations tab, ready for elevations.

Some product systems and validations show a note under their name:

• "Add a vendor to your company first: none of your vendors price this system's parts". You can still pick it, but you need to add a vendor before you can choose a finish.
• "No finish options: no vendor prices this system's parts". It is greyed out, listed last, and you can't pick it.

If the product system doesn't appear, your company may not have the right vendors set up. If you see "You cannot create a specification for this validation", none of your company's vendors offer a finish for it. The message lists vendors to add to your company's vendor list, with a Vendor configuration link that opens in a new tab. Only company admins can add vendors. See Choose vendors and set multipliers. If no vendors are listed, ask an admin to check the product system setup.

If some parts have no price in the finish you picked, a warning tells you how many. Those parts will be priced in a different finish.

Add an elevationCopy Anchor Link

1. On the Elevations tab, find the specification.
2. Click Add elevation.
3. Lay out the elevation in the elevation editor and click Save. See Use the elevation editor.

To change an elevation later, click it to open it in the editor.

Edit a specificationCopy Anchor Link

1. Click Edit on the specification. On a smaller screen, open the specification's menu and click Edit specification.
2. Change the name, finish details or Glass layers.
3. Click Save changes.

If the specification already has elevations and you change the Finish color, Finish type or Multiply finish price by, BidUnity asks you to confirm first. Click Continue. BidUnity then rebuilds the parts and pricing for that specification, and the available parts and prices may change. If you change only the Finish display name, the parts keep their prices and selections.

To see how the product validation is set up, click Config (or View configuration in the menu). It opens in a new tab. See Edit product validations and components.

Change a specification's systemCopy Anchor Link

You can move a specification to another product system of the same system type, for example to price the same openings in a different manufacturer's framing line. The drawn sizes of its elevations stay.

1. Click Edit on the specification (or Edit specification in its menu).
2. Click Change system.
3. In New product system, pick the system. Only systems of the same system type are listed. If there are none, you see "No other system of this system type is available."
4. Pick a product validation for the new system.
5. If the new validation offers the specification's current finish, check the Specification name. If it doesn't, choose a new Finish color and Finish type, and check the name and other finish details.
6. Click Review changes.
7. Read the review. It has these sections, each listing the elevations it affects. System-derived choices reset always shows. The other two show only when they apply.
   • System-derived choices reset: the framing members, receptors and glass switch to the new validation's defaults, each door gets the new frame's standard door and components, and the parts you chose on the pricing pages are cleared. Sizes, door openings and custom door components stay.
   • Constraint flags: framing members that fail a check with the new system. These don't stop the change, but check those elevations afterwards.
   • The system cannot be changed: problems that stop the change, for example a door the new system can't hold. If any elevation has one, you can't confirm. Pick another New product system or validation (the review clears so you can run it again), or click Back to return to the specification details.
8. Click Confirm system change.

BidUnity rebuilds the specification's parts and pricing for the new system, picking the lowest prices, and you see "Pricing rebuild started". Until you click Confirm system change, nothing changes. Click Back to return to the specification details.

You can change a specification's system only while the proposal is Open and the project is open.

Check an elevation's partsCopy Anchor Link

1. Click Parts (or Parts list) on the elevation. On a small screen, open the elevation's menu and click Parts list.
2. Review the Elevation parts list. It lists each part with its size, component and location, plus the parts for any doors.

You can switch between View as sortable table and View table grouped by part, and pick the length unit. The list shows parts for one copy of the elevation, even when its quantity is more than 1.

Remove a specification or an elevationCopy Anchor Link

• To remove an elevation, click its delete icon (or Delete elevation in its menu), then click Delete elevation to confirm.
• To remove a specification, click its delete icon (or Delete specification in its menu), then click Delete specification to confirm. This also deletes all of its elevations.

You can't undo either one.

Switch the viewCopy Anchor Link

Two icon buttons at the right of the tab bar switch the view. Table view (the default) lists every elevation in one table, with its specification, drawing, quantity, opening size, columns and rows, and doors. Cards view groups the elevations under each specification. BidUnity remembers your choice in this browser and uses it for every proposal you open.

Next stepCopy Anchor Link

When every opening is in, click Price & quote proposal. This button stays off until the proposal has at least one elevation. See Price a proposal.