Note: Most of the changes to the Design Module listed below were added as part of the unofficial 3.2.140 and 3.2.141 interim releases. Version 4.1.005 is the official release for the Design module, while 4.1.006 includes all new features in the Purchasing Module.

General

[New] FF&EZ uses a new installer for all versions. Some users have been prevously provided with this installer due to incompatibilities between the old installer and some Windows systems, however we have now standardized on the "InnoSetup" installer.  In order to allow a "clean" removal of the older software at your convenience, the new version's program file is installed in a different folder and uses "FF&EZ 4" as part of the icon name. This transition has no effect on your data location, although you may be prompted to locate the FFEZ.DBC file again if the new version cannot locate the saved data set path.

[New] A printing engine with a more powerful previewing mode has been introduced on all report screens. This includes new zoom settings and the ability to view multiple pages on screen and select pages to view from thumbnails. You can also search for text within the preview to find a specific section quickly.

The new engine can print the increasingly more common PNG files without need to convert them to JPEGs.

The preview option in the new engine can also export directly to PDF, Excel and HTML files using a "Save" option (the blue disk icon below). 

Note that formatting for Excel and HTML output may be different from the printed or PDF version, depending on the complexity of a particular report or may require further formatting. On systems that do not have Excel or a "flavor" of OpenOffice installed, the resulting spreadsheet file will be in XML format (which can be opened by Excel).

In addition to the preview's "Save" options, a new Print>PDF command has been added to directly create PDF files when printing reports.

Always use this option if you want to create compact PDF files with selectable text. In most cases, this option will pre-fill the file name with an appropriate suggestion, which you can change if needed by entering a name or by selecting an existing file to replace. When using this option, the system will automatically use the FF&EZ-Export folder as the target location (enhanced in 4.1.010).

Note that for long reports, this previewer may take longer to generate the preview file, so the original previewer is still available by right-clicking on the Preview button. Important: the older "fast" previewer will not print PNG files correctly if you use the small "Print" button that is part of the that preview's floating menu. Use the regular preview or the Print button for the final report.

Notes:

• There is more detail about the new preview options in the updated "Producing Reports" section.
• If you print to a PDF printer (instead of directly to a PDF file with [>PDF]), the resulting PDF files will be in the PDF "image" format, in which text cannot be edited or selected.
• The advanced engine is automatically selected as the default. You can select which report engine will be the default by using main screen's Setup command. If you select the older "legacy" engine, FF&EZ will attempt to convert new PNG image files to JPEG files. However, the transparency layer of PNG files may not convert cleanly and we recommend that you manually convert these in a photo editor if you plan to use the older print engine.
• On some Windows 10 systems, reports may print enlarged (that is, not fitting on the page or in the expanded preview window) unless the following property of the FF&EZ program icon is set: Compatibility> Disable display scaling on high DPI settings. It may also appear as "Override high DPI scaling behavior" on some systems.

[Fixed] On the Reports Setup screen, it was difficult to change or remove "Title" or "Subtitle" text after saving one in a saved report definition.

[Enhanced] [3.3.141] For systems installed as a shared application or on a terminal server, the system has improved prompts to help resolve instances of inadvertent multiple user connections or log-ins by the same user.

[Enhanced] [3.3.141] On the Setup command on the main screen, the "System Information" tab now shows the location of the FF&EZ program file. This tab also has a new Statistics button that will produce a list of useful statistics about your system's database and image library.

Main Screen

[Fixed] When choosing one of the backup shortcuts activated with a modified click on the main screen's Quit button, the choice of canceling the backup and remaining in the program was being ignored for the Shift-click and Ctrl-click options.

Client List

Modified: The "Main:" label under "Addresses" was changed to "Street:" to avoid confusion over how the first two fields are used on reports. When printed on a document, all "main" addresses automatically use the company name from the same screen in the first line.

Project List

[Enhanced] The billing options have been numbered for easier reference.

More changes are covered under "Purchasing Module" below (these are not applicable unless you have that version).

Vendor List

The "Shipping Mgr" flag has been re-labeled as "Staging/warehouse" to better reflect the purpose of this flag. This change has also been propagated to the Order screen. Other than the labeling, the system treats this field in the same way it did before.

FF&E Worksheet

[Enhanced] The image displayed on the Worksheet now changes to show the image associated with any secondary component specs as you click on them in the "FF&E Summary" section.

[Fixed] The Utilities> Export command was crashing when it was run with a query that included the "Supplier ID" or "Supplier Name" in a condition. The Supplier ID option now includes the supplier information as expected.

[Fixed] The "Export to Windows clipboard" export option was not processing long descriptions in the same way as the normal "export to file" method did.

[Fixed] Adding the first room to a new project using the Worksheet's  Create New Room command was causing a "trigger failed" error (this error did not occur when adding the first room directly on the Room Screen).

Modified: When printing the "Budget / Price Comparison by Area, Room" report, the default setting for the option "Substitute object budget when one of its components has not been priced?" has been changed to not selected. This is to avoid producing confusing results for users who are not familiar with this option.

When you print this report without selecting this option, the object prices will reflect only the prices that have been entered on the specs. Select this option if you have entered object budgets and wish to have them substituted on the report when specification pricing is incomplete (so as to better estimate the total actual cost of the project).

Modified: On the "Illustration Sheet" reports, the existing option "If showing detail, show quantity needed for each component" is no longer selected by default. This particular quantity can be confused with the total quantity of the object shown below it. You can still select the option if you prefer to show this quantity.

[Enhanced] [4.1.002] In order to match the equivalent option when creating  orders, the "Ordering Worksheet" report now has a "Sum component price to primary order item?" option if you also use the option to print the "sell" price. This is available in the Design version also. The option will sum the total sell price for a multi-component object to the primary product component of that object. Secondary components will show a price of zero and the report totals (if enabled) will show the same net total. Costs are not affected.

[Fixed] "FF&E Schedule by Area, Room" - this report had an option to include the object "Notes" field, but the feature had not been implemented in that particular report (on other "FF&E Schedule" reports, the option worked as expected). [Enhanced] This report now includes an option to print a "Status" block on each item to be used as a basic punch list. A "Start each room on a new page" option allows you to print sheets for each room or room type.

Modified: The Utilities> Setup Check command automatically excludes the "Image only" specification type from these queries. This special type normally has a zero cost and price and can be added to an object with a zero quantity, so it creates unnecessary "false positives" when running the setup checks for possible problems.

Deprecated  The two "Quote/Contract... (Budget-based)" reports have been moved to the "legacy" group. These caused confusion in new users because they only reflected object budget amounts. These were added for a special purpose and rarely if ever used. You can still access these reports by enabling the "Include legacy reports" or if you saved one with custom options.

Specifications

[Enhanced] The "Size" field has been increased to 65 characters to allow more complex size entries. The field length on the screen has been increased, but will "slide" to allow entering the full input length.

Clarified: The "Material spec" checkbox has been re-labeled as "Material / Finish spec" to better indicate how this flag is to be used. Any specification that might appear as a material or finish on a color board should be marked with this flag. As before, you should continue to mark any objects with the "FIN" class if you want them to appear on Room Finish Schedules (specifications used as room finishes are simply a subset of the general "material / finish" type).

[New] A "Repeat" field (10 characters) has been added to supplement existing fields such as "Size" and "Mat'l/Finish" for use with material specs. This is in preparation for introducing an "intermediate" level of detail on reports. This level will include the "Type" field plus these basic descriptive fields but not the long description.

[Enhanced] The "Image only" spec type now allows you to enter some of the basic description fields, such as "Size," "Color," etc. This will allow a little more detail in the descriptions for this type of non-ordering specification without too much duplication.

[Enhanced] The "Usage" list on the Spec screen now shows the primary vendor for the object in which the spec is used. This will make it easier to identify where a product needs to be shipped, especially where a product such as a fabric is used in more than one object. Also, when the "Ship-to Exceptions" display is visible, a selected vendor's address now displays in the address box.

[Enhanced] Both the manual process of attaching images and the Auto-Image utility now attempt to detect and correct corrupted images and images with the wrong file type extension. If a correction is not possible, Auto-Image will continue to process other images. The manual process will cancel the attachment process so you can correct the image or retrieve a new one. The manual version will also let you know if an image was corrected.

PNG files are now able to be used without need for conversion if you use the new printing engine (which is the default).

[Fixed] If a specification was edited by double-clicking it on either the FF&E Worksheet or the Object List screen, the Save as "Revised" command did not return you to the calling screen like the regular Save command did.

[Enhanced] [4.1.002] The "Specification Status" reports now include the "Shipping Note, Date" fields.

(These only apply if you have the Design/Purchasing version) These features were officially released in Version 4.1.002.

Project List

[New] (Design/Purchasing version only) Billing Options controls:

1. You can set up how quantity variances are invoiced (either as changes to the original quantity or reflected in purchasing fees). This does not affect check requests, but gives you more flexibility in how you bill clients for your work.
2. When creating orders for A) objects that have more than one component in B) a for-profit project, you can have the extended sell price for all components "rolled up" into the sell price of the primary component. This is similar to the technique of using a -100% markup to create "cost only" secondary components, but achieves the same effect automatically during order conversion.

The new feature for the object sell price does not affect objects that have only one component but if you create objects with multiple components in cost/sell projects, you will want to learn how these work.

FF&E Worksheet

[New] The Order... command now includes a "List secondary components that are ordered separately" option. When using the Order command to create new purchase orders from objects that have multiple components, this option will automatically list a brief reference to the secondary components on the order item for the primary component.

For example, if you have created a chair object that includes two fabrics as secondary components on the object's Component List, the order for the chair will have a section at the bottom that lists these additional components as "COMPONENTS ORDERED SEPARATELY" (you can change this text by using the Setup command).

[New] "Sum component price to primary order item" option for the Order command. When using the Order command to create new purchase orders from objects that have multiple components, this option will sum the cost of all components to the primary component of the object and set the sell price of the other components to zero. This option defaults to your selection for it on the Project Screen. More information is in the Project List entry for the Purchasing Module.

[Enhanced] [3.2.140] The Search tool under the Worksheet list now includes  the "PO # / Export ID" field to allow searching for a particular PO. Using the "Find all" option will create a quick query showing all primary items that were converted to a particular order. This field is also available for Design systems with the Orders Export plug-in.

[Enhanced] The "Usage" text that is generated when order items are created now handles different kinds of quantities and units with more readability.

[Enhanced] The Order... command's process to create orders from FF&E now cross-checks the "last order number" value against the order list. It updates the stored control value on the Setup screen if it is less than the highest-numbered existing order.

Orders

[New] See reference to "Billing Options controls" in the "Project List" section above. Be sure you understand what these new options can do for you prior to creating new orders, especially if you create objects with multiple components.

[Enhanced] The "Shipping Mgr" option under "Instructions to Vendor..." has been relabeled as "To staging/warehouse" to better reflect the purpose of this field. Only vendors that have been flagged as a "Staging/warehouse" vendor will appear on the associated pick list.

[Enhanced] Both the "To another vendor" and newly labeled "To staging/warehouse" options under "Instructions to Vendor..." now have a New button that will allow you to create a new vendor while editing an order.

If you use these options, the shipping address displayed to the left now shows the full address that you have selected so that it can be verified.

[Fixed] When an issued order item was edited but not changed, clicking on Save was adding an empty line at the top of the Revision Notes.

[Fixed] Under a rare but specific set of circumstances, moving from the Expediting screen to the Order List screen and then immediately double-clicking an order item was editing the wrong item.

[Fixed] The original version of the two "Deposit Status" reports relied on either the tax rate percentage or the actual vendor invoice amounts and was not updated when the "tax quote" and "freight quote" fields were added. This now uses the quote amounts (if any) and then the tax rate (if any) to calculate the basis on which deposit amounts are required. The use of the actual vendor invoice amounts is now an option, but only for orders where all items have been invoiced by the vendor.

[Enhanced] A new column has been added to the "Vendor Payment List by Project" report. It is the "Estimated Total Remaining" amount, which uses the original FF&E amount, freight quote and tax quote or calculation (if any) to calculate an estimated amount remaining for each order, with subtotals for each vendor and project. This is an estimated amount, because the amounts required for orders where the vendor has not sent a final invoice are not known. The "amount remaining" for a finished order may not be exactly zero unless the vendor's invoicing exactly matches the original quoted amounts.

[Fixed] A problem in the display of shipping addresses was crashing  the system when the order list was completely empty.

Expediting

[Enhanced] You can override the project's setting for how quantity variances are invoiced on an item-by-item basis. Normally, this is never needed, but it gives you the flexibility to not invoice a variance in a project where they are normally included in the invoicing. This is controlled for each item/split by a checkbox next to the variance options.

[New]  The Unsplit Item command is used to merge the last split created for an order item and the "parent" split from which it was created. This is primarily used to correct a split that was created by mistake and there are specific conditions under which you can use it (the sooner you realize you need to use it, the better).

[New] "Shipper" field now has a New button to allow you to add a new shipper or freight company while updating an order item. Vendors created with this button are automatically flagged as a "Shipper."

New When an order is shipped, you can now record the ISO shipping container number in the "Container #" field.

The ISO format is an eleven character ID that has this pattern: 

OOOT999999C

...where O=owner code, T=Type, 9=serial number and C=Check digit.  Example: ABCU1534568.

In FF&EZ, an automatic visual separation (OOOT 999999 C) is used between the major sections to make it easier to read (do not enter spaces yourself). The system checks the entry against the basic rules for the ISO format. This includes verifying the check digit. This field appears on the "Expediting Status List" reports.

The "Container #" field is available for use with the "Search" tool under the Expediting List as well as in queries.

A new "Expediting Status Report by Container, Vendor" has been added to print reports showing container contents.

[New] The Update Order Status command now includes the "Container #" as one of the fields that can be updated for the whole order. The command's "Shipper" field now has a New button to allow you to add a new shipper or freight company while updating an order.

Renamed: After the introduction of the more comprehensive "Expediting Status Report" format, the "Expediting List Report" and the "Expediting Report" formats have been renamed to the "Shipping List" and "Shipping Report," since these older formats show only shipping information. Existing saved report options will continue to use the report title that was saved with the options.

[Fixed] The "Reset vendor invoice entries and amounts for this order" option on the Update Order Status command was not properly updating the "Dep. Applied" field on the Order screen.

[Fixed] Removing an existing variance from an item/split (as opposed to changing it) was not updating the control quantity correctly.

Processing

[New] The primary document production commands ("Issue Orders," etc.) now have a Print Final >PDF option to print directly to a PDF file without need to select a PDF printer. As before, the system will pause before each document to allow you to enter a file location and name. However, this differs from the older option of printing to a PDF printer in that an automatically generated name will be pre-filled in the file name dialog. You can override this name as desired or select an existing file to replace. When using this option, the system will automatically select the FF&EZ-Export folder as the target location.

Processing:
Issue Deposit Request / Issue Balance Request

[Enhanced] This command now cross-checks the "last check request number" value against the request list. It updates the stored control value on the Setup screen if it is less than the highest-numbered existing check request.

Processing:
Print Invoices

[New] "Invoicing backup format" If you are issuing "official" invoices from your accounting system based on FF&EZ invoices, you can now print the FF&EZ invoice as a backing document instead of an invoice, using this option. If this is your standard way to use FF&EZ invoices, you can make this option the default using the main screen's Setup> System Options.

This option changes some of the labeling on the invoice to make it more suitable for use with an official invoice created on your accounting system. The document will be labeled "Invoicing Detail" instead of "Invoice" and it will display a "document number" instead of an "invoice number."  Also, the "Remit to" block will refer the reader to the official invoice for this information to prevent any confusion between the two systems.

[New] When issuing or re-printing invoices, you can now control whether order items that have no billing amount are processed and whether they appear on the invoice. The first part of this is controlled by the option: "Process items with no billing amount?"

Prior to this version, order items that had no sell price or which had no fee associated with them would be processed along with other items. This is the normal process, since it is better for those items to "process out" of the set of uninvoiced items in the system. This option now allows you to exclude those items if there is a reason to avoid processing them at the time you create the invoice. The default is for this to be "selected."

"Print on invoice?" If you allow the "no billing amount" items to be processed, they will still not appear on the invoice unless you also select this option. In that case they will be marked as "no charge" to avoid confusion. The normal setting is to not print them, since this situation is most common in for-profit projects where secondary object components are ordered with a cost but their "sell" price is incorporated in the sell price for the primary object component.

The "Print on invoice?" option only affects standard invoices and custom invoices created after this version. Existing custom invoices will continue to print all items that are included in the processing set.

[Enhanced] This command now cross-checks the "last invoice number" value against the invoice list. It updates the stored control value on the Setup screen if it is less than the highest-numbered existing invoice.

Processing:
Close Orders

[Fixed] Under the Print List option, the "Purchase Order Close List" reports were crashing due to an incorrect table reference. The summary versions printed without a problem.