Importing into MacNail Estimating

Importing into MacNail

To bring a BidMagic bid into MacNail, switch to the Transfer Manager (see pages 383-386), then use it to run the MacNail part of the transfer.

Preparing an Estimator

If you don't already have a MacNail estimator that has been prepared for the import from BidMagic, follow these steps:
1. Open the Transfer Manager if it's not already open.
2. Choose Clear Estimator from the Bid menu.
3. If an estimator is already open, you'll be asked whether to clear it for use with BidMagic. Otherwise, choose an estimator from the list, then click OK.
4. All existing Specification items will be removed from the estimator, so BidMagic will have a 'clean' file to import into.
WARNING: You may want to save a copy of an estimator before using the Clear Estimator command, so you still have the original version.

Making the Import

To import a BidMagic bid into MacNail, follow these steps:
1. Open the Transfer Manager if it's not already open.
2. Choose Import BidMagic Bid from the Bid menu.
3. You'll be asked to choose a file for import. Click on the export file you just created in BidMagic, then click OK.
4. Choose an estimator into which to send the project, then click OK.
5. Select the options you'd like to use for the import. For a description of each option, see the following page.
6. Detailed information about the BidMagic project will be imported automatically, and the file will be saved under the project name you entered when you exported the bid from BidMagic. For example, if the project name was 'Smith', the bid will be saved as 'Smith Estimate'.
7. Choose Switch to Estimating from the Bid menu to move to MacNail Estimating, so you can finish up the bid in that program.

Import Options

When you import a BidMagic bid into MacNail, you have a few options (see step 5 on the previous page).
Turn on Warn about Problems to be warned whenever an error occurs during the import. In case of an error, the import will stop and show you an alert box.

Click OK to skip the item, and continue with the import. Click Cancel to stop the import completely.
Turn on Add New Items to the Estimate to add items to the MacNail estimate if they are not already there. Turn the option off if you want to use only those items that are already in the MacNail estimate.

Turn on Labor Hours to transfer the skilled and unskilled labor unit prices that were used in BidMagic. Turn the option off if you'd like to keep using the prices that were originally in MacNail.

NOTE: The unskilled wage rate used in BidMagic will be imported into laborwage in MacNail, while the skilled wage rate in BidMagic is imported into carpwage (the carpenter's skilled wage rate). Other wage rates will retain the value they originally had in MacNail.

Turn on Material Prices to import into MacNail the material unit prices used in BidMagic. Turn this option off to continue using the prices that were originally in MacNail.

Turn on Import Formulas to replace the suggested quantity formulas in the MacNail estimate with those created in BidMagic. Item names will also be changed to match those in BidMagic. Turn this option off to retain the names and suggested quantities that were originally in MacNail.