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OST - 16.01 Importing and Exporting - Overview

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You can import and export information to/from On-Screen Takeoff or even an entire Bid, including image files, if necessary.

What you can export...

Bids list - as a Report (from Print Preview)
Takeoff (Summary) Tab information - to a CSV file, as a Report (from Print Preview), and via Copying/Pasting
Worksheet Tab information - to a CSV file, as a Report (from Print Preview), and via Copying/Pasting
Bid and Takeoff (no images) information - as an OST (Takeoff) File
Bid Package (includes Bid Information Takeoff and (optionally) the Image files) - as an OSP file

If you are looking for information on 'exporting' (printing) the Image Tab (image and takeoff) to a PDF, please see the previous article.

Database (Master Table) Information can be copied to a new database using synchronization, see Related Articles for details.

Note

When you export a bid with images (an OSP Bid Package), we recommend you first collate and organize all your drawings including copying them all to a single main folder. If you leave your images as-is, depending on how the recipient has configured his or her OST, when they try to import your Bid Package, the folder structure may not be setup correctly and the links to those images may be broken.

What you can import...

Caution

You can only import files that were created in the same or older version of On-Screen Takeoff. You cannot import a file created in a newer version than what you are running.

Bids (as an OST Takeoff File (*.ost) or an OSP Bid Package (*.osp)) - covered in the articles that follow
iSqFt Assemblies (so you can setup your Condition Styles quickly)
Employees (using the included template as a starting point, see Related Articles for details)
Master Tables from another database (using synchronization, see Related Articles for more information on synchronizing databases)

Warning

When you import an OSP Bid Package file into a database where the Bid already exists, the original Bid is overwritten (you will be prompted to allow, of course). If you overwrite a Bid, changes made to the existing Bid are lost forever. If in doubt, do not click "Yes" when asked to overwrite the Bid! Create a new database and then import the OSP file into that database. Then copy and paste the Bid into the first database to create a copy of it.

We cover exporting and copying information from the Bids, Takeoff (Summary), and Worksheet Tabs data first, then we discuss exporting and importing bids, and finally, we cover Project Express, which lets you send/receive bid packages, to other OST users, right from within On-Screen Takeoff.

Printing Plans and Takeoff to PDF

Generating and Exporting the Bids, Takeoff, and Worksheet Tabs Reports