How to: Use the custom preamble tool.

Environment: Comsense Advantage

In this article:

About Preambles

Preamble Generation Methods

Preambles are section of a submittal that describes how to read the document. Preambles may include general notes, swing charts, or any other information that is useful to the reader. Comsense has two preamble generation methods:

• Using the custom preamble tool
• Using a Generic Preamble Document

We recommend using the custom preamble tool if your preambles are different for most projects. We recommend using the generic preamble document if your company's preambles are the same for most projects. Your company should only use one preamble generation method because of the nature of the file location and system behavior. If you are unsure which preamble method is best for your company, Contact Support.

Custom Preamble Documents

The custom preamble tool creates a preamble using different preamble sections. Preamble sections are a portion of your preamble such as general notes or swing charts. The preamble tool allows you to upload different sections to the system and select the required sections at the time of preamble generation. 

Your common folder is prepopulated with two empty .doc preamble files. The empty files are called:

• DF Preamble.doc
• Hdw Preamble.doc

Do not remove these files or update the document contents. The files must be in the common folder and be empty for the custom preamble document tool to function properly.

Adding Preamble Sections

Before uploading the preamble sections to Comsense, you must complete and save the preamble section word documents as individual files .doc files e.g. General Notes.doc, Swing Chart.doc, Keying Information.doc, etc. Always be aware of formatting and how it behaves with the submittal tool options e.g. headers, footers, margins, etc.

*Tip: Use Key Fields to auto-populate project data in the preamble sections.

Accessing Preamble Sections

Advantage > Maintenance > Preamble Sections

Uploading Preamble Sections

Preamble sections sort by the type column in ascending order numerically and alphabetically. If there is a standard of preference for your company, we recommend numbering each section type in your desired order using a three-digit value e.g. 001 General Notes, 002 Hardware, 003 Swing Chart, etc.

In the fillable line item:

1. Enter the section type & section description

2. Click ...

In the File Explorer:

3. Select the .doc file
4. Click OK

5. Repeat steps 1-4 for each section
6. Click OK

The preamble sections are now available for the custom preamble document tool.

Creating a Custom Preamble

You must create the custom preamble for your project in the Preamble window before creating your submittal with a preamble.

Accessing Preamble

Advantage > Detailing > Preamble

Selecting the Preamble Sections & Options

*Note: Always confirm the project number before creating the preamble.

In the Preamble window:

1. Select the required preamble sections using the Select checkboxes

In the Preamble Template pane:

2. Select Hardware or Door-Frame

In the File Options pane:

3. Select Append or Replace
   • Append adds the selected sections to the current file
   • Replace replaces the current file with a file containing the selected sections

4. Click Create Preamble
   • The word document will open

If your preamble requires any minor modifications:

5. Update the word document
6. Click Save

Your project now has a custom preamble for your project's submittal. The preamble file is in the project's related documents folder.

Using the Preamble in a Submittal

To use the preamble in your submittal, Add the preamble as the first line item in the New Submittal Tool.