How do I get my Word template to print in Roof Wizard?

The software will use the default report templates created in the CAD software if no Word or Excel template exists.
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This is necessary to ensure that existing operators can continue their use of the software without interruption because of a new reporting template options.
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At any stage you may decide to use MS Word or MS Excel as your template editor and if the software finds a Word or Excel template, that template is used INSTEAD of the default CAD template.
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Over time, we believe that the MS Word template will be the preferred option because of the greater flexibility of the design elements that it affords the user.
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The important difference in the process is that you create a report template using Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel that suits your needs. You will save it as a Word template or Word document and use the default Roof Wizard CAD template name, and the Word template will be used instead.
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That is, QuotationDetails will be saved as QuotationDetails.DOT (Word template file) or QuotationDetails.DOC (Word document file), without spaces; QuotationLetter will be QuotationLetter.DOT etc.
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If created in Excel they will be saved as QuotationDetails.XLT (Excel template file), or QuotationDetails.XLS (Excel spreadsheet file), These files will be saved in the …\User folder for local use or the …\Corporate folder for wider company use. The software looks for the template name as a Word or Excel report option first and if none is found, it uses the CAD template.
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The exception to this is the output of supplier order forms - the CAD template is called OrderForm and is a subfigure in the RoofWiz.DAB file.
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The software knows that it must process each supplier listed in the job material summary in turn, and in doing so generates a separate order form for each supplier whose material is listed in the job. To achieve this, it is dropping in and out of the required order report template. So that the MS Word equivalent is handled the same way, the MS Word template MUST be called OrderFormTemplate.doc and reside in the ..\User folder.
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The MS Word template of the OrderForm must be called ‘OrderFormTemplate.doc’ instead of ‘OrderForm.doc’ for the automatic substitution to take place. The file name reference will still refer to ‘OrderForm’ as shown above.
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The CAD template is called OrderForm and is a subfigure in the RoofWiz.DAB file. As such the software knows that it must process each supplier listed in the job material summary in turn, and in doing so generates a separate order form for each supplier.
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The file format must be Microsoft Office 1997 - 2003 compatible – that is, no XLTS or DOCX formats - as this ensures backwards compatibility as required for some users.

You can however create any other report template with any name so long as these names are listed in the text files called UserReportNames.csv and UserDrawingNames.csv as described later.

The process that the software uses with either Roof Wizard CAD templates or Word/Excel templates is the same – we use regular text and what we call Key Text Strings (KTS). The illustration below shows the different application of the two types of text – ‘Date’ is regular text; ‘###Date’ is a Key Text String.
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You create your required template in MS Word using layout, graphics, text boxes and KeyTextStrings as required for the report you need.
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The first thing you must do is decide what needs to be on your report. The starting point for that would be what you currently use to supply a proposal to your client. Look at the content and the layout. Consider what works now and what has been deficient in the past. Use this opportunity to revamp your proposals.
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Now decide what is ‘regular text’ and type this onto your Microsoft Word/Excel document using the layout and composition functions of MS Word.
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Next type in the Key Text String for the variable you need the software to insert when it creates the output report. There are 100’s of key text strings variables for you to use.
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A complete list of all Key Text String options and their use is described in the Online Reference Guide accessed from the pulldown menu - [Help > Manual]

Note that Word templates allow the use of Headers and Footers and multiple graphics files such as logo’s etc. The best layout will come after some experimentation, so try all the options that come to your mind.

It can all be easily changed to suit your requirements.
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The same process with report templates is used to define the drawing templates for the various roof drawings that typically form part of the client’s proposal.
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To get the roof plan (with or without dimensions) into the Word report, you must create a ‘text box’, a ‘shape’ or a ‘table’ in Word, and add the Key Text String for the required roof drawing, such as ###RoofImage[n] into the shape, table or text box.
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Important note for old format templates: As of the April 2017 Windows 10 product update, Microsoft disabled the ability to insert Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) graphics into Office documents in order to address a known vulnerability with Windows and make MS Office more secure.
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It happens that the old key text string ###RoofDrawing found on some older templates used an EPS file to get the roof plan from Roof Wizard to MS Word. Without that translator, the Roof Wizard crashes. (We have an FAQ tip to re-instate the EPS translator). However, AppliCad recommends that you change your template(s) so that the EPS translator is no longer required.

To do this remove ###RoofDrawing from all your templates and replace with ###RoofImage[n]. THIS IS THE BEST LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
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More details about how to take advantage of the ###RoofImage[n] are described in the next section.
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Apart from overcoming the Windows/EPS issue, it provides a lot more flexibility to how you present your roof plan.
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Saving the Template for Re-Use
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All the standard reports and drawings may be modified to suit the requirements of your business. This includes adding new reports using an existing template structure or to simply changing the name of a report or drawing as it appears in the list of operator options.
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Once you have created your template, save it to the ..\User folder (typically C:\AppliCad\Roof Wizard\User) using a name that makes sense to you and is easy to find later.

Now you must add it to your list of report options.
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This is achieved by creating a translation or lookup table that defines the structure of the report/drawing and its name. There are two files – UserReportNames.csv and UserDrawingNames.csv.
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Being a CSV file format, they may be edited in Microsoft Excel or Notepad.

​Typical UserReportNames.csv file​

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In the case of the Drawing Reports, the form of these is more strictly controlled and the output style is determined by the information that is automatically extracted from your model data and inserted on to the drawing report form by the software. For this reason, the drawing type must also be specified so that the required details for that drawing style are added.
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​​Typical UserDrawingNames.csv file

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Standard CAD User Reports and Drawing Reports may be given any name that suits you, simply by editing column 'A' in the UserReportNames.csv or UserDrawingNames.csv file to add your new template name. For example, a generic Report template called UserForm1 can be renamed in the table as, say, Special Form and that is the name that will appear in the list for selection for processing - as shown above.
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With CAD report templates, the report or drawing template must exist as a Sub-figure in the database RoofWiz.dab (as shown in the example list above). The standard Sub-Figure name in RoofWizard.DAB file must not be changed.

For new user defined Word/Excel templates, Column 'B' is actual file name of the Word or Excel template file without the extension letters (n.DOC or n.XLS) of additional user defined templates. Column 'A' is the name you wish to appear in the report/drawing list.
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Process
When the reporting process is run, the software looks for the Word DOC or DOT first (for example QuotationForm.doc) and if it finds a doc or template file, it runs it.
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If no Word DOC or DOT file is found, then it looks for an Excel XLS or XLT (for example QuotationForm.xls) and finally it searches for the standard CAD form that is the sub-figure in Roofwiz.dab (for example QuotationForm).
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​​Exception to the Rule

NB - There is one exception to this rule – the MS Word template of the OrderForm must be called ‘OrderFormTemplate.doc’ instead of ‘OrderForm.doc’ for the automatic substitution to take place. The file name reference will still refer to ‘OrderForm’ as shown above.
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The CAD template is called OrderForm and is a subfigure in the RoofWiz.DAB file. As such the software knows that it must process each supplier listed in the job material summary in turn, and in doing so generates a separate order form for each supplier.
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So that the MS Word equivalent is handled the same way, the MS Word template MUST be called OrderFormTemplate.doc and reside in the ..\User folder.

TableFormats.csv
When you use a Word template with tables such as cutting lists or material lists, the format of the table should be set so that the appearance of the table and the layout of the table is controlled by the user. As highlighted below, you need to have the key text string for each table (1), the Word table appearance option (2) and the cell size for each column in the table (3).

NB - It is essential, indeed, compulsory to have a table format setting for EVERY key text string table that you use in each and every report template.
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How it All Works
A report template may be a Word DOC or a Word template; an Excel XLS or an Excel template.
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If a Word/Excel document template exists in the user folder, say QuotationLetter.DOC designed by the operator to suit the needs of the business, the AppliCad software will use this template as the basis of the report instead of the default AppliCad CAD template.
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When you select Print from the Supply Only dialog or Supply+Install dialog

The process pulls up the list of report options.
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The list or reports available is on the left-hand side of the box and to move the required reports to print, double click it or select it and then click the [>] arrow button.
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Select [OK] and the process begins. Depending on the settings in the Preferences Microsoft Word will be displayed and show the form being completed and a print dialog may also be displayed, providing the opportunity to select one of your network printers, or 'Print to PDF' and save a PDF report file.
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