GRIM File Format

A GRIM (Generic Roof Interface Method) file is designed to facilitate the transfer of roof geometry and roof material costing data between AppliCad and other computer systems such as accounting and business management or ERP systems.
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The process assumes that a business wants to minimize data entry and/or re-use data across the enterprise that is entered already when a job is started.
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The job management system may be any number of proprietary management information systems that firms have to provide some degree of control over jobs, accounts, stock etc.
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Creating the text file in GRIM format is simply a matter of writing a query in the job management system and saving the data in the appropriate form as described below.
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It can then be picked up by one of AppliCad’s programs (Roof X), either automatically or manually, and used without re-entering the data.
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AppliCad’s program models the roof geometry, automatically extracts roof details such as lengths, areas etc. and writes an output text file that may be picked up in a similar way and used by the job management system.
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AppliCad’s programs do provide basic job management functions, but interfacing with advanced systems provides the tools to manage jobs at a much higher level.
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Typical users of this process will be medium to large roofing contractors and material suppliers that offer job lots for their clients.
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The process marries up advanced job management and accounting with advanced roof modelling and take-off and closes the job management loop.
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Data may be created in the business’s management system and saved as a GRI file for pick up by the AppliCad application; it may also be saved from the AppliCad application for pick up by the business management system as described in the illustration below.
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As it is possible that there will be much information that AppliCad creates that does not need to be shared with the business management system, a GRIM Template file can be created which filters the data exported.
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This delivers only the information that the business management system requires, in the order that it requires it.
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The AppliCad Roof Wizard has been designed to not only model roofs but provide some job management and information sharing capabilities.
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The GRIM file is generated from the [Export GRIM] button on the Reporting > Supply and Install option.
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A GRIM file is an ASCII file, with a header line followed by one or more lines containing a key text string and a value.
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A key text string is one of those defined for creating/modifying templates as described earlier in this manual.
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Example:
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​###PITCH 26.6
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Where ###PITCH is the Key Text String and 26.6 is the pitch value.

The last line in the file is defined with END.
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A sample GRIM Out File (GRO) appears below:

There are repeated structures which handle material line items reported in the job as well as cutting list.
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For each material line item present in the job there is the following set of key text strings:

If the line item defines straight metal roofing or flashings, a cutting list may follow.
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The cutting list is of the repeated form:

Labour line items are also written in a repeated form:

The following file segment shows this format:
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A material cutting list similar to that shown above is written if the name of the line item is one of: