Menu path
Cover > Stage Manager
What it does
Stage Manager is a process that lets you group together different parts of a job based on installation phases, material delivery schedules, or customer requirements. It provides comprehensive control over all aspects of the job and materials, allowing you to cost and order by stage.
When to use Stage Manager
You would employ Stage Manager when you want to:
Use different installers for different sections of one job
Order and deliver materials for one part of a job at different times
Quantify materials for a specific part of a job
Present your customer with quotations dealing with different stages
Present your customer with staged orders or invoices
🔧 Enabling and disabling Stage Manager
Stage Manager may be turned on or off as required. This is set under Set-Up > System Preferences. If you do not use Stage Manager functions, it is best to have it turned off as the extra steps cause a small degradation in the speed of processing larger jobs.
You can also turn Stage Manager on or off from the Stage Manager screen by selecting the SM Enabled/Disabled button.
⚠️ Important: With Stage Manager enabled, ALL reporting processes are controlled by it, including the generation of cutting lists and orders.
How to set up stages
Select Cover > Stage Manager to open the Stage definition dialog box
Type the stage name and installer's name
Set the required install and delivery dates
Select the storey to be included in this stage
Select the items that are required to be installed from this storey as part of this stage
Click Add to create the new stage
Click OK to save the stages in the current job
🧾 Stage Manager controls
Field/Button | Description |
Stage name | The name you want to call the stage (e.g. Main roof, Fascia and Gutter, Stage 1, Top Roof, etc.) |
Installer | The name of the installer for this stage. Click the '…' button to select from the list of installers defined under Job Info |
Install date | The date you want this stage installed |
Delivery date | The date you want the materials delivered to the site |
Select | Lists the existing stages you have defined in this job and lets you select one |
Delete | Deletes the currently selected stage |
Add | Adds a new stage |
Update | Updates the current stage with the new details after you select a stage |
Set as Active Stage | When you start a new job, the stages are loaded from this file |
Add/Remove Entities | Allows you to add/remove individual geometric entities from the stage already defined in the job |
Show Stage | Highlights all the roof items included in the stage being defined |
🛠 Understanding stage items display
As each group of items is selected, it is displayed in the 'Items Included' pane of the dialog box with the storey number:
Roof Planes [S2] indicates that only the roof planes for storey 2 are included
Barge Lines [S1,S2] indicates that barge cap will be included for both storey 1 and 2
How to generate reports by stage
Select Reporting > Supply+Install
If prompted, choose to 'Re-Calculate quote' for new reports
Or, when prompted, select which stage you want to report on
The software will recalculate materials for the whole job from scratch and display results for just that stage and any items defined as Extras
Save the quotation and repeat the process for other stages as needed
Print the required reports and drawings
🧾 Technical details - Stage data storage
The stage definition information is stored in a text file called Stages.dat in this format:
Stage 1
0
17 April 2009
10 April 2009
0
Roof Planes
0
Ridge Lines
2
Hip Lines
2
etc.
The item category is listed, followed by a number indicating if that item is included in the stage and from which storey:
0 = not included in the stage
1 = storey 1
2 = storey 2
3 = storey 1 and 2
4 = storey 3 only
And so on...
⚠️ Stage Manager default flashing files
Stage Manager has been set up to default to pre-defined flashings if none are selected at the start of your project. This allows you to model a roof, select the roof material, and go straight to the Supply and Install summary page.
If Stage Manager is turned on in System Preferences, the Stage Manager code will look for the default flashing definition file (RoofFL2.CSV) and apply those flashings to the job automatically.
Important considerations:
Stage Manager may impose the wrong trim package to your roof if you're not paying attention
As soon as you go to Cover > Flashings and generate the trim for your roof, that set of materials is used instead
If you don't want Stage Manager to select trim automatically, go to Cover > Flashings, set all fields to [None], select Save As, and select [System Default]
💡 Best practices and tips
The Stage Manager process can become quite complex and impacts the final result dramatically - apply careful thought to ensure all stages are correctly defined
If in doubt, delete the stage and start again
Test definitions and results on a simple 'test job' that is representative before using on any real job
Create a test model with multi-levels, storeys, and all manner of trim types
Use all your skill and experience to check the job carefully - the software only does what you tell it to do