Search Schemes
Search Schemes allow you to save your search tile setup so you can easily and quickly recall it later to conduct a same or similar search. In addition, schemes will also save information and selections you have pre-filled in the search tiles.
To create a custom search scheme, remove any tiles you wish to not be included by clicking on the X in the upper right corner of the tile. To add a tile, select it from the pulldown menu at the top of the Search panel, then click Add item. You can also pre-fill any of the tiles with search data.
To save the search scheme, click the Save As button under Scheme on the right side of the Search panel. Give your search scheme a name and then click Save. To select a scheme for use, use the pulldown menu. To delete a scheme, select it and click the delete button. You can also select a scheme and click the Set Default button to use it by default every time you open Comp Manager.
Adding, Editing and Deleting Records
Add Record brings up a screen that allows you to manually add a new address to your database instead of just using addresses you previously entered into reports. This can be helpful if you go out into the field and gather a lot of data and photos ahead of time to be used later.
To add records to the database manually, fill out any of the fields for which you have data. You can fill out as many or as few of the fields as you wish, the only requirement is that an address be entered. To access different sections, use the tabs at the top of the window. The fields in green support UAD formatting with a UAD helper similar to the one found in Appraise-It Pro.
You can also add photos and associate them with the address by going to the Photos tab. On the left-hand side you’ll see the basic Windows file tree. Browse to the location where your photos are stored, and the contents of the folder will appear in the middle of the screen. When you find a photo you wish to use, drag it from the preview screen in the middle to top of the Add Record panel where it says “Drag photos here.”
Next you can use the pulldown menu under the photo to associate it with a view or you can type in your own custom view label. For instance, if you select Front View, this photo will automatically be used for the address when transferring it to the report. If you wish to save your custom view label for later use, click on the plus sign to the right. You can also select a view from the list and click the minus sign to remove it from the list of saved labels.
There are also two check boxes here in the lower right. Recycle Used Images sends any used images to the Windows Recycle Bin once they are added into the database and Use Shared Photo Descriptions shares your saved photo descriptions with other users on a network.
When you are done adding photos and filling out the data for your record, click Save.
To Edit a record, click on the edit icon on its address tile. Keep in mind that automatically indexed records cannot be edited so a copy of the address will be created for editing as a custom, user-added record. Edit or add the new information and then click Save.
Sharing Data with Others
On the search results screen, Export to File allows you to export all of your search results to a file so it can be imported on another machine to make sharing data with colleagues easy.
To export your own search results, conduct a search and find what you need. On the search results screen, click the Export to File button in the lower right, choose where to save the file, give it a name and use the Save As Type pulldown to choose the format for the exported data. You will have two selections. Comp Manager Database will allow you to easily share all data and photos in the search results with someone else using Appraise-It Pro and Comp Manager.
CSV (comma separated value) will save the data only, not the photos, in a more generic format that can be opened using a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets.
The person you are sharing data with can import the exported Comp Manager search results by going to their Comp Manager search screen and clicking the Import Data button in the bottom right. They will want to select “Exported Comp Manager Database” and then browse in your file. All of the records you exported will then be added to their database, including photos.
Importing Databases from Older Programs
On the search screen, the Import Data button allows you to import data from older Appraise-It comp management programs like Wincomp and Photograph-It Plus. Just select the source type of the data and then browse to the file you wish to import. This data will be added to your Comp Manager database.
[PART 1]
Rev 2/2020
