CostX 6.6 Release Notes

CostX 6.
6 Release Notes
CostX 6.6 is the latest release in the Exactal range of world-class digital measurement and BIM-enabled
estimating software. This release comes with a host of exciting new features that will significantly improve
your productivity.
The following sections provide important information about the new features and changes implemented in
version 6.6. It is recommended that you read these sections carefully before starting work so that you can
take full advantage of all of the enhancements.
You may also wish to review our CostX 6.6 webinar here which provides an in depth demonstration of the
new features.
Headline Features
Support for Multiple Zone Categories. Dimensions can now be classified into up to 8 different zone
categories at the same time instead of the single zone previously available. For example,
dimensions may have a values set for their Floor Level, Location, Apartment, Function,
Classification Codes, Start and End Phases etc.
Multiple Dimension selection on 2D drawings is now possible. Click to select Dimensions one by
one, or draw a box around a region on the drawing to select all the Dimensions in the box at once.
With multiple dimensions selected, it is now possible to apply various actions to the selection
directly from the drawing. For example, select all of the Dimensions on the Level 7 floor plan and
set their zone to Level 7.
Selected 2D Dimensions can now be edited as a set with the ability to move, rotate and mirror the
selected dimensions.
It is now possible to Copy and Paste Dimensions both on same drawing and to other drawings. The
system supports copying a single dimension and pasting multiple times, or copying multiple
selected dimensions and pasting (even to other drawings or pasting multiple times). When the
dimensions are pasted, the Edit Controls are provided to move, rotate and mirror the selected
dimensions.
Standard Reports can now be converted to a Custom Report. User can start with a standard report
which is easy, and covers most things required such as columns, levels, titles, footers and
formatting. If those options arent enough for a certain report, then the standard report can be
converted to a custom report where it is editable in the report designer without starting from
scratch.
Automatic Screen Pan now supported while measuring or revising lengths and areas, as well in
Calibration mode.
On the drawing, the Dimension labels can now optionally show quantity information for the
Dimension in addition to or instead of the Dimension name.
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CostX 6.6 Release Notes
Using Zones
Dimensions can now be assigned to multiple zones instead of only a single zone in previous versions. Zones
are now grouped by zone categories. CostX 6.6 provides eight zone categories named Zone Category 1
(ZC1) through Zone Category 8 (ZC8). You can add zones to any of the eight categories. Each dimension can
be assigned to one zone in each category, thus being associated with up to eight different zones at the
same time.
Multi-zone Takeoff
As before, you can add standard zones in System Administration and project specific zones in Project
Properties. The difference is that to add a zone, you must select a category to act as its parent container.
Once added, project zones will become available through the zone selection lists in the Zone Selection Bar
above the drawing window which works very much like the previous Zone drop-down box and Zone Filter
button on the Dimensions ribbon, with the difference that it allows dimensions to be extracted to or
filtered by multiple zones. The example below shows the Zone Selection Bar in a project that has zones in
ZC1 and ZC2.
All dimensions extracted from a drawing are set to the current zones specified in the Zone Selection Bar at
the time of creation. Zoned dimensions can be re-allocated if necessary.
Using Multiple Zones in Workbooks

Workbooks now support multiple Default Zones, either in the same zone category or from multiple zone
categories.
When multiple default zones are specified, zones in the same zone category are treated as filters connected
with the logical OR operator, while zones from different zone categories are treated as filters connected
with the logical AND operator. These two filter rules also apply when using multiple zones from one or
more zone categories in individual functions in the workbook.
Use Blank Zone Permission

The Allow/Use Blank Zone option is no longer available in CostX Options for standalone version or in
CostX Server Admin for network version. If youve disabled this option to prevent the <blank> zone from
being used, the restriction will be removed after upgrading to 6.6. You can add the restriction back using
the Required option in Zone Category Properties.
To require a zone to be selected when adding dimensions to a specific zone category, select the category
from the zones list and click Edit, then in the Zone Category Properties dialog, tick the Required box.
NOTE: After you upgrade to 6.6, all zones created in previous versions of CostX will be placed into Zone
Category 1 (ZC1).
Working with Dimensions

This release introduces an entirely new way to work with dimensions on 2D drawings. You can now select,
copy, paste and edit one or multiple dimensions directly on your drawing.
Selecting Dimensions
Previously it was only possible to select one dimension from the drawing. In CostX 6.6, multiple
dimensions can be selected from a 2D drawing, allowing you to perform various actions in bulk directly
from the drawing, such as changing the zone(s) or height of several dimensions at once.
As before, you can select a single dimension by simply moving the mouse over the dimension on the
drawing. However, the dimension will be deselected once you move the mouse away. To select a
dimension such that it stays selected even if you move the mouse away, use the Ctrl key as described in the
table below.
The following table summarizes the various new methods for selecting dimensions.
To Do this
Select individual dimensions In the drawing window, hold down the Ctrl key and click each of the dimensions
one by one you want to select.
TIPS:
Ctrl-clicking acts as a toggle between selecting and deselecting. To remove
a dimension from the current selection, Ctrl-click on it again.
Ctrl-clicking can be used in combination with any of the methods outlined
below to add or remove dimensions from the selection.
Select all dimensions within a 1. On the Dimensions ribbon, click (Select in Area).
rectangular area
2. Drag a box that completely encloses the dimensions you want to select.
TIP: To select every dimension in the box, including dimensions that are only
partially enclosed by the box, hold down the Shift key while dragging.
Select all currently displayed Press Ctrl-A.

dimensions
To clear the selection, press Esc.

Once all required dimensions are selected, right-click one of the selected dimensions to view the actions
that can be applied.
Selected dimensions can also be moved, rotated or mirrored. For details, see the Manipulating Dimension
Geometry section below.
Copying and Pasting Dimensions

To make your take-off process even faster, weve added support for copying and pasting dimensions on 2D
drawings. You can copy one or more dimensions at a time and paste your selection multiple times on the
same drawing or another drawing. Dimensions can be copied and pasted using either of the following two
methods, each of which gives you control over the placement of the pasted dimensions in a different way.
Copy and paste to the same relative position

Copy and paste to the mouse position
to the centre of the drawing
This requires you to specify a base point when This is useful for copying between similar
copying dimensions. The base point is then used drawings. For example, you can copy a dimension
as the reference point for positioning the pasted from Level 1 floor plan to the same position on
dimensions. Level 2 floor plan.
To copy the selected dimension(s): To copy the selected dimension(s):
Right-click to set the base point, and select Select Copy Dimensions from the context
menu; or
Copy Dimensions from the context menu; or
Press Ctrl-C; or
Position the cursor at the base point, and
press Ctrl-C. On the Dimensions ribbon, click (Copy) >
Copy Dimensions.
To paste the selected dimension(s): To paste the selected dimension(s):

Right-click to specify the insertion point, and On the Dimensions ribbon, click (Paste).
select Paste Dimensions from the context
menu; or
Position the cursor at the insertion point,
and press Ctrl-V.
TIP: If you only need to copy one dimension, simply move the mouse over the dimension to select it, then
copy the dimension using Ctrl-C or the Copy Dimensions option on the drawing context menu.
When a dimension is pasted on the drawing, it automatically becomes selected and dimension edit controls
are displayed, allowing you to adjust it as needed. For details, see the Manipulating Dimension Geometry
section below.
Manipulating Dimension Geometry

The following shortcut key functions, which were previously available when revising area and length
dimensions, have been replaced with easier on-screen edit controls.
R: Rotate a selected dimension.
Ctrl-R: Rotate multiple selected dimensions.
Ctrl-M: Mirror a selected dimension horizontally.
Ctrl-Shift-M: Mirror a selected dimension vertically.
The Ctrl-A keyboard shortcut that was previously used to select an entire area or length dimension so its
geometry can be adjusted, is now replaced by Ctrl-click. The dimension selected using Ctrl-click can then be
adjusted using the methods outlined below.
To adjust the geometry of a dimension, you no longer need to memorize the above keyboard shortcuts.
You can now use the new button (Edit Controls) on the Dimensions ribbon or press F2 to enable edit
controls for selected dimensions. (Note: Edit controls for a single dimension can be quickly enabled by
moving the mouse over the dimension and press F2.)
Once edit controls are enabled, dimensions can be moved, rotated and mirrored as below.
To Do this
Move Place your cursor inside the edit controls box. When the cursor changes to the four headed
arrow, click and drag the dimension to the new location.
Rotate Click the rotation handle at the top of the dimension, and then drag the mouse horizontally.
Mirror Click one of the yellow mirror points on the sides of the edit controls box.
To exit Edit mode and hide the edit controls, press Esc.
NOTE: Hiding the edit controls does not clear the selection. To clear the selection, press Esc again.
Tweaks to Existing Features

Due to the introduction of the new functionalities, some existing features have been tweaked to avoid
confusion or conflict with the new ones.
Previously the four-pointed cursor ( ) was only used to indicate that a line segment or selection
point could be moved. In CostX 6.6, it is also used to indicate the ability to move an entire dimension
in Edit mode. To avoid confusion when performing these actions, the cursor behaviour has been
changed slightly and described in detail below.
o Moving an entire dimension in Edit mode
In Edit mode, the cursor changes to the four-headed arrow ( ) when it is over the selected
dimension, indicating that the entire dimension can be moved. When dragging the dimension to
the new location, the cursor remains as four-headed arrow (see Manipulating Dimension
Geometry for details).
o Moving a line segment or selection point when measuring or revising dimensions
When measuring or revising dimensions, the cursor changes to when a line segment or
selection point is selected (outlines in blue), indicating that the selected line or point can be
moved. Once you click the left mouse button to grab the line segment or selection point, the
cursor changes to the four-headed arrow, indicating that the line segment or selection point is
now ready to be moved.
Moving a line segment
Moving a selection point
You can now use the Ctrl key either to join several lines together to create a single length dimension,
or to select an existing length dimension. Follow the appropriate procedure below according to the
action you wish to perform.
o Adding a multi-segment length
Line Mode - Click the first line, keep the cursor over the measured length so it stays selected
(outlines in blue), then hold down the Ctrl key. With the Ctrl key pressed, move the cursor away
and click to capture each additional segment.
Point Mode - Click the first point, then hold down the Ctrl key and click the additional points.
o Adding segments to an existing length dimension
Line Mode - Move the cursor over the existing length dimension so it is selected (outlines in blue),
then hold down the Ctrl key. With the Ctrl key pressed, move the cursor away and click the
additional lines.
Point Mode - Move the cursor over the end point of the existing length dimension so the end
point is selected (outlines in blue), then hold down the Ctrl key. With the Ctrl key pressed, move
the cursor away and click the additional points.
o Selecting a length dimension
Press the Ctrl key while the cursor is not over the dimension. With the Ctrl key pressed, move the
cursor over the dimension and click to select it.
The previous Copy Dimension(s) context menu item has been renamed to Copy Dimension(s) to
Another Dimension Group. In CostX 6.6, the Copy Dimensions option on the drawing context menu
refers to copying dimensions for pasting on the same drawing or another drawing.
In earlier versions, when taking count dimensions in line mode, you can manually create a block by
joining several lines together to create a single count dimension using the Ctrl key. This is still available
in CostX 6.6 but needs to be done in a slightly different way as follows:
a) Click the first line.
b) Move the mouse cursor over the selected line, then press the Ctrl key.
c) With the Ctrl key pressed, click the additional lines.
There is a small change to the way CostX works when joining 3D QuickPoint measurements using the
SHIFT and CTRL keys. In previous versions, CostX would add to the last dimension that had been
selected even if the mouse was no longer selecting it when SHIFT and CTRL were pressed. With the
changes to dimension selection in CostX 6.6, the SHIFT and CTRL keys must be pressed while over the
dimension you wish to join to, then with SHIFT and CTRL keys still pressed, click additional surfaces to
add them to the original dimension.
Drawings & Take-off

Automatic Screen Pan
Automatic screen pan is now supported while measuring or revising lengths and areas, as well as in
Calibration mode. This saves you the trouble of having to manually zoom or pan the drawing when the line
being measured extends beyond the viewing area.
When auto-pan is enabled, a translucent light blue frame appears around the drawing window as shown
below. The drawing automatically moves up-down or sideways when the cursor reaches the edge of the
blue frame, and moves diagonally when the cursor is over any corner of the frame.
PDF Drawings
PDF drawings now display page titles instead of just page numbers.
CostX 6.5 CostX 6.6
Dimension Groups and Dimensions

Dimension labels on the drawing can now optionally show quantity information for the dimension in
addition to or instead of the dimension name.
This can be configured in CostX Options.
Legend changed to show only quantities from the current drawing, not all drawings.
NOTE:
o The quantity displayed against each dimension group in the legend is the sum of each dimension
for the current drawing multiplied by the Effective Multiplier.
o If the current drawing is a 2D drawing that is part of a Drawing Set and has highlighted dimensions
which are actually BIM dimensions from a 3D drawing within the same Set, these highlighted
dimensions will also be included in the quantity.
o The full quantity of any BIM dimensions on the drawing is included in the total, even if only part of
the BIM dimension is shown.
Dimension groups now support editing of formulas after dimensions have been taken. Dimensions in
that dimension group are automatically recalculated and updated.
Count dimensions can now be negative.
On the right-click menus and Dimensions ribbon, there is a new option for moving one or more
dimensions to another dimension group.
When a dimension is moved, it inherits the properties of the target dimension group. Each value of the
dimension is recalculated unless the target dimension group does not contain any value or formula in
the corresponding field, in which case the original value is retained.
Changing Colours of Comparison Drawing Layers

It is now possible to change the colours of the New, Deleted, Same, Different Before, and Different After
layers of comparison drawings. You can select your preferred colours in CostX Options.
This also applies to overlay drawings which were previously only available in Red and Green.
When comparing two drawings in the drawings list using an overlay, use the New colour picker to specify
the colour for the currently selected drawing, and use the Deleted colour picker to specify the colour for
the drawing it is compared to.
When comparing drawing revisions using an overlay, use the New colour picker to specify the colour for the
current revision of the drawing, and use the Deleted colour picker to specify the colour for the selected
previous revision of the drawing.
BIM
Miscellaneous Improvements
Improvements to Transparency in 3D drawings, and in Ghost View.
Speed improvements loading BIM Dimensions onto a 2D view which were taken off on the 3D view in
the same Drawing Set.
Speed improvements in the Check BIM Objects feature especially on large models.
Auto-centre 3D Pivot Point

In earlier versions of CostX, 3D objects always rotated around the centre of the drawing. When rotating an
individual object, this would sometimes cause the object to go off screen. To prevent this issue and make it
easier to rotate individual objects, there is now a new option for automatically setting the pivot point to the
centre of the currently displayed object(s) after a model is filtered.
This feature can be enabled by ticking the Auto-Centre 3D Pivot Point box in CostX Options.
BIM Schedule
BIM Schedule now closes automatically when loading a new drawing which saves the user waiting
extra time for it to load if it is not required.
BIM Schedule now handles duplicate object properties better allowing the same data to be displayed
in less columns, thus improving the loading speed of object data.
When a duplicate property is detected, CostX creates a new column for the property in the BIM
Schedule using a unique name as the column heading (such as the path of the property) so that the
user can still access the property value that they require. This means for each duplicate property, a
separate column is added. On occasions when many objects in a model contain duplicate properties,
this will result in a significant number of columns being created, making it much slower to open the
schedule window.
CostX 6.6 brings down the number of columns required by reducing the number of duplicate property
names. For example, the Name and PredefinedType properties shown on the left below exist in both
the category related to the Instance (IfcSlab) and the category related to the Type (A6D-6 AAC; 7/8
MF; NO SKIN 7 ).
In CostX 6.5, the duplicates in the Relating Type category are displayed in columns which are named
by adding the relevant category name to the property name (as shown on the right below).
In CostX 6.6, all duplicates in the Relating Type category are renamed by adding the prefix
RelatingType to the original property name. In other words, if any object contains a duplicate Name
or PredefinedType property in the Relating Type category, the duplicate Name will be placed in the
RelatingType.Name column, and the duplicate PredefinedType will be placed in the
RelatingType.PredefinedType column (as shown in the example below).
IMPORTANT: Due to the change of the column headings, model maps that use properties in the
Relating Type category will need to be updated.
Workbooks
Subcontractor Workbooks
The subcontractor short name has been increased from 4 to 5 characters.
In subcontractor comparison workbooks, the full name of the subcontractor now shows in a pop-up
hint when the mouse is held over subcontractor column headings.
There is a new button on the Subcontractors ribbon to generate a Subcontractor Comparison

workbook or a Standard Workbook from a Subcontractor Comparison.
Rates and Rate Libraries

UOM column now shown in the rates list.
New rates can now be inserted from the Rates drag and drop tab in the workbook, instead of having to
go into System Administration. Users can add an entirely new rate or copy an existing rate. Editing a
rate is also now available on the right click menu instead of only by double click.
NOTE: This item was released under CostX 6.5 R2.
Spell Checker
Spell checker dialog now shows the entire contents of the cell giving context to the spelling error.
Spell checker now has new options whether or not to search in Rate, Qty, and Calc sheets. This can be
configured in CostX Options.
Exporting to Primavera
The settings chosen when exporting a workbook to Primavera can now be saved.
In the Primavera export settings, fields from a single line in the CostX workbook can be mapped to up
to 5 lines in the Primavera export file.
When exporting a Workbook to Primavera, it now supports 5 codes to include.
Exporting to Excel
Export Workbook to Excel has been enhanced to support formulas in Subtotal and Total columns as
well as totals for trades and the entire estimate. Updating rates in the exported spreadsheet now
automatically updates the totals.
NOTE:
o If any formula cannot be converted (i.e. the formula does not have an equivalent in Excel), then
only the result of the formula is preserved and the relevant cell is highlighted in yellow in the
exported spreadsheet.
o Static values in the Subtotal and Total columns are exported as is and not highlighted.
Export Trades to Excel is also updated to include formulas that multiply the quantity and rate in the
Total column, then total up the trade and entire estimate.
NOTE: If the rates and totals from the workbook are included in the export, and the formula
"Qty*Rate" gives a different item total to the workbook, then the value in the workbook is preserved
and the relevant cell is highlighted in yellow in the exported spreadsheet.
Automatic Refresh of Workbook Data

Workbooks changes on lower levels now automatically update the top summary level at regular intervals
even if the user doesnt return up to the top.
Reports
Converting Standard Reports to Custom Reports
Standard reports can now be easily converted to Custom reports.
You can start with a standard report which is easy and covers most things required such as columns, levels,
titles, footers and formatting. If those options arent enough for a certain report, then use the Convert
button on the reports list dialog to convert the standard report to a custom report where it is editable in
the report designer without starting from scratch.
NOTE: Standard Reports with Qty and Rate subsheets cannot be converted.
As part of the change to support Standard reports being converted to Custom reports, the underlying
reporting engines were aligned and therefore the preview window for Standard reports is now the same as
Custom reports providing additional options for exporting the report as shown below.
To save to PDF, a convenient button is provided directly on the menu.
Comparison Reports
There is now a new option in workbook comparison reports to show the rows in the previous revision
which are not in the current revision. When using a Standard report template to create comparison reports,
this option can be configured in the Data tab of Report Properties. When using a Custom report template,
this option can be configured in the Insert Report dialog.
Additional Functions Provided in Custom Reports

CostX 6.6 includes additional functions in custom reports. If you have a custom report created with a prior
version of CostX, you may encounter an error
running reports that define identifiers in the report
scripts with the same name. For example, if the
script for your report in CostX 6.5 declares a
function called Power, you will receive this error
when running the report with CostX 6.6. The
conflicting function name is shown in the message.
If you encounter this error:
If the new function performs the same operation as the function you have declared in your script,
you can remove your function and use the built-in one instead.
If the identifier isnt a function, or if it is a function but gives a different result, you will need to
rename the identifier in your script.
CostX API
CostX API now provides new calls for updating the drawings paths.
NOTE: This item was released under CostX 6.5 R2.
Other
Speed and stability improvements on multi-user network configurations, particularly on slower
networks.
Improved error messages throughout CostX to better explain the issue.
Improved Database Restore functionality.
Updated the underlying database version to the latest point release for improved stability.
Restricted- Not to be reproduced without the express written authority of Exactal Technologies Pty Ltd
The CostX Range of Estimating Solutions

Our range of CostX products recognise that different companies estimating requirements are not all the
same. CostX is now in wide-spread use amongst commercial and residential builders, large and small sized
quantity surveying firms, subcontractors in all trades and government departments. The product range
available allows each customer to choose a cost-effective estimating solution to suit their needs now and in
the future. Our innovative CostX product range includes:
FEATURE CostX CostX 2D CostX Takeoff CostX Takeoff 2D
BIM models / 3D drawings
2D drawings (incl. PDFs)
Auto-Revisioning
Workbooks
Subcontractor Comparison
CostXL CostX Viewer
CostXL allows you to CostX Viewer makes

link CostX data it easy to freely share
directly into your your CostX projects
Excel spreadsheets with anyone.
Contact Us
Exactal welcomes your feedback on this document. If you have any queries, comments or suggestions
please use one of the contacts below in your local region.
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CostX 6.6 Release Notes

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CostX 6.6 Release Notes

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CostX 6.

Using Multiple Zones in Workbooks

Use Blank Zone Permission

Working with Dimensions

Select all currently displayed Press Ctrl-A.

To clear the selection, press Esc.

Copying and Pasting Dimensions

Copy and paste to the same relative position

To copy the selected dimension(s): To copy the selected dimension(s):

To paste the selected dimension(s): To paste the selected dimension(s):

Manipulating Dimension Geometry

Tweaks to Existing Features

o Moving an entire dimension in Edit mode

o Moving a line segment or selection point when measuring or revising dimensions

Moving a selection point

o Adding segments to an existing length dimension

o Selecting a length dimension

Drawings & Take-off

CostX 6.5 CostX 6.6

Dimension Groups and Dimensions

This can be configured in CostX Options.

Count dimensions can now be negative.

Changing Colours of Comparison Drawing Layers

Auto-centre 3D Pivot Point

There is a new button on the Subcontractors ribbon to generate a Subcontractor Comparison

Rates and Rate Libraries

NOTE: This item was released under CostX 6.5 R2.

When exporting a Workbook to Primavera, it now supports 5 codes to include.

Automatic Refresh of Workbook Data

To save to PDF, a convenient button is provided directly on the menu.

Additional Functions Provided in Custom Reports

NOTE: This item was released under CostX 6.5 R2.

Improved error messages throughout CostX to better explain the issue.

Improved Database Restore functionality.

The CostX Range of Estimating Solutions

FEATURE CostX CostX 2D CostX Takeoff CostX Takeoff 2D

BIM models / 3D drawings

2D drawings (incl. PDFs)

CostXL CostX Viewer

CostXL allows you to CostX Viewer makes

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