Manage changes to an Advance Bill job

You can view and accept or reject changes caused by importing files into Tekla PowerFab. You can also launch the Trimble Connect model comparison tool to visualize the changes within the project model.

Before the actual import, you can view a summary of changes and decide to accept the changes, reject them, or save them for later.

For instructions for importing files, see the following:

View the summary of revisions

When you are importing files, and revisions are found, the Change Summary dialog opens.

(1) Navigation tree: You can narrow down the list of items shown.

(2) Change Detection: Change detection parameters defined in company standards. See Define company standard settings for Advance Bill.

(3) View: Select the type of changes you want to view. Critical Changes Only results are based on the ABM Settings in Advance Bill Company Standards, see Define company standard settings for Advance Bill.

(4) Set Selected Action, Set: Allows you to select and set the desired action for the selected line items

Allow implements the changes once the import is completed. You can select Allow only if the changes can be made.
Save for Later saves the changes and puts the selected items on hold so that they can be reviewed.
Delete: Deletes the changes

(5) The list of changes

Colors:
- Red: Update not possible
- Yellow: Highlights impacts if import performed

(6) Linked: Yes appears if the material item in the job is linked to a requisition, purchase orders, or inventory, for example. Clicking the button opens the material Links dialog and displays the relevant mark details.

Tip: To customize the grid, right-click it, and select Customize grid.

(7) Action: Allows you to select and set the desired action for the selected line item

(8) Select Item in Model: Allows you to launch the Trimble Connect model comparison tool

(9) Summary of changes

(10) Details regarding the changes

(11) Select to create and open an ABM Import Change Summary report.

(12) Update links for extended parts: Select to update links through the import of PFXT and IFC files if the material length has changed. Links are also updated when the reference number changes.

The checkbox appears when Show Option to Update Links in Advance Bill Company Standards is selected. See ABM Settings in Define company standard settings for Advance Bill.

An increase in length stays linked when there is a link to a combined item and there is room on that combined item.
A change in reference number stays linked. If you want to remove the link, delete the reference number.
A decrease in length stays linked

Manage changes

When you are importing files, you can review the changes and select the subsequent actions in the Change Summary dialog.

In the navigation tree or View menus, select the object type and change type.
Select one or more changes.

Tip:
To select multiple items, hold down Ctrl.

To select a range of subsequent items, hold down Shift.
To review the impact of a change, click the button in the Linked column (optional):

Linked: Yes appears if the material item in the job is linked to a requisition, purchase orders, or inventory, for example. Clicking the button opens the material Links dialog and displays the relevant mark details.
In Set Selected Action, select the desired action.
To view the selected item in Trimble Connect, click Select Item in Model (Optional)
To complete the import of the changes with the selected values, click Continue.

While you are importing, changes that affect the items being imported may occur. Then the Continue button changes to Retry.

When you click Retry, this reloads all the changes and reports the new status of the changes.
To confirm your action, select a suitable option.

Manage pending changes in a job

To get an overview of which jobs have pending changes, you can customize the grid in Select <Module> Job to include the Has Pending Changes column.

See Customize the layout of a dialog.

Open a job.
If there are changes that have been saved for later, the dialog shows the Review Pending Changes button.
To view changes that have been saved for later, click Review Pending Changes.

The Pending Changes dialog opens showing the change summary.
Select a line item and, in Actions, select and set an action.

You can check pending changes also by clicking the Advance Bill ribbon tab and selecting Review Pending Changes on the menu.

View changes in Trimble Connect

You can view the changes in Trimble Connect.

Before you start, make sure you have the following in place:

Tekla PowerFab 2025 or later installed. See Download Tekla PowerFab and Install Tekla PowerFab.
Trimble Connect installed. See Install Trimble Connect.
A Trimble Connect project created and linked to the job.

The following procedure is a worked example. Your own results depend on your project and scenario, for example.

When you have imported the files, the Change Summary dialog opens.

To launch the Trimble Connect model comparison tool, do the following:

Highlight the item of your choice.

Do one of the following:

Click Select Item in Model.
Right-click the selected item and select the appropriate action in the list that opens.

Trimble Connect model opens with the selected object highlighted showing the changes.

Red contours: Previous model, previous assembly, or part properties

Gray: Current revised model, current revised assembly, or part properties