Estimator Converter Program

The current version of Estimator used by TxDOT is 2.5.

Estimator Catalog (Revised 09/12/12 with new catalogs listed)
Estimator Converters
Estimator Supplementary Information
FileZilla Instructions

The CONVERTER Program

The CONVERTER program is a utility program written by TxDOT to allow Estimator files to be converted into a format suitable for uploading to the Design and Construction Information System (DCIS). The program will be updated as need arises. To obtain a copy of Estimator software, contact Info Tech, Inc. at (352) 375-7624.

Versions

32-bit version for computers running Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT

Requirements

Operating System - Windows95, Windows 98 or Windows NTT
Memory - 3 Megabytes or more
Hard Disk - 3 Megabytes of space

Downloading

Double-click the icon and it will transfer a file of the same name to your hard disk. This is a self-executing zipped file containing a number of files.

Installation

Double-click the transferred file, and it will extract a number of files to your TEMP directory..
Do Start (or File) | Run | Browse. Find the TEMP directory. Find the SETUP.EXE file, and click it. Then click OK and follow the Setup instructions.

The default location for CONVERTER is under PROGRAM FILES. You can create a desktop shortcut icon if you wish.

Running Converter

Find and double click the file CONVERTER.EXE to start the application (or double click the desktop shortcut if you have created one).
The first screen only has two choices, Select a File to Convert, or Exit. Choose the first.
You get a dialog box listing the CSV files in the current directory. If necessary, click the folder arrow at top to go to another directory, or double-click on the listed folders to see their contents. When you find your file, click Open. Choosing Cancel causes you to exit CONVERTER.
If you picked up a non-Estimator export file, you are forced to Retry or Exit. When you get an acceptable file, you get a message verifying the file and giving you another chance to change your mind. Click OK.
Once you are happy with the selected input file, you get another dialog box asking for an output filename. This will be a TXT file, so by default existing TXT files are listed. You can choose an existing file, or type in a new filename. Click Open.
You get a message verifying the filename. Click OK or Cancel to change.
Your input file is opened, and the CSJ read from it is displayed. You can change the CSJ and click OK, or click OK to accept. Only the first nine digits of input are accepted, so do not enter hyphens, but enter leading zeroes, eg, 001205098. Either way you get a message confirming that this will be the CSJ in the output file. (Don't worry, you can edit the output file if you need to). Next, you get a listing of all the items in the input file- the coding for the bridges (Bx), the item numbers, unit prices, quantities, units, and item descriptions. This is not an editable list. Buttons at the bottom allow the following: Save For Excel (allows the list to be saved to a CSV file that will be read by Excel and displayed as a spreadsheet), Print this list, Continue or Exit (in case you just wanted to see what's in the file). The first two choices return the list when the operation is finished. Now you can click Continue.
If there are no items coded Bx in your project, you get a screen with all the items listed as Roadway Items. Again you can Print and/or Continue. When you choose Continue you get a screen saying you are finished, and reminding you of the filename where your output is saved.
If there are bridges coded in, you get a screen called Bridge Data. At the top, it shows the items coded as B1. It also tells you how many bridges were found. Below are a number of input boxes for bridge descriptive information. You can click Next to go to the next bridge, Previous to see the last bridge, or Cancel Input to exit without saving anything.
Fill in the boxes for which you have info. Click Next when done (clicking Previous after typing would just erase your inputs). If you left any boxes blank, you get a reminder. On the message, click Cancel if you meant to fill the boxes in, or OK if you want to leave them blank.
Next gives you the list for the next bridge (x+1). Repeat as above.
When you finish with Bridge n, you get a message that this is the last bridge, and when you click OK, you get a new list showing the items classified under Roadway first, then the data you entered for bridge 1, then the bridge 1 items, then data and items for bridge 2, etc. Again you can Print or Continue. When you choose Continue you get a screen saying you are finished, and reminding you of the filename where the output is saved.
You can edit the output file with Notepad (Under Programs | Accessories).

The Catalogs Files

Beginning January 2010, catalog files will be provided for both the 12-month moving averages and 3-month moving averages.

Use of the 3-month moving average catalog files may not contain all the bid items needed to complete your estimate since this data is only based on the three most recent months of letting.

These catalogs files are used by the Estimator software to provide a lookup list of bid items and unit prices. The catalog files will be updated as needed to provide current information.

The naming convention is as follows:

12-month moving average - cesitem_04.csv, ibidhist_04.csv, codetbls.txt
3-month moving average - cesitem_04_3mo.csv, ibidhist_04_3mo.csv, codetbls.txt

Note: ?04? in the naming convention designates the spec year.

Installation

Double-click on the catalog name to transfer it to your hard disk. It will be a self-extracting EXE file. Double-click it to extract the compressed catalog files Save them to your HIGHEST (Estimator) directory. Open Estimator and import the needed files.

Access

When you start Estimator, it tries to access a catalog. You must be an Estimator system manager to access a catalog initially.

For more information about TxDOT's use of Estimator, please contact Cynthia Landez in the Design Division at (512) 416-2391.