Ask Andy – ACI – The Appraiser's Choice

How Do You Insert Photos in ACI?

Kayla Production — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Did you know there are multiple ways to insert photos in ACI report? Our software actually offers nine different ways to enter photos into an appraisal. This ranges from a quick and simple Drag and Drop, to using the Gallery View feature.

Here's the skinny on inserting photos, so you can choose what works best with your workflow:

Drag and Drop an Image from Windows or your Desktop
Use the Gallery View (From the menu: View > Gallery)
Select the Camera Icon on the Toolbar
From the menu go to Tools > Image Capture
Right Click in the photo frame and choose Insert Image
Copy and Paste an Image from Windows or the Web
Right Click in the photo frame and choose Acquire Image
From the menu go to Edit > Insert > Photo/Map…
Double Click in a photo frame to Acquire Image

For more information or to better understand all the functionality of ACI, please attend one of our webinars. To find a class click here.

Speed Through UAD Reports

Kayla Production — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:45:00 GMT

ACI2010™ features UAD "pop-ups" or "helper windows" with keyboard shortcuts that facilitate data entry for quick and easy processing. Open a pop-up by pressing Ctrl+H, enter your data then press Ctrl+Enter to save and close the window. ACI also has something that not all appraisal software vendors offer— true direct data entry for all UAD fields.

You can type, copy, paste, extract, or invoke picklists directly in UAD fields without using ANY pop-up, if you so choose. You can also set the preferences in your UAD Options (Options > Environment > UAD Options). This is also true for all your keyboard shortcuts, which can save you tons of time, especially in the comps grid.

For more information or to better understand all the functionality in ACI, please attend the ACI Report Essentials webinar. Sign up today by clicking here.

Converting non-UAD Reports into UAD Reports

Kayla Production — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:39:00 GMT

Converting reports for UAD is much simpler than you might think! Here is an easy method in ACI Report that you will find helpful in converting existing reports to conform to UAD standards.

Convert an Entire Report
Complete your report as usual. Then select File > Change report type. Select the corresponding UAD Report Pak, then Select File > Reprocess UAD fields after clone/import, so that the data is properly formatted for UAD. Also, make sure you run UAD Validation rules for proper compliance.

MISMO XML Delivery Feature in ACI Report

Kayla Production — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:12:00 GMT

Has your office been asked if it can deliver XML or MISMO files? ACI has an eService that allows you to convert an appraisal to the MISMO 2.6/2.6 GSE compliant XML format. Once created, you can either deliver to a customer directly from within ACI, or save a copy to the local drive on your computer. Plus, we added some great new features.

New! Send to Multiple Addresses - e-Mail your report to multiple addresses by placing a comma inbetween. This also applies to the Deliver to Name field.
New! Toolbar Icon - The MISMO XML icon looks like a little blue M&M on the right hand side of your toolbar.
New! XML Options - Set your default e-Mail address, Name, and File Name. Also in this window, you have the option to automatically open the local folder when you save an XML file.
Send a Copy - Option to send a copy of the MISMO XML file to your e-Mail.
Save PDF with XML - Save a separate PDF (in addition to the embedded PDF in the XML file).
Attach PDF - Include the PDF of your report as a separate attachment.
e-Mail Address Saved - The last e-Mail address you entered is automatically saved for your convenience.

For more details, view our documentation. If you need to purchase a Premier eService Subscription call ACI Sales at 800-234-8727.

Reduce All Image Sizes

Kayla Production — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:03:00 GMT

With all the photos required by your clients, you may have noticed your reports getting larger – which means slower to deliver. Camera quality and resolution play a big part in filesize as well. Previously, to slim the pictures after being inserted, it was necessary to right click and manually adjust the size of each image. ACI has made a new, time-saving function to resize all your images at once.

In our Service Pack 2.6, you will see a new function under the Tools menu in ACI Report (If you do not see this selection, run WebUpdate). Just select Reduce Size of All Images, and then choose the desired size.

NEW Shortcut Keys to Reduce Turnaround Time

Kayla Production — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:44:00 GMT

An ACI appraiser told me the key to his success in working with ACI software is "Two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel." He was referring to the fact that he drives his ACI software using his keyboard and shortcut keys, and seldom reaches for the little mouse.

Shortcut keys aren't anything new to ACI software and with the birth of UAD and pop-up boxes, the importance of utilizing shortcut keys will keep you on the right side of the road and spare you from reaching for the mouse. With that said, I'll give you a few quick tips on how to use shortcuts in Standard Mode for your UAD reports.

If the need arises to access the UAD pop-up box in Standard Mode, you can always click on the green arrow with your mouse, or a faster and easier way is to simply press Ctrl H. You can then key in your data and use the TAB key to navigate through the UAD pop-up box. When you're ready to move on, simply press Ctrl Enter to save and exit the UAD box.

With ACI's latest release, several shortcut keystrokes are now available in the UAD forms for quick data entry and field editing:

Ctrl H to open UAD pop-up
Ctrl Enter to close UAD pop-up
Crtl C to copy highlighted text
Ctrl V to paste clipboard text
Ctrl Y to delete field
Ctrl Down Arrow to open Picklists
= to copy a field from the Subject or = = to copy the entire Subject Column
= Comp # to copy information from a specific field in the Comps Grid (= = Comp # for the whole comp)
Ctrl Comp # to swap a Comp
Alt Comp # to move to a Comp

If you're not familiar with the shortcut keystrokes available in ACI, this is a good opportunity to learn some tricks that can squeeze efficiency into your workflow. View the full Shortcut Guide now.

Customize UAD Preferences in ACI Report

Kayla Production — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:17:00 GMT

In ACI Report, you can now easily configure your method for inputting UAD data and the level of assistance shown.

To take a quick tour of the new UAD Environment Options, launch ACI Report, then select Options > Environment > UAD Options. You'll then see the following set of options which can be customized to your preference.

Standard Mode - Choose Standard Mode if you want to key data directly into the UAD field. It’s important to note that you can still launch the UAD pop-up box by clicking on the green arrow in the UAD field or typing CTRL-H if you prefer using the keyboard.

Helper Mode - In Helper Mode you can only enter data using the UAD pop-up boxes, not directly into the form fields. Remember this only applies to UAD fields. You can also control when and where pop-up boxes appear, using the "Show UAD Window" and "UAD Windows Position" settings.

Show UAD Guidance - This option will display pertinent UAD information (from the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac UAD Appendix D specification) when the UAD data entry box is opened. Otherwise, it is available by selecting "Need Guidance" in the right-hand corner of the UAD data entry box.

We hope you take advantage of these powerful tools, as they have been designed to allow for greater flexibility to better meet your individual needs.

Cloning Reports & Importing Comps for UAD - the Importance of Reprocessing

Kayla Production — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:07:00 GMT

Did you know that you can use the "clone" and "import comps" features in ACI2010™ to import information from non-UAD reports into the new UAD reports?

It's important to note that after you import or clone data, you must also run the UAD Reprocess function in order to properly format the data in your report for UAD compliance.

To Reprocess the UAD Information after clone/import, just follow these simple steps from within ACI Report:

Go to File
Select Reprocess UAD Fields after Clone/Import
Follow the Prompts

What happens if you don't reprocess? Well, depending on the data imported, you might have compliance flags when running UAD or PAR^®Logic rules.

Please make sure you are up-to-date by running WebUpdate on a regular basis.

How to Select a UAD Form Pak in ACI Report

Rosanna Bracciale — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:41:00 GMT

In ACI2010™ go to File > New, or select the New Form icon. The report pak pop-up window will appear. You can then choose to alphabetize your pak list and scan the selection for your UAD forms 1004, 1073, 1075, or 2055. The UAD-specific pak titles will be followed by the letters UAD.

ACI Sketch Tips and Tricks - Complete Area Tool

Rosanna Bracciale — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 15:39:00 GMT

New! Complete Area Feature in ACI Sketch

After you've drawn a portion of your sketch, press the F9 key on your keyboard to view the Complete Area window. ACI Sketch will offer you up to three logical ways to close the area and finish your drawing.

This feature saves valuable time, and will bring an intuitive approach to the standard "auto close" feature that many offices use to speed up floorplan composition.

If you don't currently use ACI Sketch as your sketching solution, you should know that it's safe to install alongside any other brand of sketch software.

ACI Sketch Tips and Tricks: Customize Your Preferences

Rosanna Bracciale — Thu, 26 May 2011 19:37:00 GMT

Did you know you can easily customize your work environment in ACI Sketch?

Hide Your Grid

By default, a grid is displayed when you when you create a new floorplan. This illustrates the current scale of your drawing as if it were on graph paper. If you prefer a blank slate, select View > Grid from your tool bar.

Change the Alignment Precision

When drawing in ACI Sketch, the "snap" angle increments default is 5 degrees. If you want more precision, change the snap to as little as 1 degree. Just click the Angle Snap dropdown in the lower right of the ACI Sketch window.

Round Square Footage

The calculations for square footage can be rounded to whole numbers, or as precise as tenths or hundredths, depending on your preference. This can be changed by clicking View > Advanced Options >Area, then adjusting accordingly.

If you don't currently use ACI Sketch as your sketching solution, you should know that it's safe to install alongside any other brand of sketch software.

ACI Sketch Tips and Tricks: Photometrics

Rosanna Bracciale — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:57:00 GMT

Did you know? ACI Sketch™ has a function called Photometrics that allows you to insert an image of a floorplan and trace over it?

In fact, when you insert a scanned image or building sketch, ACI Sketch will then ask you to draw a line of known length and then define how long that wall is. At that point, the rest of the sketch snaps into scale and you can continue drawing!

Try it with any image:

In ACI Sketch, right click on the page and choose Photometrics, Add Image. Select the image and you'll see it on screen.
Draw a wall of known length to set the scale, and resume drawing overtop of the image.
When done, you can right click again to access the Photometrics section to remove the image.

If you don't currently use ACI Sketch as your sketching solution, you should know that it's safe to install alongside of any other brand or version of sketching you might already have in place. Call ACI Sales today to get started with ACI Sketch!

UAD Tips and Tricks - Subject Property Location

Rosanna Bracciale — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:54:00 GMT

Per GSE UAD Appendix B: GSE Appraisal Forms Mapping 1.1, the Neighborhood section "specifies the urban, suburban, or rural nature of the location of the subject property. One and only one of [the affected] fields (values of Property Neighborhood Location Type) should be indicated."

Tip: These three Neighborhood Location checkboxes on the four appraisal forms that UAD applies to are considered mutually exclusive- only one type may be selected (Urban, Suburban, Rural). UAD capabilities in ACI Report will assist you in being compliant.

UAD Tips and Tricks - Bathroom Count

Rosanna Bracciale — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:22:00 GMT

Per GSE UAD Appendix D 1.1 Field-Specific Standarization Requirements, "The appraiser must enter the total number of full baths and partial baths above grade. A three-quarter bath is to be counted as a full bath in all cases. Quarter baths (baths that feature only a toilet) are not to be included in the bathroom count. The number of full and half baths must be entered, separated by a period. The full bath count is represented to the left of the period. The half bath count is represented to the right of the period."

Tip: The guidance instructs the appraiser to use specific treatment of bathroom counts: "the count of ‘full’ bathrooms to the left of the period and the count of ‘half’ bathrooms to the right."

For example:

1.1 = One full bathroom (toilet, sink, shower) and one half bath (just a toilet and a sink)

2.3 = Two full bathrooms (both have toilets and sinks -- one has a tub, the other a shower.) and three half baths

2.0 = Two full bathrooms (Commentary would be used to capture other non-conforming details that do not qualify as a half or full bath, such as, "The house has a sink in the garage and a toilet in the basement.")

UAD Tips and Tricks - Special Assessments

Rosanna Bracciale — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:08:00 GMT

Per GSE UAD Appendix D 1.1, "The appraiser should enter any special assessment applicable to the subject property. It must be expressed as an annual or annualized amount. If there is more than one special assessment, enter the annualized sum of all special assessments. If there are no special assessments applicable to the subject property, enter the numeral zero (0)."

Tip: This means that we are no longer allowed to type "NONE" or "N/A" or anything besides a whole number. So if there are no Special Assessments, enter a single numeric "0" instead of any words we may have used in the past!