RedTeam Flex lets you create, customize, and manage proposal forms (also known as owner contracts, customer contracts, or construction contracts) to fit any business relationship. The 2023 template is ready to use and also includes a template editor where you can customize your proposal’s layout and formatting.
1. General
When you add a new Proposal Form in Configuration, the first section is General.
General Section Fields & Definitions:
Type (Required): Select which type of proposal you are creating. The available types are Fixed Price, Time & Material, or Construction Management.
Proposal Name (Required): The name that will show up when selecting the Proposal Form in your project.
Steps:
From Configuration, locate Proposal Forms (under the heading: Projects).
Click the New (+) icon.
Fill out the required fields.
When you have filled in the General section, move to the next section: Original Proposal Format.
2. Original Proposal Format
In this section, you select and configure the 2023 template. The field definitions and usage described in Configure Proposal Forms Using 2022 Template also apply here.
In the template editor, you can design the layout and content of your proposal. Add text, organize information with tables, insert data fields that pull information directly from your Project. You can also adjust fonts, spacing, and other formatting to create a clear, professional proposal.
Setting the General Format
On the Template dropdown, select the 2023 one.
On the Layout field, click on Proposal Details.
A default view, including pre-formatted text and Data Fields, will be presented. Tip: instead of deleting this content, edit and adjust it as needed to fit your requirements.
If you need more space in the Header and/or Body of your current section, click on the area's boundary and drag it up or down to resize it.
You can add as many sections as you want by clicking the button + Add Section at the lower right corner. You can also change the name on the Properties section.
Set up the grid by clicking the U-shaped button between the grid and ruler icons in the lower right corner. This will help your document look more consistent, as you'll be able to keep equal spacing between objects. (The following measurements are just a recommendation)
Grid Size: 0.0833 in.
Snap to Grid: Enabled.
Snap to Guides: Enabled.
Go to the right side of your screen, click on Properties > click on the Three Vertical Dots button and select Show Advanced Properties. This will allow you to visualize more details.
If your original document has specific margins you want to replicate, set them up using the ruler. Make sure the Ruler button in the lower-right corner of the screen is turned on, then adjust the margins as needed. Do this before you start adding or editing objects.
Add and Manage Text
If you want to add text, you can find some tools in the black bar at the left side of the screen.
Text Box
Click TextBox to add a block of text with consistent formatting. All the text inside the text box uses the same format.
To add text, right-click on the box and go to Expression, add what you need to and make it look as you want.
After you finish, click Save.
You can use all the font format and alignment buttons at the upper part of the screen in the section Home menu. (Click on the text box and apply the format). Remember it applies for all the text.
You can also click the text box and paste your text, or simply start typing. You can apply formatting to the text box before or after you add the text. If the text box already has content, the new text replaces it.
To edit a Text Box’s formatting, select it and go to the Properties panel. Click the three vertical dots (⋮) next to TextBox, select Show Advanced Properties, and adjust the formatting as needed. Advanced properties include additional formatting options for fonts, alignment, spacing, and more.
Rich Text
In the toolbar on the left, scroll down and click Rich Text to add text that needs different formatting within the same block.
Note: The chat icon may partially cover the Rich Text button. Hover over the bottom of the toolbar until the Rich Text label appears, then click just above the chat icon.
To add text, right-click on the box and go to Expression.
You will need to use HTML language to add line breaks and format words separately. After you finish, click Save.
For rich text, you can only use the font format buttons but not the alignment ones. (Click on the box and apply the format).
As for Text Boxes, to edit Rich Text formatting, select it and go to the Properties panel. Click the three vertical dots (⋮) next to TextBox, select Show Advanced Properties, and adjust the formatting as needed. Advanced properties include additional formatting options for fonts, alignment, spacing, and more. You can also Hide Advanced Properties and return to the basic ones.
You can copy and paste these elements anywhere on the page, and they’ll keep their formatting.
Add and Manage Tables
Use tables to add text with indentation, such as numbered or bulleted lists, or to add a table to your document.
Add a Table
Click Table in the toolbar.
In the table’s properties on the right, select a Data Set Name. The table doesn’t need to use data from this dataset, but it must have one assigned; otherwise, you’ll get an error when you preview the proposal. You can select any option.
Add Text to Cells
By default, each cell in a table is a Text box. To add text, click the cell and type, paste with Ctrl + V, or right-click and select Paste or Cell Expression. The Cell Expression screen works the same way as the Expression screen for Text boxes and Rich Text.
To use different formatting within a cell, switch it to rich text: click the cell and select
Rich Text from the toolbar. Do this before adding text, because switching deletes any existing text.
Format Cells
You can format each cell individually. To format several cells at once, hold Ctrl, click each cell, and then apply the formatting.
Add Rows or Columns
Use either method:
Click the table and hover over the end of a dividing line (left side for rows, top for columns). Click the + button that appears.
Right-click a cell next to where you want to insert, then select Row or Column. To add several at once, select More and enter the number you need.
Delete Rows or Columns
Right-click a cell, then select Row > Delete Row or Column > Delete Column.
Resize Rows or Columns
Drag the lines between cells.
Or click the gray bars on the left or top of the table and enter a width or height in the Properties panel.
Merge or Split Cells
Merging deletes the text in the cells, so merge first and add text afterward.
Hold Ctrl and click each cell you want to merge or split.
Right-click and select Cells > Merge Cells. The merged cell takes the formatting of the leftmost cell, but you can change it later.
To split a merged cell, follow the same steps and select Split Cells, which only appears active for cells that were previously merged.
If you want the text inside a cell to jump to the other page, click on the cell, then go to the properties and disable Keep together. But if you want all the text to be joined, enable that option. (This works with text box and rich text)
Add Data Fields
To add a data field, open the object’s Expression and go to Data Sets, where the available data fields are organized by data set. Double-click the field you want to use to add it to the expression box, then save your changes.
You can also search for them with key words in the right upper corner of the expression editor. Type what you need, click on the required data field and it will take you to it on the left bar, then you can use it.
Another way to add Data Fields is by clicking on a box, and selecting the three dots button, then selecting the one you need or searching for it. It will automatically show in the box and will delete anything that was inside.
You can also go to the right side of your screen, click on the Data icon (placed at the right side of the Properties icon), then open the Data Sets so you can select the Data Field needed.
Drag it to the document. It will show as a text box with only the data set inside.
Extra Tips
Check the default font size. New TextBox, Rich Text, and Table objects use a 10 pt font by default. You can change it in the Properties panel or the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Copy and paste to place objects faster. New objects always appear at the top of the section you’re working in. To avoid scrolling up each time, copy and paste an existing object instead; it appears where you right-click to paste.
Resize several objects at once. Hold Ctrl and click each object, then drag the first one to resize them all, or enter a width in the Properties panel. If the group includes a table, select the whole table with its icon first, not a single cell, and then select the other objects. This also applies when copying and pasting a group of objects.
Enable Can Grow. Turn on Can Grow in each object’s properties so you can add or delete text later without moving or resizing objects to adjust the spacing.
Adjust spacing between objects. If you need more space between objects, open the object’s Expression and add spaces with the keyboard. Use Preview to check your changes.
Visualize the Document
Click on Preview in the top bar to visualize how the document is looking.
You have a Single Page View or a Continuous View with the buttons at the top.
You can also apply Zoom, Toggle Full Screen, go to the Previous or Next pages or use the Move Tool.
Each time you click on the button to preview the document, it automatically saves the changes. But you can always click on Save before going back to edit the Proposal Form.
There is an arrow button at the left part of the screen that allows you to export your document in order to view it without needing to go to the project.
3. Original Proposal Email Section
When you add a new Proposal Form in Configuration, the third section is Original Proposal Email.
Original Proposal Email section Fields & Definitions:
Email Subject: Section that is used to standardize what will appear as the subject when emailing a Proposal. This area allows Data Fields that can automatically fill in information pulled from your project. These are accessed by selecting the blue ribbon on the right side of the window.
Steps:
Enter desired information in the Email Subject box that you would like displayed in the subject.
When you have completed Original Proposal Email Section, move to the next section: Change Proposal Format.
4. Change Proposal Format
When you add a new Proposal Form in Configuration, the fourth section is Change Proposal Format.
Change Proposal Format section Fields & Definitions:
Custom View (Required): A listing of the available views for the Change Proposal based on the type. Once set cannot be edited.
Title:(Required): The title of the Change Proposal who will be displayed at the top of the document (i.e. “Fixed Price Proposal”, “Our Proposal”).
Re: The RE line can be formatted to provide the information that should be displayed about the change proposal.
Display: Project #: The project number will be displayed instead of displaying only the Scope Change Name.
Display: Facility: This is selected in Step 1: Scope Details when going to the Project's Home Menu.
Display: Work Location: The Work Location filled out in the corresponding field in Step 1: Scope Details when going to the Project's Home Menu.
Display: Customer Contract ID: Displays the ID entered in Step 7: Proposal > Customer Authorization when going to the Project's Home Menu. Appears at the top of the proposal.
Display: Change Proposal Amount (Price): Displays the total price from Step 4: Cost Estimate or if the estimate is unlinked, the manually created price in Step 7: Proposal > Proposal Details when going to the Project's Home Menu.
Display: Time Impact: Displays the information from the Time Impact field filled out in Step 7: Change Proposal when creating a Potential Change.
Preamble: Any preparatory or introductory statements can be entered here. (Data fields can be added here).
Taxes: Formatting of how the tax information will be displayed on the change proposal. (Data fields can be added here)
Include Clarifications: Toggle on or off whether Clarifications will be included in the change proposal.
Expiration: You can click it and enter information needed in our editor. (A Data Field can be added here)
Footer: the footer section of the document, typically formatted for a signature block. (Data fields can be added here)
Steps:
Enter information and toggle checkboxes to configure fields to customize the look of your Change Proposal.
When you have completed Change Proposal Format, move to the next section: Change Proposal Email Section.
5. Change Proposal Email Section
When you add a new Proposal Form in Configuration, the fifth section is Change Proposal Email Section.
Change Proposal Email section Fields & Definitions:
Email Subject: Section that is used to standardize the subject when emailing a Change Proposal. This area allows Data Fields that can automatically fill in information pulled from your project. These are accessed by selecting the blue ribbon on the right side of the window.
Steps:
Enter desired information in the Email Subject box that you would like displayed in the subject.
