When we upgrade to the SF330 will we still be able to use our current data and forms?

Absolutely! By upgrading to the new SF330 you will simply be adding more functionality to the current program and will retain ALL of your information and forms. In fact, much of your current information will be used on the new SF330's. You can easily convert your SF 254/255 database information to the SF330 by using the SF330 tab in each database file and clicking on the button. Any fields that are EMPTY will be translated and filled automatically.

The new SF330 only provides space for one resume (Section E) and one project (Section F), yet it states in the instructions that you can submit up to 10 of each? How do I create those extra pages?

There are a variety of ways that Government Forms Software allows you to add extra pages the form: 1. Use the New Form - SF 330 command on the File menu and select the appropriate number of pages for Section E, Section F and even Section H, and then click the Create Form button. Sample Screen 2. Open any SF330 and move to a Resume (Section E) or Project (Section F) page and then use the Duplicate Page command on the Format menu. 3. Use the Insert Page(s) command on the Format menu. 4. When on a Section E or Section F page, right-click your mouse outside of the current field and use the Copy command. Then move to the next page, right-click your mouse again and select Insert Page. 5. From the File Tree (F12) drag-and-drop a Section E (resume) or Section F (project) from the custom pages under the SF 330 folder directly onto the form. You will be prompted to Add this page to the form?, to which you will reply Yes.

I've added and switched the position of some pages in my newly generate SF330, how do I automatically renumber (repaginate) the entire form?

Use the Renumber Pages command on the Format menu. This new feature allows page renumbering Sequentially (1,2,3,4...) or Sectionally (1,2a,2b,2c,3a,3b,3c...). Another option is to manually change each page number by using the Form - Text command on the Format menu and locating the page number in the Text String list box and changing its Text properties to the desired page number. The page numbers are usually located near the bottom of the Text String list.

On the SF330, Part I, Section F Block 24, should the project photos be inserted on the page, as an attachment, or an appendix?

Generally, unless an agency directs otherwise, the photos should be inserted in Block 24. Any space not used in Block 25 can be reallocated to enlarge Block 24. GFS provides an automatic mechanism for this by simply right-clicking your mouse anywhere on Section F of the SF 330. Select the Item 25 command and assign the desired number of rows for the current page. In addition, the program will automatically resize any fields associated with Item 24. This functionality is also provided for Item 19 of Section E (resumes).

Item 10 on Part II of the SF330 asks for the Average Annual Revenue for the past 5 Years.  Will GFS calculate that figure automatically?

YES, provided that the appropriate information is entered in the Projects database. Using the SF330 tab in the Projects database, make sure that each project you want included in this calculation has a valid year in the Year Completed - Professional Services field and that "Include in calculations" is checked. In addition, be sure that an actual Revenue figure is entered for each Profile Code entered. Then, after selecting the Profile Code in Item 10 on the form, click the Sum Totals button when on the Revenue Index field. The resulting dialog is shown at right.

The fields on Part II (Item 9 and Item 10) of the SF330 seem to be out of order, how can I fix that?

If fields on Part II of the SF330 are out of order is usually the result of a corrupted page. To fix this problem, right-click your mouse on the form itself (outside of the current field) and click on the Resync Fields command. This command is only available for Part II of the SF330.

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Concerning the rollover to the year 2001 and beyond on the SF 254, how do I change the "19"s to a "20"s on Item 9?

Open an SF 254 and use the Form - Text command on the Format menu. Somewhere around 31st item in the Text String list should be a "19". Change the Text property on the right from "19" to "20". Repeat the process for other years if necessary. Click the OK button. Note: Registered users can download the latest software update which does this process for you automatically!

How do I make the information I have entered into the databases appear on the form?

Although this questions only applies to the Executive Version, it is by far the most commonly asked question. Click here for detailed instructions on this procedure and please feel free to print out the proceeding page as reference for the future. In general, you need to see this button on the top ribbon in order to use the Lookup capabilities. Real-time Tutorial To use the automatic calculation feature (summing totals) this button needs to be visible. This latter feature only applies to Item 10 of the SF 254 for the Number of Projects and Total Gross Fees fields. It assumes that you have already entered the Profile Code you wish to sum totals for.

When selecting projects from the lookup list the wrong project (often the same one) appears on the form. What's wrong?

Each and every project needs a UNIQUE project ID number. Go back to the Projects database and make the necessary changes. Also, you will need to close and then reload the Projects Lookup list in order for your changes to be reflected.

How do I insert graphic images (pictures) onto the forms?

There are a few things to remember when using graphics: • To insert a graphic image into the current field, right-click your mouse and choose Insert Picture from the popup menu. • Before inserting a picture, use File - Preferences and adjust the Images use entire field and Maintain aspect ratio options under Program Settings to make the process act the way you need it to. • Once inserted, pictures can be sized by pressing F7, or by adjusting the position of the small red dot on the bottom right corner of the picture when it is selected. • Its often more convenient to add a new field to the form first (use Format - Form - Fields - Insert New Field), move and size that field to the desired location on the page using the Field Position button (located on the top ribbon) and THEN insert a picture into the field. • Fields can be sized by holding down the Ctrl key WITHIN the borders of the selected field and then dragging and dropping any one of the four green border bars. • Images must be in Bitmap (*.bmp), JPEG (*.jpg) or GIF (*.gif) format. • Make sure the spacing between the lines is set to 0. Use Format-Paragraph to adjust this value for any field you wish to contain a graphic image. • Use the Word Interface for more flexibility with images including many different formats (TIFF, PCX, PNG, AutoCAD, etc.).

I need to re-register the Trial Version but I can't find the serial number that was originally assigned to us. What should I do?

You need to send us an email and request that we forward you the registration information again. Be sure to include your company's name within the message. WE WILL NOT ISSUE A SERIAL NUMBER OVER THE PHONE!

How do I move the program (and all of the forms and data) from one machine to another?

First, you need to download the Trial Version from the web site and re-register it on the new machine (see above - your registration information is found under the File - Preferences menu command).  Then you need to move ALL the files with the following extensions from the old machine to the new machine: *.dat *.lst *.254 *.255 *.330   In addition, there is a sub-folder called "\Images" under the Forms directory which contains all the images (*.bmp) used on the forms if you inserted pictures. Make sure that you copy them to the correct folder on the new machine ("C:\GFS98" or "C:\Program Files\Government Forms Software").   If you do not have a Site License, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION FROM A DIFFERENT MACHINE.   Finally, you will need to remove the program from the old machine by using the UnInstall GFS routine from the Programs menu under Government Forms Software.

When trying to access the online Help system I receive the error "Cannot find the \gfs help file." or "The Help System is unavailable to UnRegistered Users!"   What should I do?

First, you may be missing the help file itself. You can download the latest one by simply clicking on this link gfs.hlp. Save this file to your GFS folder. Or, your default program path may be set incorrectly. In the latest version of GFS, use the Preferences command on the File menu and click on the Advanced button to reset the default program path. Then exit and restart GFS.

Is there a limit on the amount of information I can enter?

No! Registered users may enter an unlimited number of consultants, resumes and projects. This is also no limit on the number of forms that can be produced and saved.

How can I DUPLICATE the current page of the form?

Use the Duplicate Page command on the Format menu. Another way is from the page you want to duplicate, use the Copy Page command on the Form Context popup menu (right-click on the form outside of the currently selected field). Move to the location where you want to insert the new page and then use the Insert Page command on the Form Context popup menu to insert the page from the Page Clipboard.

Can I use information from other applications?

Yes! You can copy and paste information from any Windows compatible program.  In addition, our built-in editor understands RTF (Rich Text Format), which is common in many of today's popular word processors.  Warning: Make sure you only paste RTF formatted text into GFS.  Images and pictures are also not a problem.

What about customizing the forms?

Absolutely! Every part of the form can now be modified. You can add, delete and move fields, lines, boxes, borders as well as change fonts and colors. In addition, we supply you with lots of preformatted custom pages (like single page resumes and variable projects per page) that will make your custom work a breeze. See Custom Forms.

How do I add a predrawn custom page to the current form?

First, feel free to download any of the customized pages here: Custom Forms. Once you have download the desired customized page to the GFS Forms Folder (use File - Preferences to determine the forms folder) it should appear on the File Tree (toggle and refresh with F12) on the left side of the screen in GFS. Adding that page to the currently open form is simply done by highlighting it in the File Tree and then dragging-and-dropping it onto the currently open. This adds a new current page to the form and at this point you may need to remove the "old" page it is replacing and use Format - Remove page to avoid redundancy.

How can I easily insert or delete rows of project information already on the form?

You can easily insert or remove rows on certain parts of the form by simply right-clicking your mouse inside the current field and selecting either of those commands from the popup menu. These options are available on Items 10 & 11 of the SF 254 and Items 6, 8 and 9 of the SF 255. In addition, the Move Row command is available for Item 11 of the SF 254 that allows you to reshuffle the order of the projects without losing any of the information already on the form - a great time saver!

When printing, why does the right side of my form get cut off?

This can happen with DeskJet and InkJet printers that roll the paper past the print head. These printers have a hard right (or bottom) margin of up to 0.75", and will automatically eject the page when the printer rolls the page to this point. There are two possible solutions: Try switching to Legal size paper (although you will still use a regular 8½" by 11" sheet). This may trick the printer into rolling the paper a little further before it ejects the page. This is the "cleaner" solution because it will keep the form centered on the page. Move the form to the left 0.10". Use the Format-Form-Move command from the main menu. This problem DOES NOT EXIST with laser printers.

How do I change the vertical line spacing of the project fields?

Ideally you want to fit 4 lines of text into each field in the project information areas (SF 254 - Item 11 and SF 255 - Item 8 & 9). Use the Paragraph command from the Format menu or right-click on the field and use the Form-Context popup menu to change all the fields on the current page at one time (this is the better method!). Set the Between value under Spacing to -0.14 in order to "squeeze" the lines together.

When the form prints out why can't I see the text I've entered?

Notice that we use blue as the default color for entering text onto a form. We do this so that it is easy to distinguish between what you are keying in and the form's text itself. If you can't see the text you have entered it is due to the fact that your printer is probably scaling the color blue to some very light shade of gray, or even white. To remedy this situation, change the font color to black. A quick way to do this is to right-click your mouse on the form itself (outside of a text field) and use the Font command from the popup menu. This method allows you to change the text on the current page or the entire form very quickly. Note: Version 98.3.1.66 has been modified to "print colors as black" but keep the proper color attributes when editing on the screen!

The Default Font Type and Size selected under File - Preferences will not appear on the forms?

In order for the Default Font, Size and Color to be used the field in which you enter text on the form must be completely cleared. A field that looks empty does not mean that it still does not have any formatting within it! Use the Clear Fields command on the Edit menu to remove the entire content of the field. Warning! This will remove all the text in the field also! Another way to achieve the same results without deleting any text currently in the fields is to use the Form-Context menu. Place your mouse on the form (not in a selected text field) and right-click, then use the Font command from that drop-down menu to set the font attributes for all the fields on that page or entire form.

Why doesn't the form print correctly? (...the text and pictures are the wrong size.)

Make sure the Zoom of each page of the form is set to 100% BEFORE printing. Use the Zoom command on the View menu to change the view. Certain printers (and networks) will not interpret the scaling of the form correctly so the only alternative is to not set any scaling (thus Zoom is 100%, or actual size).

When trying to open Profile Codes or Functions from the Data menu I receive the error "Required file missing".  What should I do?

You are missing one of the supporting data files. You can download any of them by right-clicking on this link codes.dat and using Save Target As... to download this file back to your GFS data folder. SF330: codes330.dat   function.dat   translate.dat   disciplines.dat

I've have seen a list of different profile codes that have descriptions defined past 200? Where are they from?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed an extended list of profile codes similar to the list provided with the SF 254. They use this revised list for their ACASS system. You can download a copy of this list (codes.dat) and then overwrite the current file "codes.dat" on your GFS folder. Also, see Custom Forms for the list in a SF 254 style form.

When trying to spell check, the message "Error opening dictionary C:\Program Files\Government Forms Software\ENGLISH.DCT" appears.  What's wrong?

You are missing the dictionary file. You can download it by simply clicking on this link English.dct. Save this file to your GFS folder.

When editing a form, how do I select more than one field at a time?

Hold down the Alt and click your mouse on the field you wish to select. Once all fields are selected you can use the Form-Context popup menu (right-click your mouse on the form outside of any text fields) to change field attributes of only those selected fields. To Deselect all selected fields use the Form-Context popup menu. All selected fields appear with an aqua background.

I lost the File Tree on the left side of the screen. Where is it?

Use F12 to toggle the File Tree on/off.

When I attempt to run a report using the Reports menu, my system freezes.

If your system freezes while attempting to run a report there more than likely is a problem with the report configuration (column settings). To remedy the problem you will need to set the report back to its original configuration. Follow these steps: Stop GFS by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del (all at the same time) on your keyboard and then click "End Task". Restart GFS and select the report you are having problems with from the Reports menu while you have the Shift key on your keyboard depressed. (Simply hold the Shift key down while you click on the proper report from the Reports menu.) Click "Yes" when you are asked to reset the report format.

How do I quickly rename (or delete) a form?

You can rename a form directly from the File Tree (requires Version 98.3.1.71 or higher) by first selecting the form (do not open it) and then press F2 and then enter the new name. Forms may be deleted directly from the File Tree by first selecting the form (do not open it) and then pressing the Delete key on the keyboard. Another way to rename a form is to open the form, then use File - Save As... to save to the form to a new name and finish by deleting the old one. You can also delete a form by using File - Open and then delete the form from the Open Form dialog window.

Which files need to be backed up in order to properly save all of my pertinent information?

Any files on your Forms Directory and Data Directory (see File - Preferences command in the GFS program) that have the following extensions must be backed up: "*.254"   "*.255"   "*.330"   "*.dat"   "*.lst"

How do I remove "phantom text" from the form?

"Phantom text" is information that is displaying on the form in an undesired location. Generally it is data entered into a field and is then pushed out of the field's boundaries by the user pressing the Enter key (carriage return) and thus moving the test outside the edit area of the current field. In most cases the "phantom text" is data from a field located above its position on the form and can be removed by finding that field, selecting all the text (Ctrl-A) within that field, and then deleting it. Once that is done, click on the current page number on the top right on the screen to redraw the current page.

How to create a User DSN ODBC connection to your system for use with the Client/Server Version and MS Access.

From your Windows desktop:   - Click Start   - Click Run   - Open: odbcad32 [Enter] If there is no "Government Forms Software" User Data Source on the User DSN tab, then you need to add it. Do this:   - Click Add   - Select "Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)" from the list.   - Click Finish In the next window, enter this:   - Data Source Name: Government Forms Software   - Description: Government Forms Software   - Database: Click Select   - Find and select GFS.mdb and click OK   - Click OK again   - Click OK once more to close the ODBC Datasource Administrator Depending on the security settings of your system, this procedure may require the assistance of your network administrator.

When trying to Zip Data/Forms I receive the following error: "Unable to load GFS_Zip.dll!"

You are missing the GFS_Zip.dll file which contains the routines for file compression. You can download it by simply clicking on this link GFS_Zip.dll. Save this file to the same folder where GFS.exe is located.

I need to set a filter on project records that are imported, is that possible?

Yes. Add the following line to the [Preferences] key in the GFS.ini file located on your default Windows folder: ImportMask=01 This example will import only those records whose key index begins with "01". Also, if importing from an ODBC connection, you can also add the following to the same key: ImportSQLPrjMask=Prj_ID like '01%' The string value ("Prj_ID like '01%'") in this example represents an actual SQL statement that is run each time GFS attempts to retrieve information the ODBC data source.

How do I import information from the CTM/SF Reporter program?

During the installation of the Trial Version of Government Forms Software select the CTM (SF Reporter) option on the Data Import Capability screen. Doing so will create a User DSN (or possibly system DSN) in the Datasource Administrator (odbcad32.exe) called CTM-GFS. This is the tool GFS uses to import information from CTM's SFReport.mdb (Microsoft Access Database). You will be required to know the location of that file (sfreport.mdb) on your hard drive or server. Use the Import - Data command on the Data menu to import information from the CTM (SFReporter) system by selecting that option under Version. You will need to import information from all three databases (Firms, Resumes, Projects) one at a time. In addition, you can import previous SF254/255 forms created by CTM by first open either the Default.254 (or Default.255) and then using the Import - Forms command on the Data menu.

Word Interface   (Current Version: 04.12.08)

GFS Program FAQ's

Problem: I can't find the Word Interface on my system after installation.

The Word Interface MUST be installed in the same folder as the Government Forms Software program itself (GFS.exe). If it is installed in the wrong folder it will not appear as an option on the Field/Form/Page tool bar in GFS when a form is open and will also not appear as an option on the Format menu. Make sure these two files are located in the same folder as GFS.exe:     gfs-word.exe       gfs-word.hlp In addition, click the Advanced button in the File-Preferences window and click Yes when prompted to "Clear this path?". Try reopening a form after that.

Problem: I can't find any of the predrawn forms (templates) that were suppose to come with the Word Interface.

This is directly related to the above problem and can be remedied by simply moving ALL the contents of the Word folder generated by the Word Interface installation to the correct location. For instance, a proper installation would more than likely place the Word templates in a location like this: C:\Program Files\Government Forms Software\Word Please review the GFS-Word.hlp file for more on the templates and a description of each one.

Error: Could not open macro storage

Find the file Normal.dot and rename it or remove it.

Error: The message filter indicates this application is busy.

You are probably running Norton AntiVirus which has a known bug which conflicts with the Word 2000 Automation Object.    Read more.    You need to Run the following to fix this problem: Regsvr32 /U "C:\Program Files\Norton SystemWorks\Norton AntiVirus\OfficeAV.dll"

Error: Server Execution Failed

You are probably running Norton AntiVirus which has a known bug which conflicts with the Word 2000 Automation Object. To fix this problem you need to disable the Norton AntiVirus plug-in for Microsoft Office 2000 by following these instructions: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf

Error: Call was rejected by callee

See above. You are probably running Norton AntiVirus which has a known bug that conflicts with the Word 2000 Automation Object. To fix this problem you need to disable the Norton AntiVirus plug-in for Microsoft Office 2000 by following these instructions: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf

Hint: How to speed up conversion process.    New Hint!

Due to the inherent nature of OLE, the calls to the MS Word object can take time to execute. Therefore, to speed up processing time once the conversion has started you can click on ANY menu available within Word (i.e., File, Edit, Help, etc.) and let it simply display on the screen. DO NOT click on any commands on the menu itself. This will force Word to bypass many if its internal checks when adding or modifying text objects and our tests have shown that this speeds up the conversion process by 50-60%.

Problem: Conversion process takes a very long time.

If the conversion process is taking an extremely long time (more than a couple minutes) you probably have not selected a Template to use as a base form or page. If you don't select a template the conversion program will attempt to create every single object on the form (lines, text, boxes, and fields), which can consume many of your systems resources. Use these templates for converting forms or pages: For a GFS form of this type... Use this Word Template SF 254 DEF254.doc SF 255 DEF255.doc Single Resume RESUME.doc For a GFS page of this type... Use this Word Template SF330 Section A-C(D) SectionA-C(D).330.doc (or Page1.330.doc) SF330 Section E SectionE.330.doc (or Page2.330.doc) SF330 Section F SectionF.330.doc (or Page3.330.doc) SF330 Section G SectionG.330.doc (or Page4.330.doc) SF330 Section H SectionH.330.doc (or Page5.330.doc) SF330 Part II PartII.330.doc (or Page6.330.doc) The Word templates can be found under the Word folder of your GFS system folder. To select a different template for each page (requires version 04.07.15 or higher) click on the Use Template header when the desired page is selected. To remove an assigned template for a specific page, press the Delete key on your keyboard, or press the Cancel button when selecting a template.   See below for more information on the new table-based templates.

Question: How do you remove a page from the Word Document?

Use the Select Objects on the Drawing Toolbar to select ALL the objects on the page to want to remove. Once all the objects are selected, right-click and use Cut (or press the Delete key on your keyboard) to remove the objects. Then press the Delete key to remove the empty page. It is easiest to remove an entire page while your Zoom is set to Whole Page.

Question: How do you ADD a new page to the Word Document?

Basically, you can only add a new page formatted as a page that already exists in the document. For instance, to add a new Resume page (Item 7 of the SF 255), you would need to duplicate the format from a Resume page that already exists. Use the Select Objects on the Drawing Toolbar to select ALL the objects on the page to want to duplicate. Once all the objects are selected, right-click and use Copy to place all selected objects on the clipboard. Then move your cursor to the very top left corner of the page where you want to insert a new page and Insert a Page Break (use the Insert menu). Then click Paste from the Edit menu. It is easiest to add a new page while your Zoom is set to Whole Page.

Question: The Resumes and Projects database files have a Tab labeled "Word OLE".  What does that do?

This feature allows you to place information from the current record directly onto a template in MS Word and can be used for custom forms and proposals. If you leave the Select Template field empty ("<none>") and Start the process, the program will create a template for you automatically. The process works by bookmarking fields on the Word template with the corresponding fields names from the database.

Question: How do I access the new table-based templates?

The installation process of the Word Interface will place the table-based templates in a folder called Table under the Word directory. Thus a typical installation of the Word Interface will enable you to find and select the table-based templates from this folder: C:\Program Files\Government Forms Software\Word\Table For a GFS page of this type... Use this Word Template SF 254 - Page 1 (Item 1-9) Page1.254.doc SF 254 - Page 2 (Item 10-11) Page2.254.doc SF 254 - Page 3 (Item 11) Page3.254.doc SF 254 - Page 4 (Item 11-12) Page4.254.doc SF 255 Item 1-5 Item1-5.255.doc SF 255 Item 6 Item6.255.doc SF 255 Item 7 (1 Resume/Pg) Item7(1).255.doc SF 255 Item 7 (2 Resumes/Pg) Item7(2).255.doc SF 255 Item 8 Item8.255.doc SF 255 Item 8 (1 Project/Pg) Item8-1.255.doc SF 255 Item 8 (1 Project/Pg w/Picture) Item8-1-2.255.doc SF 255 Item 8 (2 Project/Pg) Item8-2.255.doc SF 255 Item 8 (5 Project/Pg) Item8-5.255.doc SF 255 Item 9 Item9.255.doc SF 255 Item 10 (1 Column) Item10(1).255.doc SF 255 Item 10 (2 Columns) Item10(2).255.doc SF330 Section A-C(D) SectionA-C(D).330.doc SF330 Section E SectionE.330.doc SF330 Section F SectionF.330.doc SF330 Section F (Item 24 - 2 Cols) SectionF-1-1.330.doc SF330 Section F (Item 24 - 2 Cols w/Picture) SectionF-1-2.330.doc SF330 Section F (Item 24 - 2 Cols w/2 Pictures) SectionF-1-2P.330.doc SF330 Section G SectionG.330.doc SF330 Section H SectionH.330.doc SF330 Part II PartII.330.doc