Method and apparatus for computer aided building specification generation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing a design document for a product, with the product having product elements arranged in a hierarchical manner and stored in a relational database, is described. A selection is received for at least one product element. At least one performance value associated with the selected product element is received. A text segment associated with each selected product element is retrieved from the database. Selected text segments are then used to construct the design document.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for developing a request for proposal by an owner, and a responding proposal by a design builder for design and construction of a product, comprising: 
 defining a requirements file for said request for proposal including a performance specification and a prescriptive specification by selecting product descriptors from an owner database;    combining said requirements file with owner information to produce said request for proposal by selecting prewritten text segments from said owner database;    electronically linking attachments to said requirements file;    sending said request for proposal with said attachments as a first overlay to a design builder;    opening and reading said first overlay with reference to a proposer database correlating to said owner database;    preparing a responding proposal from said design builder by adding detailed product descriptors selected from said proposer database to said first overlay and producing a second overlay;    attaching proposer information and a cost statement to said second overlay;    sending said second overlay from said design builder to said owner;    producing an electronic comparison file by comparing said first overlay and said second overlay; and    using a document-use global switch option in said steps of defining and preparing.    
     
     
         2 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said defining comprises: 
 choosing the document-use global switch option corresponding to a request for proposal in order to convert the grammar of product descriptors to the imperative language appropriate to a request for proposal;    selecting at least one first product element from a first set of product elements on said owner database;    selecting from said owner database at least one performance value for said at least one first product element;    customizing said at least one product element and said at least one performance value by adding and subtracting text; and    storing a first representative for said customized at least one product element and said customized at least one performance value in electronic form.    
     
     
         3 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said preparing comprises: 
 receiving said first overlay; constructing said second overlay using first overlay; and    choosing the document-use global switch option corresponding to a proposal in order to convert the grammar of product descriptors to the promissory language appropriate to a proposal.    
     
     
         4 . The method of    claim 1   , wherein said preparing further comprises: 
 choosing the document-use global switch option corresponding to instructions for a sub-contractor in order to convert the grammar of product descriptors to the imperative language appropriate to instructions for subcontractors;    sending said second overlay to a third device of a supplier of materials for said product;    selecting at said third device a third set of data from a supplier database correlating to said proposer database;    constructing a third overlay by adding detailed product descriptors from said supplier database;    choosing the document-use global switch option corresponding to a proposal in order to convert the grammar of product descriptors to the promissory language appropriate to a proposal to the design-builder; and    sending said third overlay to said second device.