Ever wonder what the DISCUS Trial does for you?  The DISCUS Trial is an unlimited use version but only on the sample built-in drawing, spec and balloon data.  You can use most of all of the features in the DISCUS – export to ballooned PDF and excel for example – but you can’t save your data.  We recommend that you use the trial version to get comfortable with DISCUS;  then request the free 15-day Evaluation version.  This is the full-fledged product where you can use your own drawings and specs and comes in two flavors – First Article Inspection or Inspection Planning.

Be on the lookout for our webinars that focus FAI or Inspection Planning – check here often.

If you ever have a need for specific DISCUS training for your users, try either our online or onsite training.  The online training consists of one on one training between your end users and one of our support staff.  We use GOTO meeting for both the web and teleconference portion.  Your users can attend these sessions in a group, say a conference room or from the comfort of their desks.  This training is available in two hour blocks for $200.  You can split up the training anyway you see fit – a hour in the beginning and then an hour later on.

The onsite training is where one of our support does the training in your facility.  The cost is $1,200 per day plus expenses.  You can have up to 10 people in this training session at one time.

This is an ideal and easy step for sending TDPs to support or backing up your files as a zip file.

1. Open the TDP you want to package.
2. Under Help, click Package TDP. This creates a zipped file.
3. Save the file and if requested for TDPs email the zip file of the TDP information.

For example if your drawing has 4 notes and each note has a sub balloon of alphabetic notation, such as 1.A, 1.B, 2.A, 2.B etc., count how many of these alphabetic notations you have. So for characteristics 1-4, you will need the alphabetic notation, but from 5 on, you will need the conventional sub ballooning format of 5.1, 5.2 etc.

Click BoC and Configure Groups. Select Default and for the sub balloon enter A. This will be for the first 4 notes, for example that require numeric/alphabetic values in the balloons

1. Create a New Group, called for example, 5-ON to represent that from Characteristic 5 etc. you will be using 5.1, 5.2 etc. Enter 5 for the Start at number, for example.

Click Set. Once you are done with the default group of 1-4, you will switch to the 5-ON group.

For example if your drawing has 4 notes and each note has a sub balloon of alphabetic notation, such as 1.A, 1.B, 2.A, 2.B etc., count how many of these alphabetic notations you have. So for characteristics 1-4, you will need the alphabetic notation, but from 5 on, you will need the conventional sub ballooning format of 5.1, 5.2 etc.

Click BoC and Configure Groups. Select Default and for the sub balloon enter A. This will be for the first 4 notes, for example that require numeric/alphabetic values in the balloons.

1. Create a New Group, called for example, 5-ON to represent that from Characteristic 5 etc. you will be using 5.1, 5.2 etc. Enter 5 for the Start at number, for example.
2. Click Set. Once you are done with the default group of 1-4, you will switch to the 5-ON group.
3. Using the Default Group, balloon the notes and sub balloon the sub –items in that note. Complete at 4 (the last characteristic that requires the flexible alphabetic usage.
4. Press Esc to get out of ballooning mode, so no item is currently selected.
5. In BoC, click Assign Group and select the Group 5-On. Balloon in this manner and the sub balloons from this group will be numeric/numeric.

In DISCUS 4.0 Add Material and Process data that exports to Form 2 of AS9102

1. Under File, click Material / Process List.
2. Click Add and enter the Specification Number/Name.
3. Browse for the spec to add to the TDP
4. Indicate the Type, such as Manufacturing.
5. All fields with an * are required.
6. Click OK
7. Repeat for each material and process. Data will then be exported to Form 2

Contact sales@discussoftware.com for the latest schedule and links to register. March 11 and March 18. Don’t miss out…4.0 is Out!

Be one of the first kids on your block to test drive our newest add-on – DISCUS 3D! It is currently available for evaluation mode.  Please contact sales@discussoftware.com and mention that you want to evaluate our 3D add-on.  Check out the following link for more information about this offering.

1. If you have multiple ballooned drawings, you can export them into one handy  PDF file.
2. After you have ballooned the print and ready to export the drawings, click File and Export.
3. Click to select Export as a Single PDF. Save the ballooned print and open as one PDF with multiple pages

If you want your balloon on the print to have a special Alpha Character to distinguish it from non key characteristics, you can now do so.

1. Under Drawing, Balloon Properties, click Key Designator and enter the Key Letter you want, such as K. Indicate if you want this letter to the left or right of the balloon number. Set this a default.
2. When you edit the data in the Characteristic Properties box, select Key and Critical and/or Major, for example. The Balloon displaying on the print will display as K12, for example.

1. Open an excel and in each column enter the following
2. Part NO, Part Name, Serial Number and FAI number. These will map to Form 1 in AS9102.
3. Save this excel as CSV (Comma separated value).
4. In DISCUS click Parts List under File and import the list you just created. When you export the BoC, this parts list data populates Form 1.