Photo Annotation Added

It's not often that you get to do something that is both fun and useful. The new Photo Annotation feature is just such beast though. This feature allows you to draw on photos that you have uploaded to your Staff web site. This allows you to easily highlight the salient objects in the photo with circles and arrows, etc.

You get to the photo annotation page by going to the Photo Edit page in your Staff site and then use the Photo Annotate menu option on the floating dashboard. As you can see from the above example this page presents you with a toolbar that lets you create rectangles, circles, lines or use a pencil. You can select line width, the fill color, and the stroke color. It is very easy to use. And its quite fun. Give it a try. I also added an option to the Building Inspection E-mail page that makes it really easy to add photo links to your emails. In conjunction, these two feature should improve your communications with contractors.

Processing Contractor Inspection Requests

For those customers using the web site that lets their contractors request inspections online, you can now process those requests directly from your Staff site. If you have requests "Pending" you can see those directly on the Main page and select a request to begin processing it. If not you can go to the Contractor Search page and check the Dashboard menu options for a new Inspection Requests choice. This option takes you to a page that shows all existing requests whether they are Pending, Accepted or Denied. The various options available to you here are the same as from the Windows program. You can process requests, send e-mails back to contractors, view the permits involved, manage the passwords assigned to the contractors, etc. To my mind, the web site is easier to use for reviewing requests because its easier to jump around to view different pages and to send e-mails. Try it out and let me know what you think.

Dashboard Control in Web Sites

I received feedback that some customers did not like the way the floating dashboard was triggered in the Staff and Public web sites. It was too easy to accidentally hover over the dashboard and have it spring out. So I have added a check box on the Main page that lets you switch the dashboard between it's default hover mode a new click mode. In click mode you have to click on the dashboard to make it open or close. Another user-friendly change is the addition of a street search option right from the Main page. Since this is one of the most frequently used actions in ZonePro, placing it on the Main page should prove handy. Let me know what you think about these changes and any other feedback you have about the web site's useability.

New Fields for Other Permits Database

Four fields were added to the Other Permits database so that it is now identical in structure to the Extra Permits database. The four fields are: Final Date, Status, Dimensions, and Description. The Windows interface has already been updated to show the new fields and the web pages will follow. Use the Installed Modules screen in Maintenance to download the updated screens. Note that the new Status field now provides a second way of adding Alert Messages to Other Permit records.

Contractor Web Site Revamped

The Contractor Inspection Request web site has been rewritten to match the style of the Staff site. If you receive any feedback of problems using the new site please let me know. For those customers that are unfamiliar: the Contractor Inspection Request site allows contractors to request inspections and check the status of inspections from their own web site.It is an add-on option for all existing ZP SQL customers who have the Contractor Module installed.

New Public Web Site

Every ZP SQL customer now has a new Public web site. The idea is the same as the previous Public web site but this one was rewritten to match the style used by the Staff web site. The purpose of the Public web site is to provide a convenient way for non-employees to see information housed in ZonePro. The new Public site is still limited in the information it shows (no fees, phone numbers, or notes, etc.) and still does not provide any editing. One major new feature from the previous version is that Public site now supports mapping. It also supports limiting reporting options. The idea of a Public web site always seems to spark some controversy as to what information should or should not be included. If you want changes made to your community's Public web site please let know. You can opt out altogether as well.

Jump Reports for Staff Site

One of the great unsung features of the Windows interface for ZonePro is the ability to use the report screens as search tools and then "jump" to the application record you were seeking. Now you can do that on the Staff web site too. It works a little different though. I've actually created several "Jump" reports which show up in the Report Choice drop-down box of various report screens. Rather than producing a report you can print however, these reports show the results in a grid that lets you "jump" to any of the included records. It's a great way to search for permits and the like when you don't know the permit number.