With the Desktop software, you have the ability to streamline your report-writing process by using auto-comments. These pre-written comments can be added to your inspection items, saving you time and effort during report creation. This article will guide you through the process of adding, editing and managing auto-comments in your template. We will also cover exporting and importing comments between templates. 

Add an Auto-Comment

To add an auto-comment to an inspection item in a template, follow these steps:

1. Open a new report and select the template you would like to add the auto-comment to.
   
2. Click to highlight the inspection item you would like to have the auto-comment.
   
3. Type your comment in the comment box at the bottom of the screen.
   
   

   Check for Errors!: Check your comment for errors, or it'll have those errors when you see use it in the future.

4. When the comment is ready, click the magic wand with the plus sign just above the comment box.
   
5. Give the comment a Short name.
   
   

   Short Names: If the comment is "The doorbell appears to be in a non-working condition," your short name for the comment could be "Doorbell Broken".

6. Click OK at the bottom of the window.
7. HomeGauge will prompt you to choose a category (this category is from the Global List). Choose a category where the comment belongs, then click OK.
   
• Warning! If you click OK without choosing a category, the comment will be added to the "Uncategorized" category. This can cause problems in the future when trying to locate your comment.
• The Global List is a library list of all the comments in the current template. It does not sync with the inspection items in your template. Comments have to be added to each inspection item separately.
8. Click Save T or File > Save Template to save your template changes for future reports. 
   

Edit an Auto-Comment

To edit an existing auto-comment in your template, follow these steps:

1. Open a new report and select the template that contains the auto-comment you would like to edit.
2. Click to highlight the inspection item that has the auto-comment you would like to edit.
3. Click the magic wand icon above the comment box. This opens a window with a list of auto-comments.
   
4. Click to highlight the comment you would like to edit.
   
5. Click the wrench icon above the list of comments to edit.
   
6. Edit the comment as needed. 
   
7. When the edit is complete, click OK at the bottom of the window.
8. Click Cancel to close the window without inserting a comment, or choose one of the other options to insert the comment.
• Clicking Cancel will not undo the edit to the comment.
9. Click Save T or File  Save Template to save your changes for future reports.

Edit Comment Key (Introduction Text in General Info)

Editing Comment Key is very similar to editing inspection item comments. Here are the steps;

1. Create a new report and select your template. Click on the General Info section on the left side of your screen.
   
2. Above the Report Introduction text box, click on the eraser button (a small button with a pink and white eraser icon) to clear out the existing text.
   
3. Click on the first magic wand button to open the Local List and choose an auto-comment.
   
4. Highlight the comment that was currently being used in your report (The comment will have a Y in the Auto column) and click on the Wrench (edit comment) button above the list of comments. This will bring up the Edit Comments window.
   
5. Edit the comment as you'd like it to appear. Be sure the checkbox at the top is checked, called Automatically Include this Comment on Report Start.
   
6. When you are finished editing, click OK.  Select your comment and choose Insert as One Comment.
   
7. Save your template by clicking Save T or choosing File Save Template.
   

Edit Component Overview

Your Component Overview can be edited using the instructions above - it's found by clicking the Component on the left of the screen and then clicking the Overview tab near the top of the main window area.

Edit Summary Intro/Footer

Your Summary Intro/Footer can be edited using the instructions above - it's found by clicking the Summary bar on the left of the screen and then clicking the Edit Summaries tab near the top of the main window area.

Attach a Picture to be Included with Auto-Comment

In HomeGauge, it is possible to attach images or drawings to auto-comments. When those auto-comments are inserted in the report, the image is also automatically inserted. This is great for boilerplate pictures or diagrams that help illustrate the point of the selected comment.

1. Follow steps 1-5 above to Edit an Auto-Comment.
2. Click the small house icon. This will open the Attach Document List.
3. Click the orange plus icon. This will allow you to browse your computer for the picture or drawing you wish to include with your Auto-Comment automatically.
4. When the edit is complete, click OK at the bottom of the window.
5. Click Cancel to close the window without inserting a comment, or choose one of the other options to insert the comment.
6. Click Save T or File > Save Template to save your changes for future reports.

Add or Edit Smart Text

Smart Text allows one auto-comment to have multiple uses. To add Smart Text to an auto-comment, follow these steps:

Add Smart Text to an Auto-Comment

1. Begin the process of adding an auto-comment by following the steps in "Add an Auto-Comment" above.
2. After giving your auto-comment a name and text, place your cursor where you would like the Smart Text to be inserted
   
3. Click the orange plus (+) above the text field to insert Smart Text
   
4. Choose your Smart Text word and click OK
   
   
5. Your Smart Text Word is now part of the auto-comment. Make any changes needed then click OK
   
   
6. After you've finished making changes, click Save T or File Save Template
   

Add a New Smart Text Words to Smart Text Library

If none of the existing Smart Text fits what you need, you can add your own.

1. In the top-level menu, click Template > All Smart Text to access your Smart Text library
   
2. To the right of the Smart Text Words list, click the orange plus (+)
   
3. Type in the new Smart Text Word and click OK
   
   
4. Your new Smart Text Word will start without Replacement Text. Read below to add new Replacement Text
5. After you've finished making changes, click Save T or File  Save Template
   

Change Smart Text in an Auto-Comment

To change the Smart Text that is already in an Auto-Comment, simply delete the current Smart Text and follow the directions above for adding new Smart Text to the Comment. 

Edit or Delete Smart Text Words from Smart Text Library

1. In the top-level menu, click Template > All Smart Text to access your Smart Text library
   
   
2. Find and click the Smart Text you would like to edit or delete
3. TO EDIT, click the wrench icon to the right of the Smart Text Words list. Edit the Smart Text and click OK
4. TO DELETE, click the red X icon to the right of the Smart Text Words list
   
5. After you've finished making changes, click Save T or File  Save Template
   

Add New Replacement Text to Smart Text

Start these steps with the Insert Smart Text window open (or when viewing the Smart Text Library).

1. Click to highlight the Smart Text Word you'd like to provide new Replacement Text for.
2. Click the orange plus (+) to the right of the Replacement Selectable Options list
   
3. Enter the Replacement Text and click OK
   
   
4. Repeat steps 2 - 3 until all the Replacement Text you want has been added
5. After you've finished making changes, click Save T or File  Save Template
   

Edit or Delete Replacement Text to Smart Text

Start these steps with the Insert Smart Text window open (or when viewing the Smart Text Library).

1. Click to highlight the Smart Text Word you'd like to delete or edit the Replacement Text for.
2. Click the Replacement Text you'd like to edit or delete
3. TO EDIT, click the wrench icon to the right of the Replacement Selectable Options list. Edit the Replacement Text and click OK
   
   
4. TO DELETE, click the red X icon to the right of the Replacement Selectable Options list
   
5. After you've finished making changes, click Save T or File  Save Template
   

Delete an Auto-Comment

To remove an auto-comment from an inspection item (Local List):

1. Open a new report and select the template that contains the auto-comment you would like to delete.
2. Click to highlight the inspection item that has the auto-comment you would like to delete.
3. Click the magic wand icon above the comment box. This opens a window with a list of auto-comments.
4. Click to highlight the comment you would like to delete.
5. Click the red X icon above the list of comments. HomeGauge will ask if you're sure you want to remove the comment. Click OK to proceed.
   
   
   • This does not delete the comment from your library, but just removes it from this inspection item. To remove the comment altogether, read the next set of instructions below.
6. Click Cancel to close the window without inserting a comment.
   • Clicking Cancel will not undo the edit to the comment.
7. Click Save T or File > Save Template to save your changes for future reports.

Learn More about the Global List

HomeGauge keeps your comments in 2 places: the Local List and the Global List.

• The Local List is the list of auto-comments available when you go to add an auto-comment to an inspection item.
• The Global List is a master list of all the auto-comments in the entire template. Think of it as a bookshelf where all the comments in a template are kept.

To help understand the Global List, here are the two most common questions about these comment lists.

1. Why does HomeGauge keep my comments in two lists (the Local and Global Lists)?
2. Why are the categories in the Global List not the same as my Components or inspection items?

Here's an example to answer those questions: you've inspected a garage with a window, and that window has a defect.

• If the Global List categories matched perfectly with your Components or inspection items, you would have to write a window comment for the Windows category, then write a separate window comment for the Garage category. That's a lot of work.
• Instead, you can write a single window comment and keep it in the Global List in the Windows category. Now, you can use that comment for both Window inspection items and Garage inspection items. For example, you can add that comment to your Garage Local List so you can comment on window defects if the garage has a window.
• You could also add that same auto-comment to an outbuildings component or other areas with windows. That's just one example. If you do room-by-room inspections (instead of system-by-system), you could write one auto-comment for electrical outlets and keep it in the Global List's Electrical category, and then use it for every room you inspect.
• By allowing the Global List categories to be separate from your Components or inspection items, you only have to save the comment once, but use it in a lot of places.

Delete an Auto-Comment Completely (Global List)

1. Open a new report and select the template that contains the auto-comment you would like to delete.
2. From the top-level menu, click Template > All Comments.
   
3. Find the comment you would like to remove and click to highlight it.
4. Click the red X icon to the right of the comment list. HomeGauge will ask if you're sure you want to permanently remove the selected comment. Click OK to proceed.
   
5. Click OK at the bottom of the window to exit the Global List.
6. Click Save T or File > Save Template to save your changes for future reports. 

Transfer Comments Between Inspection Items

1. Navigate to the inspection item that you would like to bring comments into. Click the magic wand icon (Insert Auto-Comment).
2. Once in the Auto-Comments window, click the orange plus icon  (Insert Comment from Global List) above the list of comments. This will bring up the Global List for your template.
   
3. Locate the comments that you wish to add by choosing the category on on the left and then searching the comments on the right. Once you have selected all of the desired comments for this inspection item, click OK. 
   
   

   Advanced Search: If you are searching for a single comment, click Filter at the top of the categories list to begin a specific search.

   Selecting Comments: If you would like to select multiple comments in a row, hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard before selecting the first and last comment in the row. If you would like to select multiple comments not grouped together, hold down the CTRL key before selecting comments.

4. Once back in the Auto-Comments window, check to see newly imported comments are at the bottom of the list. Use the Up T and Down T arrows to move the comments if desired.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 to bring in desired comments to all of your inspection items.
6. Click Save T or File > Save Template to save your changes for future reports.

Export and Import Comments

You can transfer all of your comments by exporting them from one template and importing them into another.

Export Comments from Template

1. Open the template containing the comments you wish to export.
2. In the top-level menu, choose Template > Export Comments.
3. HomeGauge will prompt you to save the file.

Import Comments to Other Template

1. Open the template you wish to receive the comments
2. In the top-level menu, choose Template > Import Comments
3. Locate the export file you created and open it
• If the Comment ID Conflict or Comment Text Conflict window pops up, you can review each conflict or apply an action (overwrite or skip) to all the comments with that conflict. You can also stop the import.
4. HomeGauge will import all new comments into the Global List.
• If possible, HomeGauge will place the comments in the same category they came from in the original template
• If the original category doesn't exist in the new template, the comment will be placed in the Uncategorized category
5. Click Save T or File > Save Template to save the new comments with the template.

You may now bring these comments from the Global List to your local comment lists.