ARCOM Launches Altarix, SpecWare's Latest Software for Creating MasterSpec-Based Specifications

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

ARCOM has introduced AltarixTM, new specification productivity software that gives specifiers complete control over their specifications to produce consistent, accurate, and complete project manuals.

Altarix goes beyond the basic capabilities of traditional specification editors – which often include the means to edit text, select options, and globally format sections in a project – and allows users to reuse specification sections from existing projects to create new, custom sections.

Altarix offers a range of features specifically designed for specifiers, including:

  • A smart Q&A tool and new on-screen editor
  • A notes tool to add project notes and automatically track their status and resolution
  • A navigation tool to easily jump from one location in a section to another
  • A status panel bar to track completion progress for each section.

"With Altarix, specifiers can now change their specs as fast as clients change their minds," said Christopher Bushnell, ARCOM's president and CEO. "Altarix is designed for specifiers, by specifiers, with built-in global formatting, intelligent optional text, and navigation capabilities – among the many new tools essential to specifiers. By applying smart technology to specification writing, Altarix reinforces the emerging use of high-tech systems as the industry evolves. We're very excited for MasterSpec users to experience the simplicity and unparalleled productivity enhancements of Altarix."

  • The new program also simplifies the production of complete project manuals by:
  • Generating on-demand table of contents
  • Generating on-demand tracking and management reports, including submittal logs
  • Tracking important design and code criteria in an easy-to-use, centrally located project summary
  • Globally formatting all sections of each project
  • Allowing specifiers to export their Altarix documents straight to Microsoft Word.

Integrated into the Altarix platform is ARCOM's SpecAgent companion resource, a tool that connects the specifications to relevant information about building product manufacturers, including product comparison tables, references and standards, product details, and contact information.

Availability

Altarix is available immediately for MasterSpec Architectural/Structural/Civil and related libraries for an additional fee to the MasterSpec license. MasterSpec clients with licenses for the Mechanical/Electrical and related libraries, as well as the new Historic Preservation Library, will have access to the Altarix software and database later this year. For more information on Altarix, please contact ARCOM at 800.424.5080.

Installation Starts Before the First Course
August 2026

Some of the most expensive masonry installation problems begin long before crews arrive onsite. By the time a project reaches the field, many coordination decisions have already been made. Dimensional conflicts, congested reinforcement, specialty materia

Designing for Performance: Key Considerations for Efficient, Durable Masonry Projects
August 2026

A successful masonry project starts well before the first stone is set. The craftsmanship on site matters, of course, but many of the decisions that shape the final result are made much earlier—during design, detailing, and material selection. Those choic

Change Orders: Standard Operating Procedure
August 2026

In masonry construction, change orders are not occasional events; they are guaranteed. Drawings do not always match field conditions, specifications can conflict, and real-world construction has a way of exposing gaps in design. At DRP Masonry, we operat

RFIs: Clarity, Communication and... Hierarchy?
August 2026

In construction, any project starts with drawings. Plans. Schedules. Specifications. Whether we're talking about new construction, additions, or restoration, there is a plan, there is design intent, and a way every piece of a project needs to fit together