ASCII | Spectrum Reporting, LLC |

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ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Computers can only understand numbers, so an ASCII code is the numerical representation of a character or an action of some sort.

ASCII was developed a long time ago, and the nonprinting characters are rarely used for their original purpose. Today, if someone wants a file in ASCII format, all this means is “plain” text with no formatting such as tabs, bold, or underscoring – the raw format that any computer can understand.

ASCII format is the most universally compatible format. In other words, it will easily import into most applications without issues.

Notepad creates ASCII text, or in Word, you can save a file as “text only,” which is an ASCII file. An ASCII file name generally has one of the following extensions: .ASC, .V1, or .TXT.

We can provide you with various types of ASCII formats: Page Image, Summation, Amicus, DiscoveryZX, Compressed, CaseView, CaptionIt!, CAT-Links, and MicroText. Certain software makers such as Summation have specifications for their ASCII files that facilitate the use of the file in their applications.

Page Image is the standard format. Our Page Image ASCII works well with Summation, LiveNote and Binder. Our Page Image ASCII can also be opened in Word and WordPerfect; however, you may need to adjust the page layout. If you do not adjust the page layout, one transcript page may print on two sheets of paper.

We can also provide a WordPerfect ASCII, but it contains no page or line numbers. However, if you do not have a litigation support program and you want to be able to easily copy and paste from the transcript into your motion or brief, it would work for that purpose.

A more user-friendly electronic transcript format is the E-Transcript.

How to open or use an ASCII file

Notepad or WordPad
Double click on the file name or icon. Most likely, the “Open With” window will appear. The “Open With” instructions are: “Click the program you want to use to open FILENAME. If the program is not in the list, click Other.”

From this window, use your scroll bar to find the application you want to open the file in. If you are not using a litigation support program, Word or WordPerfect, then select (double click) either Notepad or WordPad. The file will automatically open into the selected application.

WordPad is the better choice because it will retain the page format so that the file can be easily printed. Notepad will not retain the page format; thus, when you print the file, the page breaks may be in the middle of a sheet of paper instead of at the end.

Word or WordPerfect
Follow the instructions above, except select Word or WordPerfect (instead of Notepad or WordPad) as the application. Adjust the Page Layout so that the transcript pages fit onto your Word or WordPerfect page. Then you can print or save. When saving, change the file type to .doc (Word) or .wp (WordPerfect).

RealLegal Binder
From File, select New, New Transcript. From the Import Wizard, press Browse, select the drive, select the file, then press Open. Again, from the Import Wizard, press Next. Verify or change the Import Details, press Next. Verify or change the Advanced Options (line number details), press Next. Verify or change the page number details, press Next. Importing will begin. You may see a Transcript Import Query window asking about unnumbered pages. If so, press Ignore. You may see another Transcript Import Query asking about page numbers, choose an option (probably Override). Again from the Import Wizard, press Finish.

From the Transcript Properties window, change and/or complete the information, press Okay, then Close.

CaseView
From File, select Import, select ASCII file. From the Import ASCII File window, select the drive, change the file type if necessary, select the file, press Okay. From the Import File window, press Yes. In the Save Imported File As window, you can rename the file, and then press Okay.

LiveNote
Open your case. From the Transcript drop-down menu, select Import. From the Import Transcripts window, select the drive, select the file, press Open. In the New Transcript Properties window, name the transcript, press Okay.

Summation
To add a new transcript: From File, select Load Transcript, select the drive, select the file, select Copy. At the “Enter Transcript Description” box, you can rename the transcript in this field. Then follow the prompts to end. Next will appear a “Summation Blaze” window. This is generally the time you will want to re-Blaze, so press Yes.

To update a rough transcript: Open the transcript. From File, select Update Transcript. At the “Transcript Update” window, press Browse, select the drive, select the file, press Okay. Then at the “Transcript Update” window, (if you wish, select “Keep draft” or “Ignore non-numbered lines), press Update. Then press Okay when it is at 100 percent. Then close the Transcript Update window.