Layout is a program supplied with RTG Bills. It can make more extensive changes to the bill formats than the choices available from within RTG Bills. More information about Layout is here.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for using Layout to add the amount of the bill before a retainer is applied to the Billing Summary. Normally, the Billing Summary shows the various charges, the retainer applied, and the new balance, but it does not show the total of the charges before applying the retainer. This change will only affect bills that show a retainer applied to reduce the amount due.

RTG Bills does not calculate the total amount of the bill before applying the retainer, but it is easily calculated from the Total new balance and the Retainer applied amounts. Layout can add this calculation to the bill format.

After you change the bill format with Layout, Section A of the bill format will be locked so you cannot use the standard formatting features of RTG Bills to make further changes to that section. So first make as many changes as possible in RTG Bills, then use Layout for the additional changes which only it can handle.

We will assume certain standard options for the Billing Summary. Use the standard bill formatter to edit the bill format you want to modify:

Setup > Bill Formats

On the Edit A Bill Format window, click Edit Sections. Click the Summary tab. In the Dollar Columns frame, check the box for One. In the New Charges frame, do NOT check the box for Separate Fee And Expense Rows. In the Totals frame, do NOT check the box for Only Show New Charges. Click Save to save any changes.

At this point, you should make any other desired changes to the bill format. View a sample bill to make sure that everything is correct. Click Save to save the bill format. Return to the main window of RTG Bills and follow the instructions below.

1. To start the program Layout, choose:
   
   

   File > Tools > Layout > OK

   
   
2. In the RTG Layout window, click on the bill format you want to change, then click Edit.
   
   
3. In the Edit A Bill Format window, click the General Features button.
   
   
4. In the General Features window, click the Label tab. We will add a label for the new line. Scroll down to label number 134, which should say [unused]. Double-click to edit the label. Type in Bill amount, or whatever you want the new line to say, and click Save.
   
   
5. Back at the General Features window, click Save again.
   
   
6. In the Edit A Bill Format window, click the Edit Sections button.
   
   
7. In the Edit A Section window, from the dropdown list, choose Section A. You have to make several changes here:
   
   
   • Scroll down to code 345, Skip if: Total retainer applied is zero. It is a little more than half way down the list. We need to add six lines after this one, that is, between codes 345 and 217. To add a line, single-click the code 345 line, then click Insert Row. That duplicates the current line. Then double-click the second copy to edit it.
     
     
   • On the Edit A Row window, in the Command frame, select Load Register. From the dropdown list, select New total balance. In the Register box, enter 1 (the number one). Click Close. Back at the Edit A Section window, you should see a new row with code 4020, Load register 1 with New total balance.
     
     
   • Repeat this process to add a new row after code 4020. Select 4020, click Insert Row, and double-click the new row. On the Edit A Row window, the Command should againbe Load Register. From the dropdown list, select Total retainer applied. In the Register box, enter 2. Click Close. Back at the Edit A Section window, you should see a new row with code 4045, Load register 2 with Total retainer applied. The description will be cut off, but that isn't important.
     
     
   • Repeat this process to add a new row after code 4045. Select 4045, click Insert Row, and double-click the new row. On the Edit A Row window, change the Command to Special. From the dropdown list, select Subtract registers. In the Subtract Register box, enter 2. In the From Register box, enter 1. Click Close. Back at the Edit A Section window, you should see a new row with code 942, Subtract register 2 from register 1.
     
     
   • Repeat this process to add a new row after code 942. Select 942, click Insert Row, and double-click the new row. On the Edit A Row window, change the Command to Save Register. From the dropdown list, select Total transaction amount. In the Register box, enter 1. Click Close. Back at the Edit A Section window, you should see a new row with code 5031, Save register 1 as Total transaction amount. Again, the description will be cut off, but you can ignore that.
     
     
   • So far we have added codes to calculate the amount of the bill. Now we must add two commands to put this value on the bill. Select 5031, click Insert Row, and double-click the new row. On the Edit A Row window, change the Command to Print Label. From the dropdown list, select Bill amount, or whatever label you entered earlier. In the Indent box, enter 0.2. In the Alignment frame, select Left. In the Skip box, enter 0. Click Close. Back at the Edit A Section window, you should see a new row with code 2334, "Bill amount".
     
     
   • Finally, select 2334, click Insert Row, and double-click the new row. On the Edit A Row window, change the Command to Print Data. From the dropdown list, select Total transaction amount. In the Indent box, enter 4.50. In the Alignment frame, select Right. In the Skip box, enter 1. Click Close. Back at the Edit A Section window, you should see a new row with code 31, Total transaction amount.
   
   
   
8. At the Edit A Section window, the codes should look roughly like the sample below. We have included the codes before (345) and after (217) the ones you have just added.
   
   

   345	Skip if: Total retainer applied is zero
   4020	Load register 1 with New total balance
   4045	Load register 2 with Total retainer applied
   942	Subtract register 2 from register 1
   5031	Save register 1 as Total transaction amount
   2334	"Bill amount"	0.20	Left	0
   31	Total transaction amount	4.50	Right	1
   217	"Retainer applied"	0.20	Left	0

   
   When all of these lines are correct, click Close.
   
   
9. At the Edit A Bill Format window again, click View to see a sample bill and check the Billing Summary. If it is correct, click Save at the Edit A Bill Format window to save your changes. Click Close to leave Layout.

Now that you have created the new bill format, you must edit the matter to tell it to use this bill format. That setting is on the Billing-1 tab of the Edit A Matter window.