LEED OnLine now LEED Off Line?

I'm having the same issue with MAC - just as of this week. What's going on?

While this is not an answer to your specific and valid concerns, USGBC's Technology Team has been telling teams for close to a year that they should move to offline forms in LEED Online. Read more at https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/forum/leed-online-and-adobe-reader-dc-adobe-reader-11-end-life. You can read a bit more about offline forms here - https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/tipsheet/navigating-leed-online. USGBC instituted offline forms as long ago as January 2016 in anticipation of upcoming technology changes for browsers and PDF software.

In attempting answer a recent question on this forum - https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/forum/browser-compatibility - I've reached out to USGBC's Technology Team regarding the fact that Adobe Reader XI (11) is no longer available - yet LEED Online prompts teams to install that software when using Internet Explorer. If I hear back from the Technology Team, I will post an answer to that forum.

But I did just run "Check System Requirements" in LEED Online (in Chrome by accident) and I see a new to me System Requirements message for Adobe Reader, which says: "There have been issues detected with your current browser which do not allow forms to render. Please complete your forms offline. Offline forms guidance can be found here." The here link downloads a 21-page document on how to work with Offline Forms that is dated February 2018. In a quick Google search, I wasn't able to find this document on USGBC's website.

The Executive Summary states: "LEED Online primarily uses Adobe Reader to open forms. The offline forms are an alternate way of accessing credit forms for projects when either the online option is not feasible or just as a general preference. LEED Online users are able to download the PDF credit forms, complete them and upload them back to the application. There are a few settings that need to be changed on LEED Online in order to avail this option and also some pre-conditions to be able to successfully upload any downloaded forms back to LEED Online..."

USGBC has posted the Offline Forms Functionality document at https://www.usgbc.org/resources/offline-forms-functionality. 

I'm PC based, and the only thing that's working for me at the moment is through Internet Explorer. In my add-ons, it looks like I have Adobe Reader version 17.12.20093.238000.

I'm in LEED Online pretty much all day everyday; if I had to use the offline form process, I'm not sure what I'd do to deal. All the required steps would increase my work time and negatively impact my efficiency significantly.

Hi Emily,

I am in a similar situation as you.  Although I am MAC based, I too have struggled with the Adobe functionality in the past and am currently struggling with this issue.  I use LOL daily too and it is indeed frustrating.  I will say that I am now working in the offline process.  Having worked with LEED Online versions over the years, this current offline approach is very similar to how it was back in the day with LEED Online v2 and v1.  I actually prefer it in many ways because it was easier to always be able to open the forms, easily email them to consultants for completion, and then upload.  I can't tell you the number of hours I have spent working with the current version LEED Online and trying to make it work, either with the Adobe functionality or with the server timing out for loading credits and uploading files.  It has actually been much more inefficient over the years than it used to be.  Have you tried working with the offline option yet?  I really haven't felt it impact my time as much as it would seem.  And, while I can appreciate that your clients should be able to access LEED Online, we find that there is a level of appreciation to having them not be subjected to the same technological troubles with the current version of LOL.  I know Michelle Reott is talking to the right people at USGBC, so while I anticipate a solution in the near future, I think that at least having the offline option is a good work around. 

Hi Jennifer - My MAC issues seemed to stem from a recent Safari update. Is that when you experienced the issues with LEED Online?

Hi Tiffany, 

From the answers we've gotten so far from GBCI/USGBC, they don't intend on providing a fix other than working offline, since I believe they're intending on moving all rating system websites to their newer Arc website instead of LEED Online. I know other, more recent rating systems governed by GBCI already use it. 

I provide the Admin role for 40+ projects, so trying to manage the offline process for me and all my users would take a significant chunk of time. I did test the offline option in case my IE option goes away, and it seemed to work, I'm just hesitant to switch entirely until forced, either by complete incompatibility online, or such decreased functionality with speed and timing out that it finally forces my hand. The v1-2 website was nice in that you could work both on and offline without having to set it to entirely do one or the other; I wish we had that option with v3-4.  I, too, can't tell you how much time I've wasted trying to get things to function over the years since v3 launched, including walking other team members through their varying IT issues. It's gotten to be weekly that I have to advise someone on what to do to be able to complete their work. I know the various team members would love to have me download things for them, email it to them, and then upload their completed templates and supporting docs to the websites for them, but with so many projects, teams, and clients, I'll have to educate each one as we go if they encounter the same form render issues. At least maybe as new ones start, I can advise from the beginning what to do as the issues arise.

For your Safari issues, is there a way you can revert to the previous version, if the most recent update is causing your compatibility issues? I was able to revert Firefox versions, just not familiar enough with Macs to know if this is an option.

It seems to be the Safari update that's causing the loss of functionality with the Forms. If you use a Mac and updated to Safari 12, you're screwed.  You cannot uninstall a Safari update on a Mac.  The IT person is coming on Monday to restore my Mac (and several others' in my office) to Safari 11.  

Hi Erica and Emily - I wanted to check in and learn if your issues had improved over the last week.  I have not yet reverted Firefox but continue to utilize the offline functions of LEED to power through getting the documentation accomplished.  I know I have reverted Safari in the past to previous versions, but have determined that this time, I will just work through with offline still as best as possible.  Erica - did the restoration of Safari resolve your issues?  Emily - have you had any improvement over the last week? 

No improvements for me. I wasted many hours trying to get Firefox to cooperate again, but exasperated, gave up and have been using Internet Explorer, which luckily still works. 

During my efforts, I succesfully reverted to numerous versions of Firefox, but the issue came that the plug-in for Adobe simply could not be located and installed. I believe that is the hangup, probably for all browsers.

I am sorry to hear that but glad you at least have an option with IE.  I am going to keep this topic in focus in hopes to gaining some further clarification and resolution.  I would agree with the Adobe plug-in and that it is the hangup all around.  

I am stuck in this same seemingly endless loop.  LEED Online has worked for a few years, and just when our workflow starts to make sense, they do this.  

If we have forms that are already partially complete, will the information in them be lost?  

Hi Brian,

Perhaps you have already found this out, but I have not had any information be lost with the transition of online to offline forms.  Every form that I have had to download recently, whether it a new blank form, partially completed, or fully completed and after a formal LEED review, I have not had any information on the forms be lost.  

Thank you Tiffany - I can confirm that all of my previously saved information was loaded onto the static forms.  Appreciate the response.  

Now, who is going to pay me for all of the additional time it will take to administer this additional process?  It certainly won't be my clients!

Can anyone tell me if all of the credit forms for a project that is currently in progress (Not Certified) can be downloaded as a batch, vs one at a time?

Also, anyone else having problems downloading the static forms for LEED v4 projects? I can get the v3 projects to download, but not v4.

Thanks again.

All - Here is the answer from USGBC.  Each form has to be downloaded individually. They have not created a batch process to ease this issue in any way.  

[quote]

Response:

Greetings of the day!

We received a request from you as noted in the ‘Your Enquiry’ section. We would like to inform you that in the project scorecard each credit form will create a unique name and number at the time of downloading the form in offline functionality. That’s why we are particularly saying not to change downloaded credit form name and type. Because of form identification it cannot be download all forms in one short, have to download one by one only. In offline forms all version forms can be download there is restrictions on download particular version of forms. If you are not able to download v4 project credit forms then create a new feedback ticket and provide the project id and credit short id’s, GBCI forms team will check and get back to you.

Please note that you may also contact us through the 'Feedback' button on LEED Online or call our 'Hotline' at 1-800-795-1747 between 9am -5:30 pm EST.

We appreciate your patience and would like to thank you for your continued patronage.

Thank you,
LEED Online Team

[/quote]

Thank you for this detail Brian.  While I haven't had specific trouble with the v4 static form download, I do notice that it isn't terribly quick.  Where you able to get that portion resolved?

Hi Tiffany - Yes, the LEED v4 forms are now downloading.  For some reason they take 2-4x the amount of time to download than the v3 forms.  Thank you for your follow up.

A little additional info from GBCI from another user who forwarded it to me:

Your Enquiry:

Once again my machine has had updates to system software and am unable to see and work on LOL forms online. With the classic 'unsupported' plug-in dialogue box. It was all working fine prior to my updates for macOS v 10.13.6, - Safari 12.0 13606.2.11 - Acrobat Pro v2019.008.20074. This will be the 4th time I’ve gone through this. All the message boards I've checked at usgbc.com and google are unclear or are wrong. 

Response:

We would like to inform you that, unfortunately due to various changes with the browser strategies, a couple of things have gotten off for LEED Online. Forms to work in browsers NPAPI plugins should be enabled since safari stopped supporting NPAPI plugins as per docs https://developer.apple.com/safari/whats-new/ . Same as with Firefox, Google chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers also stopped supporting NPAPI plugins a few months ago.

At this point we would like to recommend using the offline forms option with latest version of Adobe reader DC.

In the offline mode, you can download the credit forms on your computer, work on those and upload them back to LEED Online. Anyone working on any credit form will see the latest credit form and they can download it (updated form), modify and upload again. See more details for offline forms functionality in these links https://www.usgbc.org/help/how-do-I-access-the-credit-forms-offline  and https://www.usgbc.org/resources/offline-forms-functionality

Important points: Please note that the last version form downloaded is always the only version that the system will recognize when you try to upload the offline form back. Also, please don’t change the name of the file when you download it from LEED Online and always save the form in Adobe Reader PDF format. If you only want to view the latest version of the credit form, then please choose ‘Download to view’ option.

Step 1: Go to your home page, Click on Application settings.

Step 2: Click on the dropdown of Credit access mode, select offline and click Save.

Step 3: Go to the credits page, click on the credit you are working, click on the Form tab.

Step 4: Click on Download to Edit the form, the form will be downloaded in your computer, you can edit and make necessary changes, once done you can upload it back to LEED Online using Upload Edited Form button. Click Continue.

Once you upload, the date, time and name stamp will be available mentioning the name, date and time last worked on form.

Hope this clarifies your question. If you need any further clarifications, please do not hesitate to contact us by raising a new feedback ticket and we shall get back to you at the earliest.

You may contact us through the 'Feedback' button on LEED Online or call us on the 'Hotline' at 1-800-795-1747 and (9am -5:30 pm EST).

Thanks SO MUCH for this Emily. Will need to forward to all team members on LEED Online.

One more update from my experience today...

I think I found a fix to the LEED Online form not working issue if you have Bluebeam (full version) installed on your machine!

I had to install the full version (versus the trial) of Bluebeam today on my computer, which in turn installed a plugin for IE automatically. This immediately caused my templates to no longer cooperate.

I googled it, found the setting, and turned it off, and my forms work again.

I may be the smartest person alive, or at least, it sure feels like it right now.

If you have the form render issues in Internet Explorer, see if this works for you:

https://support.bluebeam.com/online-help/bluebeam-administrator/Content/Revu.htm

I will post this info in any related forums I see, just in case. I know other users in my company have had this same problem, we just couldn't figure out how to revert.

Good luck!

For years I have been using Internet Explorer 11 with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. In the past few weeks, all I get is "form issues with this browser" and it hangs. Reading this blog, I tried Chrome. "This plugin is not supported". Same result on Edge. This has been going on for weeks, my clients don't accept their project is delayed because LEEDOnline is screwed. I have changed nothing on any of my computers, same OS, same browser, same Adobe. What is a solution?

Hey David, 

We have at least two threads where we all try to figure out the latest issues with LOL; I suggest saving a link to this page, and the other one I'm aware of here to try and keep track: https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/forum/browser-compatibility#comment-6...