NameBuilder 10 Name and Word Creation Software is a set of tools for assisting with the creation of names for products, businesses and services. NameBuilder provides you with a set of word creativity tools and references that are easy to use and completely customizable.

Installation of the program is straight forward, simply run the install program by clicking on 'Setup', and the installation will begin. NameBuilder will install by default in a folder called NB10 in your Program Files folder.

To start NameBuilder, simply go to the Start button in the lower left hand corner of your desktop, go to Programs, find NameBuilder, and click to start.

When you start NameBuilder 10, you will see a series of tabs at the top of the interface including "Home", "Idea Finder", "Concatenator", "Letter Fusion", "Acrometer" and "Resources". Each on of these tabs is a different tool for assisting you with name and word creation. Below we will review each tool and how they can be used effectively.

The Idea Finder is a tool that helps you find premade names or words that are appropriate for names. Keep in mind, with any component in NameBuilder, you may not find the exact name you're looking for, but you will find ideas that stimulate your creativity or may be modified into the name you want to use. You can think of the Idea Finder as a mini naming thesaurus. To use the Idea Finder, simply enter some characteristics or attributes (up to four) into the attribute boxes, and click on Find. The program will search through the built in database and find name ideas that match your attributes.

Keep in mind, you should use broad attributes to get results - don't limit your creativity by using super-specific search terms. Terms that are not common will yield poor results. In addition to attributes you can enter terms such as "Latin" and "Greek" to find related words. There is a pull down list of attribute suggestions that you may use as a starting point.

With any of the tools in NameBuilder, you can double click on words in the top list to send that word to the 'IdeaCatcher' list - this helps you keep a running list of names and words that are possibilities. You can print or save any list in NameBuilder by clicking on the appropriate button.

You can modify the IdeaFinder database to add your own names (advanced users only). To edit the IdeaFinder data, you can use Notepad or any other text editor. Open the NB10 folder (installed in Program Files by default), find and open a file called 'namefind.nbd' with your text editing program (you should make a copy of this file prior to editing. The format of the file is a simple Name, Keywords structure, so if you want to add the name Crayolux to your custom name idea list, enter a new line and type "Crayolux, Art Crayon Drawing" in this case, Crayolux is the name and Art Crayon and Drawing are the keywords that the program will search under. A comma separates the name from the attributes. Editing the database file is especially effective if you are modifying the program to work in languages other than English.

The Concatenator is a tool for creating new words as names. The concatenator is a word section joining tool. Examples of concatenated names are names such as Microsoft® (micro + soft) or OfficeJet© (office + jet). This tool works best if you have a word section in mind as part of your name and you want to quickly combine it with other word sections to create new words. For example, you are naming a product or businesses and you want the word section 'Bio' as part of the name. In this case, you would type Bio in the Root Lock Word Section text box, click on 'Lock Front' to place Bio in the front of the concatenated words, then click on Execute. The concatenator will combine Bio with other word sections in the Name Builder database to create new words such as 'Bio max', 'Bole', 'Biolin' etc. You may lock the front or back root.

Using the 'No Locks' setting simply creates new words at random. You may select how many words are generated at once by changing the Words per Click number.

As with the IdeaFinder database, you can edit, add, delete from the Concatenator database using a text editing program such as NotePad. Simply find the file in the NB10 folder called 'pts.nbd' front and back word sections are separated by commas. If you wanted to add Mega and Base to the datafile, simply enter Mega, (and comma) then Base. Modifying the Concatenator database is especially effective when modifying the program to work with languages other than English.

The Letter Fuser is a tool that builds new words one letter at a time. This is a fun tool with unlimited possibilities. The theory behind this tool is that many names are words built with a consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant structure (such as Xerox or Kodak), and others such as Avaya are vowel-consonant-vowel-consonant- vowel. With the Letter Fuser, simply enter the letter(s) you want your fusion session to start and end with in the appropriate boxes, and the Fuser will combine your letters with the rest of the combinations in the alphabet to create new words. So in the case of Xerox you'd enter X in the Start With box and x in the End With box, then hit generate. You can enter more than one letter in each box for more sophisticated name/word structures.

The Fuser is loads of fun and will yield an incredible number of word possibilities. There is no other tool quite like the Letter Fuser.

The Acrometer is a simple acronym generation tool. Acronyms are less common as names than they once were, but should at least be a consideration when stumped for a new name. An acronym is a new word created by using the first letters of a series of words. RADAR and NASA are examples of acronyms. The Acrometer simply shows you all the possible acronyms that may be derived from the four words that you enter in its boxes. The example in the graphic shows the words Integrated + Insurance + Research + System, in this example, the acronym IRIS is being considered as a name for this system

Finally, the last tab in NameBuilder is the Resources tab. The Resources tab is simply a handy list of links to various trademark offices as well as a link to check domain name availability (Internet connection required). The trademark and domain links are intended to help you check on name availability if you want to trademark or acquire a domain for the names you are considering.

While we can't guarantee that NameBuilder will create the perfect name for every specific situation, we can promise that it will provide the user with a set of tools to stimulate creativity and consider a wide variety of name possibilities for most any situation. because its databases are completely customizable, it may be adapted by the user to work in any language or in any industry.

If you have questions about NameBuilder 10 or need support, please contact us by going to www.namexpress.com and click on Contact.