ChiefArmstrong

Select and open the exterior room on each floor and add a component like what is shown below.

By default the backsplash component is based on the automatic_countertop.

If you add a new component using the little green plus button it will be based on the cabinet itself.

You should be able to compute the area using the formula shown in the image below.

17 hours ago, DRDesign said:

I tried doing that, but Chief wouldn’t let me paste the column from Excel.

This is working for me:

1. Select the entire price column in excel and copy it
2. In the master list select the price cell in row 1, not the entire column
3. Paste

20 hours ago, DRDesign said:

Is there a way to export a material list to Excel, fill in pricing values (pc/SQFT/LFT), and import that pricing back into the master material list?

Currently the best you can do is copy and paste.  If the rows in your Excel spreadsheet match the rows in your master list you could copy the price column from excel and paste it into your master list.  Be careful, the rows have to match exactly.

I noticed an issue with my initial post.  I have edit it to correct the issue.

Rene's suggestion is a good one and is probably the best approach for most things in the materials list.  If that isn't sufficient, there is a straightforward way to do this exactly the way you described using user defined macros with a little bit of Ruby code.  I have attached a file with some simple user defined macros that should do the trick.

As always, when it comes to writing macros there are multiple ways to get things done.  This is just one approach, and I figured I would use this opportunity to illustrate some of what is possible using Chief and Ruby.

Each of these macros is an Evaluated macro using None for the context.  I have included the full text of each macro below for your convenience.

eave_depth is the exact method you described of estimating the depth of the eave.  One drawback to this method is that it will have a tendency to underestimate the depth of the eave for a hip roof.

eave_depth

owner.projected_overhang_area / owner.eave_fascia_length

select_hardie_soffit_size is where most of the magic happens.  In my implementation I am using a Hash to store all 3 dimensions of the soffit material.  Here I am taking advantage of one of the extensions to the ruby language used by chief.  in particular, adding .in, or .ft to the end of a number makes it a Measurement which is helpful in making sure that you are working with the correct units.  Another thing to note for anyone new to macros is the ability to use macros. to reuse the functionality of one macro inside another.

select_hardie_soffit_size

result = Hash.new
result[:thick] = 0.25.in

eave_depth = macros.eave_depth

if eave_depth <= 0.in
elsif eave_depth <= 12.in
    result[:depth] = 12.in
    result[:length] = 12.ft
    result
elsif eave_depth <= 16.in
    result[:depth] = 16.in
    result[:length] = 12.ft
    result
elsif eave_depth <= 24.in
    result[:depth] = 16.in
    result[:length] = 8.ft
end

result

The final two macros make use of select_hardie_soffit_size to generate the size text...

hardie_soffit_size

formatter = NumberFormatter.new
formatter.use_fractions = true
formatter.show_leading_zero = false
formatter.unit = '"'

size = macros.select_hardie_soffit_size
text = formatter.apply(size[:thick]) + ' x ' + formatter.apply(size[:depth]) + ' x '

formatter.unit = "'"
text + formatter.apply(size[:length])

and the exact number of panels.

hardie_soffit_count

size = macros.select_hardie_soffit_size
owner.eave_fascia_length / size[:length]

=macros.hardie_soffit_size could be used in the size column in the materials list, or it could be used as part of the description as shown in your example.

=macros.hardie_soffit_count could be used in the count column.

soffit sizes.json

You might consider using the Master List to set prices.

Are you using X12?  The solutions mentioned so far only work in X13.

I promised Carrie's Chief Academy class that I would share this macro that we showed off in class.  I have since made some improvements.

The attached .json file contains the macro.  Much of the details about what it is doing any why is included as comments within the Ruby code.

The attached .calibz file contains walls, doors, and a window.  I included walls, doors, and windows derived from each of the defaults in our default template plan.  These objects are already using the attached macro.  You must import the macros for the library objects to work, otherwise you will get errors.

To see the macro in use just open one of the library objects and look at the drywall in the components panel.

If you have any thoughts on how to improve this macro please share.

Below is the entire text of the macro for your convenience:

# This macro is designed to estimate drywall
# Chief's default estimate does not account for 
# drywalling over doors and windows
# Chief's default estimate also rounds each wall 
# surface to the nearest quarter sheet.
# The result of this macro can be divided by the 
# sheet size (in sq ft) to get an exact count
# When using this macro be sure to account for 
# waste separately

# Walls always have :upper_layers
# Pony Walls also have :lower_layers
# either could have drywall

if owner.respond_to?(:upper_layers) and owner.respond_to?(:lower_layers)

    # Usually we don't want drywall in the attic so return 0.0 in this case
    # note: it has been brought to my attention that attic walls may provide
    # drywall below a sloped (vaulted, cathedral) ceiling.
    # For this reason you my want to delete the following line

    return 0.0 if owner.is_attic

    # sum will add up all of the things inside it
    # we want to add the upper drywall area to the lower drywall area

    [owner.upper_layers, owner.lower_layers].sum do |wall_part|

        # interior walls have more than one drywall layer
        # so lets do another sum

        wall_part.sum do |layer|

            # we only want the drywall layers so check to see if it says "Drywall"
            # if you call drywall something else you can check for that instead
            # if the material name does not contain "Drywall" this layer counts 0.0

            layer.material_data.description.include?("Drywall") ? layer.area : 0.0

        end

    end

# at this point we know we are not a wall
# the only thing we need from doors or windows is :height and :width
# so lets make sure this owner has them
# this doesn't mean it is a door or window, but we won't plan on using this
# for anything else

elsif owner.respond_to?(:height) and owner.respond_to?(:width) and owner.respond_to?(:is_on_exterior_wall)

    # for interior walls count both sides

    num_sides = is_on_exterior_wall ? 1 : 2

    # height and width are measured in inches so divide by 144 to get sq ft

    num_sides * owner.height * owner.width / 144

else
    # this is not currently intended to compute drywall for anything else
    # so force an error

    raise "cannot compute drywall area for this object"

end

MatList Drywall Over openings.calibz

drywall_area_macro.json

Thank you for you feedback.  I recommend caution in using this feature.  I suspect that it does not entirely work as expected.  I'm not even sure that it was originally intended for the use cases that have been described in this thread.  Features that get little use get little maintenance and can become unpredictable.  Virtually all of what we have heard from users that have tried this feature in recent history has been negative.

Doug,

I never knew this feature existed; but I've always had to use time consuming work arounds to eliminate unwanted framing in section views.  This feature allows me to control display framing display without a lot of extra work.

In my opinion it's a feature worth keeping.

It's only been a day, but I am already relying on this tool to get a good clean cross section with trussed roofs.

I'd always been envious of how users of other programs were able to easily get a clean cross section with a single truss showing.

Bill, you describe a compelling use case.  Can you describe the work arounds that you were using?  Why not just use a back clipped cross section?

There is a box in the 3D View Defaults labeled "Framing Back Clip".  At Chief our impression is that this feature is mostly unused.  If anyone is currently using this feature can you describe what you use it for?

thanks!