2-d square foot quantity takeoffs

[CARMELHILL]

I'm trying to integrate basic remodel budgets into my projects. Is there any way to get Chief to automatically report a square foot take off so I can assign a demolition price per sf? See the attached video for specifics.

 

Every time I do a take off, for example, a simple deck to be demoed, it reports linear lengths of railings. I've tried creating a 2d poly (doesn't report a number), 3d slab in place of the deck (reports cubic yards) but those don't work. 

 

 

[Kbird1]

Do you really need it to report to the ML ?   someone with Macro/Ruby skills like Michael or Joe maybe able to make it report to the ML Comments or Codes Section perhaps, not sure?

 

But you can insert macros like area into a normal text box no problem which I think maybe what you did in the Movie?

[glennw]

Edward,

 

This can be done quite easily.

I use this system to report site calculation areas to the ML.

The trick is to create a unique material (using the Areas material type and an appropriate fill pattern) for each different type of area you want to define in the ML and then assign that material to the Face object - you can't use a closed polyline because you can't assign a material to a closed polyline.

The Face object is really a 3D object without any depth.

They will display in a 3D view - which a polyline won't do.

They will display in 2D plan as a filled polyline.

The total material count (in square units) for each material will automatically go to the Trim section of the ML.

You can move it to wherever you like in the ML and you can end up with something like this:

 

 

And yes, there are several users who are extremely adept at utilising Ruby to do this, but this is a simple method with no Ruby and using the ML.

[Kbird1]

Nice Tip Glenn thanks....

 

 

[CARMELHILL]

 

2 hours ago, glennw said:

Edward,

 

This can be done quite easily.

I use this system to report site calculation areas to the ML.

The trick is to create a unique material (using the Areas material type and an appropriate fill pattern) for each different type of area you want to define in the ML and then assign that material to the Face object - you can't use a closed polyline because you can't assign a material to a closed polyline.

The Face object is really a 3D object without any depth.

They will display in a 3D view - which a polyline won't do.

They will display in 2D plan as a filled polyline.

The total material count (in square units) for each material will automatically go to the Trim section of the ML.

You can move it to wherever you like in the ML and you can end up with something like this:

 

 

Thank you so much for this tip. While not completely automatic, it looks like a great work around a has a lot of uses for my commercial site plan work.

 

 

3 hours ago, Kbird1 said:

Do you really need it to report to the ML ?   someone with Macro/Ruby skills like Michael or Joe maybe able to make it report to the ML Comments or Codes Section perhaps, not sure?

 

But you can insert macros like area into a normal text box no problem which I think maybe what you did in the Movie?

My programming abilities are really lacking. I started working on the macro end of it when I thought about submitting the topic to the forum. I have a stack of Ruby programming books I plan on reading this winter after all my Continuing Education credits are completed. It never ends.....

[glennw]

Edward,

There are ways to report materials differently in the ML.

ie, by default, a Concrete material uses the Material Type "Concrete" which is defined as a cubic quantity and that's how it will report in the ML.

BUT, you could define the Concrete material (or any material) as an Area material type, which will report to the ML as a square quantity.

Using this ability would allow you to automatically generate the correct 2D plan areas for 3D objects.

ie, you could have a 10'x10'x10' cube with  material assigned to it that is defined as "Area" Type.

When you generate a ML, the material for the cube will be displayed as 100 sq ft and not 1,000 cu ft.

This means that the process would be automatic in that you would not have to draw a Face or Polyline to generate the areas.

Of course, if you wanted to use a method like this, you would have to look at how it effects your general ML reporting.

Or, you can use it on the fly to quickly get the areas you want.

Just open the material definition, change the Material Type to Area, Generate a ML and then change the Material Type back to a type that returns cubic. That ML won't change as they are not dynamic.