Need help getting a materials list made the way my boss wants.

[DarrenWHatch]

Im new to chief architect, I was hired a few months back and my only background in computer software somewhat similar to this was Maya or Blender. My boss hired me to make floor plans for them and while he likes the houses I designed for him, the default materials list it generates is not what he wants. He's looking for the overall amount of lumber, screws, nails, etc that he would need for this job. Is there a way to just have the materials list, list out the materials needed and not what said materials will become (example: being listed as a Joist)

[Renerabbitt]

1 hour ago, DarrenWHatch said:

Im new to chief architect, I was hired a few months back and my only background in computer software somewhat similar to this was Maya or Blender. My boss hired me to make floor plans for them and while he likes the houses I designed for him, the default materials list it generates is not what he wants. He's looking for the overall amount of lumber, screws, nails, etc that he would need for this job. Is there a way to just have the materials list, list out the materials needed and not what said materials will become (example: being listed as a Joist)

really Really REALLY REALLY not worth your time or anyone's for that matter. You need an accurate model to get an accurate takeoff. You do NOT need an accurate model to make construction documents. The delta for me is 30% time. That's significantly more expensive than having a lead framer do a takeoff for a few hours. You also need a good handful of custom macros for such things as screws and nails. This is a fruitless endeavor. Just giving you info from a seasoned power user, takeoffs will never be supplanted from a journeyman who knows what they are doing.

[DBCooper]

You might get closer to what you want by switching the material list to a "buy list". 

 

There are also a bunch of training videos on material lists that may help:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/watch/1327/specifying-how-framing-reports-to-your-materials-lists.html

 

[ValleyGuy]

16 hours ago, DarrenWHatch said:

 Is there a way to just have the materials list, list out the materials needed and not what said materials will become (example: being listed as a Joist)

I totally agree with Rene, you will spend endless hours fussing with a plan when an experienced guy with a piece of paper and a pencil could have an even better and more complete take off done much much sooner. 

Each house can be built in many different configurations and with many different material products that all have specific consequences in regards to the material takeoff list. Unless your company only builds one specific wall configuration, you may end up with many, many, many different wall types with many different macros. Chief doesn't draw caulking, tape, wind bracing, fasteners, .... the stuff that changes significantly just by changing the layer order of a wall. Your code requirements may need to be accounted for in the macros as well because of something as simple as reversing the foam and OSB layers, or placing and opening too close to a wall corner. 

I can't even imagine the time that you will need to spend maintaining your 'macro system' as products, install techniques and building codes all change and adapt. CA comes up with new features year after year that may affect them too. Heck, I can't even imagine how much time and effort you will need to invest to learn about macros in CA to get a good enough handle to write or maintain them properly at that level.

After working in a building supply business, take offs are much easier, faster and more accurately done outside of CA than using CA. I'd use CA to provide information like surface area and as DBCooper suggested, manipulate the material / buy list to help out with some of the numbers.

 

After going down this path in CA at the start, I humbly admit that I wasted a lot of time.

[DarrenWHatch]

Thank you all. I appreciate the advice, Valleyguy, DBCooper and Renerabbit.

 

Its also relieving to hear that CA just isn't capable of doing that because I thought I just wasn't understanding how the program worked.

 

I'm gonna try to do what you suggested Valley and DBCooper, I'll do the buy list to help out with the numbers and I'll take a crack at doing a take off on my own without CA for the rest.