Area Calculation Diagram - Video Tutorial

[Greg_NY61]

Hey Greg,

 

Check the video again. I added the text 'Area =' and 'SF' in the TEXT BOX not the macro. The macro reads 'referenced.area.round(2)' no quotes . When you open the Rich text box with the leader line you select the macro and enter that text before and after the %macro%  text box reads 'Area = %macro% SF'

 

Hope that helps

 

AND remember I've presented the absolute simplest macro, and as you can see by the rest of the thread there's much more to it and I am still failing to keep my interest up but the simple stuff seems quite useful as is.

I saw that Larry... Thank you!!!

[Joe_Carrick]

Greg,

 

FWIW, The Floor Living Areas are individually available as attributes of the Exterior Rooms.  In fact if you haven't deleted that Label it can be seen just by turning on the "Room Labels" Layer.

 

With the proper macro you can get the Total of all Rooms.  I do that in a couple of my Packages:

 

A.  Living Area Package .......................I'm only charging $30 for this package. 

  1.  Displays all Floor Living Areas

  2.  Displays the Total Living Area

  3.  Exposes those Values as variables that can be used in other Macros

 

B.  Site and Building Area Analysis

  1.  Includes the functionality of the Living Area Package

  2.  Calculates Property and Buildable (inside setbacks) Areas

  3.  Calculates Totals of each Special Room Type

  4.  Calculates Totals of Driveways, Sidewalks, etc.

  5.  Calculates and Displays Site Coverage, FAU

  6.  Exposes all those values for use in other macros.

 

There are a lot of other things that can be done - as I've demonstrated.  Sure, we can ask CA to provide their "Global Macros" for all sorts of things - but you will never get the ultimate flexibility that way.

 

Eventually, with the right "Open Doors" to the Model data we can have "Add-Ons" by 3PP for all sorts of Engineering Apps. 

 

IAE, I want CA to concentrate on enhancing the 3D and 2D functionality in Chief - and just provide the access to the data and some of the higher level capabilities of scripting.  We could even design our own "Input Screens" to add dynamic data to the Plan - things like Consultants, Contractor, etc.  CA doesn't have unlimited programming assets so we have to pick what we want them to do and maybe one of those things is opening the door so others can provide the Add-Ons.

[builtright3]

Thanks for all the good post and video's. I finally got it.   You guys make me feel really dumb sometimes.

[builtright3]

I think someone should start "CA Video's for Dummy's"

I would be the first in line to buy it!

 

Just a Dumb Biker

[Greg_NY61]

Greg,

 

FWIW, The Floor Living Areas are individually available as attributes of the Exterior Rooms.  In fact if you haven't deleted that Label it can be seen just by turning on the "Room Labels" Layer.

 

With the proper macro you can get the Total of all Rooms.  I do that in a couple of my Packages:

 

A.  Living Area Package .......................I'm only charging $30 for this package. 

  1.  Displays all Floor Living Areas

  2.  Displays the Total Living Area

  3.  Exposes those Values as variables that can be used in other Macros

 

B.  Site and Building Area Analysis

  1.  Includes the functionality of the Living Area Package

  2.  Calculates Property and Buildable (inside setbacks) Areas

  3.  Calculates Totals of each Special Room Type

  4.  Calculates Totals of Driveways, Sidewalks, etc.

  5.  Calculates and Displays Site Coverage, FAU

  6.  Exposes all those values for use in other macros.

 

There are a lot of other things that can be done - as I've demonstrated.  Sure, we can ask CA to provide their "Global Macros" for all sorts of things - but you will never get the ultimate flexibility that way.

 

Eventually, with the right "Open Doors" to the Model data we can have "Add-Ons" by 3PP for all sorts of Engineering Apps. 

 

IAE, I want CA to concentrate on enhancing the 3D and 2D functionality in Chief - and just provide the access to the data and some of the higher level capabilities of scripting.  We could even design our own "Input Screens" to add dynamic data to the Plan - things like Consultants, Contractor, etc.  CA doesn't have unlimited programming assets so we have to pick what we want them to do and maybe one of those things is opening the door so others can provide the Add-Ons.

Joe I understand that perfectly well, what I'm trying to say is that what you offer in package A that should be part of the software (please don't take this the wrong way, I'm ok with you making money since you came out with it not them...I'm just saying). The rest of the stuff i.e impervious surface coverage,setbacks etc, that information is more leading to engineering and zoning department and around here all that is part of the survey. On some plans Architects will have a small detail of property tucked in the corner someplace on the front page showing the lot and house outline. The rest like  driveways, sidewalks, etc SQ footage is estimated per layout in the field, you never find that on the plans, unless client requests all that information for whatever reason.

 

Here is an example what some architects will include on the plan, and this architect  who I been working with for over 20 years, is the only one who includes a separate page for site plan, most will add a small image of what you see without any dimensions, just the outlines pf property line, setback line and house outline in the corner someplace.

 

Joe, maybe for Christmas you gonna feel bad enough for us who don't know macros any better and  put  A package out there for us to use who needs it. :-)

 

Thanks again Joe, for all that you do.

[Joe_Carrick]

Greg,

 

I wish I didn't have to deal with all the area analysis - but I live in California.  We have to provide a lot of calculations for these things. 

 

In addition, we can't use REScheck.  So having the ability to calculate, show tabulated areas and even export a file that can be used by our T-24 app is a big savings in time.

[HumbleChief]

Great thread and some very cogent thoughts and ideas but I wonder why Chief can't supply BOTH 4 or 5 very simple macros for doing basic plan submissions AND allow for greater access to the underlying code that the Ruby experts can use to create great single purpose macros.

[Greg_NY61]

Joe,

I heard that from a few contractors I talk with on the different blog, they said building departments want to see everything and have every detail on the plans. Around here the drawings are very simple, page for each: Foundation, each  floor, roof , elevation, schedules and general notations... Sometimes if there is more detail to the structure there will be a cross section page. As the additions go, some will squeeze everything on one or 2 pages. Around here the moto is the less you include, the faster you get the plans approved and if they want to see something specific, you add a page with detail. Most places you get a permit for a new house in a week or 2. 

 

Larry, I'm 110% with you on this... we can only hope.

[dshall]

......As the additions go, some will squeeze everything on one or 2 pages........

 

I need 2 sheets just for my energy calculations.  A simple 20'x14' addition off the back of a one story,  slab foundation and roof trusses,  13 sheets and one month of plan check time.

[Greg_NY61]

I need 2 sheets just for my energy calculations.  A simple 20'x14' addition off the back of a one story,  slab foundation and roof trusses,  13 sheets and one month of plan check time.

Scott, how long does it takes for them to do a plan review and issue a building permit. I know each town is different but what is approximate average is?

 

The reason I'm asking this, a while back  I was visiting my uncle in LA, its a pretty good area the houses not that big but in 1m neighborhood. Someone was doing an addition a few houses down, nothing special, a typical add-a-level approximately 500 SQFT, the shell was up and roof was partially framed.... I was there for 2 weeks and I didn't see anyone on that job. My uncle said the job just stopped and there was an issue with the plans. I thought they started with no permits and got nailed, but one day I saw the Homeowner outside and I stopped by to say hello, and the Homeowner said there were a few changes made and they waiting for the building department....  So I thought around here this would get resolved with a letter or a call from an architect in most cases within a day or 2, especially after building permit was already issued.

[dshall]

Plan reviews can easily take 4 weeks for the first time,  and if plans need to be resubmitted,  another 2 weeks is not unheard of.  It is absolutely ridiculous.  

 

A few years ago they offered expedited plan check service for an additional fee,  out in about a week,  of course everyone opted for the expedited plan check service so they were back to where they were, everybody wanted the expedited service.

[CJSpud]

Joe, Richard, Larry etc.  .... Thanks.

 

Larry:

 

When I finished watching your YouTube video, I got one of those YouTube screens with all these other clips of other videos on YouTube.  It didn't revert back to just your link.  Is it suppose to work that way?  Now I need to go back and re-watch Richard's video and see what happens.  It played instantly for me which I love but, like most of Yosuf's videos, the image wasn't clear.  Maybe it's my Hughes Internet service???

[CJSpud]

Larry:

 

Re-watched Richard's video and it was blurry at the start and then started clearing up towards the end.  When it was done playing it cycled to CA's video about doing ductwork.  So I guess that's a YouTube thing.  Maybe the blurry images I see on the videos is due to the Hughes pipeline being too full in the a.m. when I typically watch anything that's posted on ChiefTalk.  I will have to pay attention to the time-of-day and see if I notice any difference in quality of videos I watch.

[HumbleChief]

Joe, Richard, Larry etc.  .... Thanks.

 

Larry:

 

When I finished watching your YouTube video, I got one of those YouTube screens with all these other clips of other videos on YouTube.  It didn't revert back to just your link.  Is it suppose to work that way?  Now I need to go back and re-watch Richard's video and see what happens.  It played instantly for me which I love but, like most of Yosuf's videos, the image wasn't clear.  Maybe it's my Hughes Internet service???

I'm really new at YouTube and have no idea why/what YouTube chooses for the next video. I watched that video through to the end and it went to a video that was, I think, in Thai and something really off the wall. There was one video in that collage that I had previously watched on Revit but the others? No idea. Would LOVE to know how to change that default, it's kinda disturbing. Must be in a setting somewhere.

[Kbird1]

@Curt sounds like you need to go into settings on the bottom of the youtube window ( gear icon) and turn off autoplay and set you default play resolution.