I help a small construction company with their IT and I'm trying to help them to overcome a problem trying to estimate the material needed to do any given work based on a drawing. They need to literally measure their screen with a ruler and then convert with the scale to know the size of everything in detail and then estimate the material needed. Is there any tool that could assist with this problem? Thanks!
Tool to get measurements from a drawing and calculate required materials
- Thread starter alex889
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Why don't they just get full size drawings from the architect ?
I've never heard of anything so daft as trying to work off a computer screen in this situation.
With the printed plans you can also make notes on them.
I appreciate this may not be the answer you were looking for but from what your describing I think your barking up the wrong tree !
I've never heard of anything so daft as trying to work off a computer screen in this situation.
With the printed plans you can also make notes on them.
I appreciate this may not be the answer you were looking for but from what your describing I think your barking up the wrong tree !
It's an interesting concept, and one that has sadly fallen out of fashion.
I do titter when customers go through finger gymnastics trying to show me various elevations on their smart phones.
I'm also not sure why they don't get the drawings with the full specs, I'm pretty sure they have tried already but my guess is that they simply get drawings without all necessary details like that to be able to estimate the costs. Regarding printing to then measure, it is actually quicker to do it on the screen
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do you mean it is common practice to not provide measurements these days?
I used to find it really helpful to print out relevant elevations on A3 paper -sometimes laminating for use on site.
Architects dont really do working drawings, they issue building regulation drawing, which arent very clear as they are littered with cut n paste building regs spec, to cover the architects ass, but not helpful to build from. Often they arent dimensioned -which probably absolves the architect from any blame.
Its often not.
Builders work off building regs drawings, architects dont seem to do working drawings with dims.
Your clients should either get hard copies of drawings, or learn how to print off adobe acrobat or foxit, sections at 100% scale. An A3 printer is worth having to print out useful size parts of drawings.
Use a pdf reader like PDF-Xchange editor, and it has measurement tools on it. The thing I haven't yet figured out is how to CHANGE the scale/ratio - it might just be embedded in the pdf and not changable in the application itself.
Much better than Acrobat too.
Nozzle
Much better than Acrobat too.
Nozzle
You can download an AutoCAD viewer for free, which you can measure off, assuming the authors release the dwg files of course. https://viewer.autodesk.com/
Where did the Bills Of Quantity go??
There is a "tool" a programme called Xactimate" or Xactaware.
BUT [there is a "But"]
This programme is used by many Insurance Contractors and COSTS every time it is used. the end user has to enter the dimensions of each room doors windows Et.-All the programme can then produce a [sort of] cutting list for material areas of plasterboard, brick, lengths of architraves, lengths of Skirting s Etc. Etc.
I have used several "Insurance Based" Estimating tools / Schedules that produced man hours / material quantities on a "global scale"
Both of the above require dimensions for all rooms, Xactimate can also allow for drawings to be made within the programme then the background programme produces all of the above.
Big problem is that I have never seen a programme that can / could take a scanned image and produce quantities, that is why there are Quantity Surveyors and Estimators ? Who can only work with fully annotated dimentioned drawings.
There is a "tool" a programme called Xactimate" or Xactaware.
BUT [there is a "But"]
This programme is used by many Insurance Contractors and COSTS every time it is used. the end user has to enter the dimensions of each room doors windows Et.-All the programme can then produce a [sort of] cutting list for material areas of plasterboard, brick, lengths of architraves, lengths of Skirting s Etc. Etc.
I have used several "Insurance Based" Estimating tools / Schedules that produced man hours / material quantities on a "global scale"
Both of the above require dimensions for all rooms, Xactimate can also allow for drawings to be made within the programme then the background programme produces all of the above.
Big problem is that I have never seen a programme that can / could take a scanned image and produce quantities, that is why there are Quantity Surveyors and Estimators ? Who can only work with fully annotated dimentioned drawings.
This is the latest technology from leica that allows you to measure from photographs....
PVc window manufacturers might find it useful. If they wanted to do a quick comparison between the tape and technology.
Or just for pricing purposes.
Certainly would be a useful tool for a QS in a whole range of areas.
PVc window manufacturers might find it useful. If they wanted to do a quick comparison between the tape and technology.
Or just for pricing purposes.
Certainly would be a useful tool for a QS in a whole range of areas.
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