Custom Column Examples?

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  • Custom Column Examples?

    Posted by Troy DeGroot on July 13, 2022 at 12:41 pm

    I use Custom Columns for everything under the sun when I build custom tools for customers. But it seems when I’m teaching them in my Advanced Estimating class, I draw a blank for examples to use. So I thought I would ask the Bluebeam Brainery. Help me shape my course materials!

    What examples do you have?

    • Text
    • Check Mark
    • Choice
    • Date
    • Formula
    • Number

    I purposely didn’t give examples because I want to hear from you. Thanks!

    Don Walke replied 8 months, 1 week ago 5 Members · 6 Replies
  • 6 Replies
  • David Cutler

    Member
    July 13, 2022 at 1:07 pm
    Points: 16,711
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Advanced Blue Belt I UC2 Brainery Advanced Blue Belt I

    @troy-degroot my custom columns are what I need in my .csv export file to import into B2W, our estimating software:

    – Item

    – Description

    – Quantity

    – Unit

    – Phase

    The “Quantity” column has a simple formula that reports the “measurement” value. The other 4 are prepopulated for each custom tool.

  • Doug McLean

    Member
    July 13, 2022 at 2:11 pm
    Points: 6,549
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Purple Belt I UC2 Brainery Purple Belt I

    I use a lot of Choice and Formula columns
    I’m with @David Cutler, my custom columns are based on what I need for my Estimating Software.

    Always get them to answer this question – “What problem are you trying to solve?”

  • Vince French

    Member
    July 13, 2022 at 2:59 pm
    Points: 8,115
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Purple Belt III UC2 Brainery Purple Belt III

    I have quite a few different set-ups now so here are a few: –

    1. Text – in my drainage set-up I use text for the details for the Start and End of a sewer run eg a manhole reference SW1 or if it the run joins onto another run then the end detail might be SW1>SW2.

    2. Choice – for roofing the type of cuts to the top and bottom of a rafter are entered via a choice. For foundations the type of mesh reinforcement, clayboard, etc.

    3. Dates – for drainage I actually use the Creation Date to help stop me having to enter repetitive details. When I export to Excel, I re-sort the whole mark-up list into the order in which I did the mark-ups. This means that if I have 5 sewer runs connecting into the same manhole, I just need to enter the manhole details against the first mark-up then in Excel those details can automatically be pasted down to the other 4 runs. This doesn’t sound like much initially but when you are measuring 1000’s of runs on a big scheme it can really save a lot of time.

    4. Numbers – used for pipe diameters in drainage, timber sizes in roofing, etc.. With the use of non-standard products, it is basically impossible to create a Choice list which will include all the possibilities.

    I am planning on using Check Marks for valuation purposes but haven’t got around to setting anything up with those yet.

    As for formulas – sorry I don’t use these in Bluebeam 😆.

  • Don Walke

    Member
    July 15, 2022 at 8:37 am
    Points: 1,157
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Yellow Belt UC2 Brainery Yellow Belt Rank

    I do wish that the formula functions included a simple “if” function. Because it doesn’t, I have been forced to use several “choice” custom columns with a yes or no choice and a 1 assigned to the yes and a 0 assigned to the no. I use this as a “switch” in a formula column to include the result or not.

    • David Cutler

      Member
      July 15, 2022 at 9:20 am
      Points: 16,711
      Rank: UC2 Brainery Advanced Blue Belt I UC2 Brainery Advanced Blue Belt I

      That is a good way to work through the issue @dhwalkellc

      Thank you for sharing the idea.

  • Don Walke

    Member
    July 15, 2022 at 9:37 am
    Points: 1,157
    Rank: UC2 Brainery Yellow Belt UC2 Brainery Yellow Belt Rank

    Another workflow process that I think helps is to lock your tools, then only unlock a line or group of lines on your markup list to make changes. I have corrupted many a tool in my toolbox by making a change to a markup while the tool was still open, thereby changing the tool.