[Troy DeGroot]

This is fantastic @Don Walke. I’ve always loved learning different applications for simple tools or features. Thanks for sharing!

[Vince French]

Great practice Don – got to love the offset lines! 😀

[David Cutler]

I like the use of the offset lines @dhwalkellc !

Had a couple of questions after re-reading your post:

– Do you start by making your area measurements first, then add the spaces?

– Are you capturing all of you takeoff (ceiling/floor/crown/etc) with one area tool and custom columns?

– How do you use the quantities after you complete your takeoff?

I’ve toyed around with offset lines a bit, but not enough to be productive with them, yet. Probably need to go back and watch @vince ‘s video again….😎

[Don Walke]

Yes, area measurement before space. I played around with the “area markup from space” but I have so many custom column attributes assigned to my different area tools that it wouldn’t do me any good.

Yes, I do capture all of the quantities from one area measurement. The area gives me the ceiling area and the “Length” gives me the wall area (L x D), base length (L), crown length (L).

I separate the different items with custom columns, for example, base length is determined by a choice column (Y=1, N=0, D=-1) times “Length” with the “tool” having the choice column set as “Y”. There is also a number column “Base Height” with default setting at 12″ so initial results will be LF, and adjustments to height will result in a SF result.

The nice thing with this is that with the interior doors, I have tools for different door heights ant the measurement is a polyline of the width with the base choice column set to “D” so that the markup deletes the width of the door from the base total. Wall area is also deducted. Door face area is totaled along with casing/jamb length or area.

I’ve got over 70 custom columns with most of them hidden and I pull a CSV file sorted by room with column totals.

It took a while to develope and if needed a series of custom columns can be creates in a couple of minutes if the need arises.

[Isaac Harned]

Hmmm, I wonder if setting your customized tool as default would let you do the area and space together. I think I may need to create a test case later to try, but technically the “create measurement from space” should pull from the default.

Wish you could set as default from the tool chest, may be something I have to suggest.

[Don Walke]

Area markup from tool chest would be great.

I have a few dozen area tools for anything from flat, sloped (pitches 1 thru 12), barrel and elliptical ceilings, shutter area, wall area (if cant be acquired from plan view) so setting a default area measurement wouldn’t work.

[David Cutler]

I wonder if they would setup a “make space from measurement” option….

[Don Walke]

That’s a thought. I worked through that scenario and with my particular work flow, and with most of the additions (doors, windows, casing at exterior doors, wainscot, ect.) and adjustments (add/delete crown, 1/2 beams at perimeter, ect.) the markup is placed on the interior wall finish line, the same line that I calculate room area with. If I’m off just slightly, the markup will fall outside of the space and will not sort with that space without tweaking it.

[Isaac Harned]

Even a Paint Format for Custom Properties would work

[Don Walke]

Two things that would be helpful, an “if” function and multiple tools for area, perimeter and polyline. Say, if there were polylines PL001, PL002, PL003 as choices under the measurement properties tab, you could have a custom column that tallies only PL002 and another column that tallies only PL003. Then, a polyline tool that is created with or assigned PL002 would only populate the designated quantities. As a work around I use a choice column with Y=1, N=0, D=-1 to act as a “switch” to turn on or turn off column totals.

[David Cutler]

Are you looking for something more powerful than the current format painter @isaac ?

[Isaac Harned]

Indeed, layer info, custom column values, yeah all of that should be selectable as an option for the painter

[Isaac Harned]

Lets take it a step farther, I should also be able to apply an action as an option

[David Cutler]

Both this, and your original suggestion would definitely be handy @isaac !

[Don Walke]

Isn’t that the point of the tool box? I have, on the Painting profile, probably a hundred tools with layers and custom column attributes/values assigned.

[Isaac Harned]

I should probably be a little more specific, the Format Painter, instead of the painting contractor 🤣

[Don Walke]

I know what you are talking about, I just wanted to express that the tools in the tool box have all of those attributes you are talking about already assigned. As an example, in the painting profile I have a polyline tool for the sf of painting area associated with an interior 8″ x 12″ ceiling beam. The tool already has the layer assigned (Interior Ceiling Trim), and custom column quantities (Ceiling Beam = Y = 1, Beam With = 8″ and Beam Depth = 12″. The formula column for the interior beam finish area (length x 1 x .67 x 1.00) calculates the area and totals all of the ceiling beams sorted by space (room).

[Isaac Harned]

Submitted

[Doug McLean]

Don,

It sounds like what you really need is Power Query.

You can do quite a lot with one measurement, if it’s set up correctly

[Don Walke]

You may be right, however I watched part of the instructional video and it kind of gave me the willies. I’m retired and do this for fun and to help out a few subcontractors that I used to contract with as a GC, and what’s that about an old dog and new tricks? Anyway, I’ve seen many of your posts and you are very talented to say the least.

[Doug McLean]

Its just learning a new skill.