[David Cutler]

Welcome to the Brainery @fc-estimation

Sounds as if you have learned a good amount about Revu in your first 6 months! @vince and @doug mclean have built some amazing tools in Revu and workflows that use Power Query to process the information that they extract from their markups. That being said understand that they have been refining their tools and their workflows for years to get them to the level that they are at today.

My tools are not as advanced as their tools are, and I’m just taking baby steps into using Power Query. My tools get what I need done though and that is the important part!

We usually recommend people start with the end in mind – ask yourself “how am I going to use the data after I’m done capturing the information in Revu?” Some complete their entire estimates in Excel. Some transpose the information onto a piece of paper and re-key it into an estimating software (my boss for example). I export my markups as a .CSV, reduce the information in Excel (using a simple Power Query) and upload the “clean” data into our estimating software, B2W.

The key point is to find what works for you, rough it out and then refine it over time. What works for you today (Quantity Link) may not be what you use in the future.

From what I’ve found Quantity Link doesn’t provide the flexibility that I need with my data. I export my markups to a .CSV file an work with the data in Excel from there as others have suggested. If you haven’t already done so find a few video’s on how to use some of the simple data tools in Excel as a start and then learn about Power Query in time. Before you know it you will be teaching us what you have learned!

Also make some time to watch some of the videos that our host, @troy_degroot has posted. That’s what really got me started!

https://uchapter2.com/bluebeam-training-videos/

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[David Cutler]

That’s an interesting question @jeromesteelfabusa-com – can’t say I’ve seen this discussed previously.

I’m not familiar with Fabsuite. You might see if you can configure Fabsuite to accept the data in feet decimal form. Perhaps it has the ability to take the data and display it in FT – IN?

Welcome to the Brainery BTW!

[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….😎

[David Cutler]

Mine would have to be people that have access to Revu still using that a “A*****” program when they are trying to show me something on PDF file. 🙂

[David Cutler]

Thank you for sharing this @vince !

If you are faster with a hard copy and highlighters you need to provide a video of you in production mode!

You hit the nail on the head when you said that the additional data that you collect outweighs the additional time that you spend in the process. Don’t forget that you are also saving the time that I takes to plot the drawings, file them when you’re done with your takeoff, find them again when you need to look something up, etc.

I want to go back and watch the video again before I make any suggestions, but what you’ve put together so far is brilliant!

[David Cutler]

Welcome member #1900! What questions can we answer for you?

[David Cutler]

That has to be way up there on the “creative” use list @Doug McLean !

[David Cutler]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in Excel @vince – but I can’t say that I’ve gone looking for it either… 🤔

[David Cutler]

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

[David Cutler]

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

[David Cutler]

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

[David Cutler]

That is pretty slick Isaac! Nice video clip with the on screen keyboard too.

[David Cutler]

Second idea – setup reusable cutouts for openings. I’m pretty sure you introduced me to this method @vince

Basic idea here would be to establish a markup that has a series of standard sized cutouts already made. You should be able to apply wall of standards group of cutouts onto your takeoff sheet and then drag the appropriate sized cutout from the wall of standards onto your specific takeoff. The idea here is to eliminate the need to continuously draw new “sketch to scale” markups and then have to trace them to make cutouts.

[David Cutler]

Okay, first idea, use standard door tools (already drawn to scale) for your interior openings. Place them on your interior wall markups, bring the wall markup to the front and then use the cutout tool to make the openings snapping to the door markup.

Disclaimer – I’m thinking out loud here and haven’t tried this so it may not work with the sized markup behind the wall markup. 😎

[David Cutler]

I think that you would find that most of us use less than 30% of the features of the software @aekrogh. 😎 In part I’m sure that this is due to users simply not knowing the capabilities of the program. That is one of the great benefits of this on-line forum that @troy_degroot has provided for us – we get to see how others use the various features that we don’t use already.