Will Chief X1 tell me how much brick I need?

[gaylesiler]

I drew a house in chief with exterior brick on the outside. Will this program tell me how much brick I wll need? If so, how do you get the material take off for brick or anything else?

Thank you
Gayle

[Allen Brown]

"Tools>Materials List>Calculate From All Floors". Brick and shingles are two things that it is pretty accurate on.

[James Eggert]

I agree, the materials list can be pretty good.

I have a tendency to leave some details of my plans, therefore, I cause Chief to be inaccurate for material take-offs. If I don't put in somewhere, Chief cannot fix what I don't tell it!

[Allen Brown]

Keep away from the drywall totals, because I believe it places drywall on attic walls.

[lbuttery]

Keep away from the drywall totals, because I believe it places drywall on attic walls


Hummmm, that's not good...


Lew

[Larry Kumpost]

Chief does not automatically create a attic wall that removes drywall. First, create a wall type for what you want as the attic wall. Then just select the attic wall and change it.

I don't need to use the material list very much but, as far as I know, Chief will not add things to the list that are not shown in the model.

[lbuttery]

Larry:

It would be nicer if Chief would create the attic wall without the drywall for us


Lew

[Larry Kumpost]

Larry:

It would be nicer if Chief would create the attic wall without the drywall for us

Lew

But then if you want t vaulted ceiling you would need to add the drywall.

[lbuttery]

Larry:

Still learning here...

Why would vaulted ceilings use attic walls ???

I thought attic walls were used by chief for the auto-roof gen ???

Lew

[Larry Kumpost]

Larry:

Still learning here...

Why would vaulted ceilings use attic walls ???

I thought attic walls were used by chief for the auto-roof gen ???

Lew

When you add the roof, Chief generates the attic wall automatically....unless you turn the automatic generation of attic walls off. Depending on how you want to frame the wall, you can make a attic wall invisible and adjust the top of the lower wall in a section/elevation view. Making adjustments for using a gable-end truss can be a bit tricky but can be done... I think. Haven't tired that one lately either but was able to do it in the past.

The basic point I was making is that the material list can only show what you have in the 3D model. If that is not correct the material list will not be correct.

[lbuttery]

The basic point I was making is that the material list can only show what you have in the 3D model. If that is not correct the material list will not be correct.

Larry:

Yep, this is one reason why we don't use material lists from Chief. So far our clients haven't asked for one but if they did I would use Cad Estimator to create one.

Lew

[Allen42acj]

Or you could do the model correct..

[lbuttery]

Or you could do the model correct..

Only if the client is willing to pay for it

For CAD Estimator all that is needed is a correct floor plan and correct elevations, no need to fuss with Chief and do workarounds to get everything "just so".


Lew

[Allen42acj]

Lew
I have seen the CAD Estimator video,I'll stick with Chief and my brain..
Looked like more work to make all the boxes..

[joey3032]

no need to fuss with Chief and do workarounds to get everything "just so".

Sounds to me like you need to pick up a copy of AutoCAD LT if thats all you are going to use Chief for. And for the record, I rarely use a "workaround" to attain an accurate model. Chief does exactly what it is suppose to when I put the correct information into the program. I am willing to bet...real money...that in the time it takes for all the importing and exporting that goes on to get the information into CAD estimator, then all the fiddling with that program, I can set up my defaults and go, with the end product being an accurate model, with a materials list.

My 2 cents....