x6 unique identifiers for each door or window while generating schedule- some musings

[Maureen Giattino]

As with almost anything else in the building industry, there are different approaches to schedules.

One very popular approach which chief does reasonably well is grouping doors and windows by ascending size. This is popular with window and door suppliers because they can readily see size, type and quantity. The problem with Chief's schedules for those of us who use the industry standard foot inch system is that a 2'-10" door or window will report before a 2'-2", a 2'-6" and a 2'-8" which makes the schedule seem random to inexperienced users. The large problem with this system is its apparent lack of coherence when looking at the plans or elevations. A window W02, can be sitting next to a W37, but far from a W01, or W03.

This is one of the major drawbacks to schedules. Chief should look past the first digit when ordering a schedule. I use manufacturer numbers; a 28310 (49" high) should list after a 2832 (41").

I would like to be able to sort the window list by columns, similar to an Excel spreadsheet, with the ability to choose multiple sorting parameters.

I would prefer to sort by window type (double hung, casement), then height, then by width. This makes QC a little easier.

The connection to the components dialog is counter-intuitive. Can we have a connection between the label tab and the components box?

Bill is a schedule wizard. He's figured out ways to trick the schedule to do what he needs it to do. I'm not that clever and just want it to be more automated and accurate.

[dshall]

I did a video called the ultimate door and window schedule which explains how I give each door and window a unique label, as well a designating new and existing windows. Whilst I have figured out how to use the schedules to meet my needs, the functionality could definitely be improved.

[ebdesign]

I'd like to see Chief recognize the room that a door or window is in, then if a "Room" column is "included" in the schedule, then Chief would separate out the windows by room in the schedule. If no Room column included, then grouped by size.

[lbuttery]

I agree with Jim

except I would also want the ability to sort by floor

Lew

[Ron Ravenscroft]

FYI.

You can already create a door schedule that includes only garage doors and make another one excluding them. Just open the door schedule dialog and check the appropriate "Objects to Include" options.

You can already put glass sliding doors on the window schedule and remove them from the door schedule. It would be nice if you could do this for other doors too. You should send this in as a suggestion.

Dermot,
I really hate to beat a dead horse but look at the DBX and Schedule I've uploaded. This is not corrtect and it should be!!!

[Ron Ravenscroft]

Dermot,
I really hate to beat a dead horse but look at the DBX and Schedule I've uploaded. This is not corrtect and it should be!!!

Dermot how do you install 2 hidden hinges on a pocket door.

[Dermot Dempsey]

Ron,

I am sorry that you did not find the information that I posted about schedules very helpful.

I am not sure how your comments and questions are related to my post though.

If you need help, I would recommend that you contact tech support.

[bbbuilders]

Dermot,

If you could add a couple options in schedules; 1) select column to sort by 2) select which column to group (or not group by) it just might give us enough flexibility to meet everyone's needs.

[kiwicad]

Dermot,
if there was a poll my guess is that it would be 80% weighted for unique identifiers (door and window label designators) and 20% to group them in door /window schedules.

As a suggestion, it would be really really good if x6 gave us even a simple tick box 'to group or not group' and 'clockwise or counterclockwise' labelling tick box.
I will have to investigate how Bill does it.

My experience shows that the guys and gals who QS pretty much go off the floorplan page, and will go around the building counting doors/windows etc.
Its not until later on when the doors/windows actually get to be made that the door/window schedule per se (typically with grouped objects as chief has done in the past) is used.

The separate 'window schedule' page we do in the southern hemisphere,
and standard side elevations of the building are used to check the floorplans door/window schedule are showing the correct window sizes.

Dermot heres some info. on how I think most people use the scheduler:
-in the past people have not displayed a door/ window schedule tables on the plans, (reason: operator inability / program limitations /documentation not supplied
to configure program to display information in desired format.)
-the labels generated (in the past typically grouped) on the floorplans is undesirable - want unique identifiers for each door, window.
I am specifically talking about perimeter external doors/windows.
internal doors/windows are an entirely different topic! (and ARE grouped)

the workaround:
-manually label each external perimeter door/window on the plan (text note) in clockwise/anticlockwise direction from front door.
-turn off the display of its size on the plans.
-manually create a unique separate window schedule page which shows an elevation of the window/door, and below that manually write
information on the door/window size and link it back to the floorplan page by manually writing its unique identifier number.

this is standard practice for southern hemisphere.
it is time consuming. - we are talking hours here, not minutes.

hence the reason to explore ways to shave hours off each plan that gets created.
2-3 hrs per plan x 50 plans per year = happiness.

hint:
perhaps I need documentation/a video on this ruby feature to:
auto generate my (4) side elevations, extract from the wall side elevation the perimeter window/door outline only,
export to a new cad detail,
auto space them out evenly horizontally,
auto display below the window/door its unique identifier, vertical and horizontal height.
job done.

bernard
NZ

[Ron Ravenscroft]

Ron,

I am sorry that you did not find the information that I posted about schedules very helpful.

I am not sure how your comments and questions are related to my post though.

If you need help, I would recommend that you contact tech support.

When one rtuns a door schedule you get 2 hinges for a pocket door and a header that is to short. It is not a tech support issue it is a programing issue.

[fangelo]

The short answer to this is yes. All you need to do is make sure that some part of the data displayed in the schedule is unique. One way to do this is to display the label in the schedule and make sure the label is unique for each object.

This is not really very automatic though. Chief was designed to always group objects because the original programmers were told that this was how people wanted to do it. So this brings up some questions...

Why don't you want to group the objects?

Are there other people here that also don't want to group the objects?

Also, just as an FYI, we are currently looking at ways we can make it much easier to control the schedule ordering in X6. The grouping or not grouping question wasn't something we were really looking at so I need to figure out how important this is to people.

The way that I like to do may schedules is to start with the room schedule and number all the rooms ie. first floor would be start with Entry 100 then Hall 102... Second floor would then be Hall 200 etc. Doors numbers can then be tied to the room numbers so that the doors that swing into the Entry 100 would start with D100 the second door opening into Entry 100 would be D100a, the third door opening into Entry 100 would be D100b. This system makes it easy for contractors to cross reference between plan and schedule. This is very helpful in commercial where you may have 20 offices or classrooms etc.

[Ed_Downunder]

Hi Bill,

That is a good tip. A little work but an elegant solution. I have been using the Chief generated labels. The grouping works for estimating and your unique number works for a clear plan. Since the label and number are user defined we can choose how to present. Using your plan un-tick label and the schedule reports the grouping. Schedule to text for estimating and return to the schedule un-tick number and Qty. Tick Label for the plan. It's a very elegant solution. Many thanks.

[billemery]

Hi Edward,
Yes, it's possible to have these two schedules, and other variations on the same plan.

Here you see the estimating schedule on the top, and the construction schedule with the unique number for each door on the bottom.

[marty]

Its good to see this topic getting some discussion and that Dermot is asking questions.
I want to add my vote to need for sequenced window and door numbering not grouping them together by size.
I also want to add my support for a graphical schedule as requested. Chief already has a graphical representation of every door and window which can be seen when the dbx is open. All we want is for that information to be available in a cad detail much like roof trusses do.

Attached is an example of a graphical schedule - this one has no numbers but it shows the principle. To generate this I call up elevations with just walls, windows & doors and send them to cad detail. I then tidy them up, organise them and send to layout. The problem is if anything changes I have to repeat the process.

[kiwicad]

I 2nd marty.
there are a lot of people who use chief who would love an automated "1 click" updateable graphical window schedule - grouped or ungrouped.