Materials List Revisited

[Glenn Woodward]

Just to be picky and at this stage of no real consequence. Can you get footings to be pour 1. The ground floor slab to be pour 2. The 2nd floor to be pour 3?

Edward,

That is not how the Slab Pour Number is designed to work, so no, I can't get it to do that.

The Slab Pour Number only applies to monolithic slabs and is applied on a room by room basis.
This means it can't be use for the level 2 slab - the level 2 slab is separated by floor number anyway.
I can divide the level 1 floor into 2 rooms and apply a different pour number to each - this is how it is meant to work.
In this case, the concrete is reported separately for the footings, pour 1 (level 1), pour 2 (level 1) and level 2 slab.

[gteacher]

Glen asked for specifics. Actually they come in in drabs every so often (do a search). Its just that no one pays any attention because most don't use a useless function. Also most builder know how to build and price residential housing. They generally won't use anything unless there's some degree of confidence in it.

A five minute review?

Chief Architect Material List
1. Trim only reported as 1x ? regardless of size or style
2. Sills report as 1x3 regardless of size or style. Lintels not reported
3. No molding style reported except for room base, chair & crown
4. Insulation given as batts only.
5. Walls panels not identified.
6. No way to list accessory material such as: nails, drywall/floor screws, tape, mortar, ties, forming, damp proofing, exp joints, caulking, shims, flashing, clips, etc.
7. No way to break down, plumbing, electrical, HVAC
8. No way to insert lines for eng, permits, inspections, architectural, etc.
9. No material excavation.
10. No method to separately list concrete for footing, walls, curbs, location
11. Trusses listed by number only.
12. No landscaping such as seed, top soil, edging, etc. not possible –gardens listed.
13. No identification of rafters by use: ridge, hip, valley, blocking,
14. No way to identify phases or dates.
15. Gutters and others not identified by size or style
16. Shingles by area only. Cals by one formula only
17. All formulas by Chief only.
18. All grouping by Chief only.
19. No accumulation of paint totals or other similar materials
20. No reporting of driveways and sidewalks

[Ed_Downunder]

That's a good review for only 5 minutes.

It does explain why so many abandon the materials list.

Really appreciate your input Gerry. A lot of people are looking at this issue and following this conversation.

If you are a user that would like to use the materials list but have not for any reason please join in and contribute your thoughts.

It's not about your knowledge or lack of it. It's about a feature that needs fixing and Chief need's to know that a large user base wants it fixed.

[Ed_Downunder]

Thanks Glen for looking at this. You have reported cubic meters for a footing. That surprised me because I cant report that unless I make my wall a foundation wall. I have included a screen shot to explain.

Do you think that having pours for different rooms is a sensible use. I can see an application for a garage bit not a house. This is the point really. At first look it looks good. In practice where is the value.

[Ed_Downunder]

Tried to attach and I inserted instead!!! help appreciated.

The wall that is reporting is the foundation wall.( Verticore is a local brick)

Why is it reporting 220 brick & 240 bricks it just a straight foundation wall demonstrating the footing

The mesh is reporting 25 sq m. Look at the slab it is inside the 5m perimeter wall.

The footing is reporting with the slab. There is less than 25 sq m of 100 mm concrete so it should be less than 2.5 cubic meters of concrete.

[gteacher]

Post the plan for comment

[Ed_Downunder]

Hi Gerry,

How can I post the plan file. Have looked on FAQ can't find anything.

I looked at my walls in 3d and the brick returns to close the cavity. Not bothered about it at this time now I know the reason why.

But the mesh is still reporting 25 sq m.

I saw in another post about window sills. How would that report? Length is OK for a stone sill but a brick sill are solids and should report as a brick count.

[Mark]

Hi Gerry,

How can I post the plan file. Have looked on FAQ can't find anything.

I looked at my walls in 3d and the brick returns to close the cavity. Not bothered about it at this time now I know the reason why.

But the mesh is still reporting 25 sq m.

I saw in another post about window sills. How would that report? Length is OK for a stone sill but a brick sill are solids and should report as a brick count.

You could email me the plan as I have spent a bit time with material list and have discovered a couple of tricks that may be of interest to that's if you haven't already figured them out
Email house3d@gmail.com

[gteacher]

Save the plan and close Chief.

Zip the file

Under this forum " go advanced" goto manage attachments

Click on the button, Add to DBX then up load.

If more than 2MB after zip --- use dropbox -- free.

As to sill - it doesn't because its just a molding. reports as window sill -- 1x

IMHO: since this is a monoslab -- slab extends to edge of footing, --- 25 sq. m reasonable for mesh

rebar is for footing. allowing for overlap - reasonable at 40.36. Concrete cal incudes slab, footing, chamfer and wall all in pour 1 ( somewhat misnamed). @ 5.51 close

rebar list as imperial -- should be metric #13. -- Chief still considers monoslab to have 100mm wall at ends and is counting it with rebar , in effect, double counting both mesh and rebar. Also it does appear that wall vs slab is also double counted. Chief refuses to release any formulas used so its hard to tell.

[Justice]

Ed, I used to do Quantity take off by hand for years for builders.

I don't think CA Admin are really that interested in ML.

They focus on the 3d rendering & Drafting side of the program.

keep trying you might get noticed.

I also have the impression that if they got the ML working that they are worried about SCS (Suing Crazy Society).

Disclaimer's are not enough they need a legal document to protect themselves, then they might fix ML significantly?

[lbuttery]

I also have the impression that if they got the ML working that they are worried about SCS (Suing Crazy Society).

Disclaimer's are not enough they need a legal document to protect themselves, then they might fix ML significantly?


Justice:

huh ???

if anything, they would want the ML to be "correct"
by touting a tool that has major flaws someone may want to sue
if they order to much or too little or miss something that should have been ordered
thus causing delays

what kind of legal document are you referring to? that's what disclaimers are - legal documents

Lew

[gteacher]

Lew:

Not sure I agree with you entirely.

Concrete Slab Footing and slab calculations are definitely wrong and apparently have been. Doesn't make much difference on residential housing but would on large project. Doesn't seem to bother Chief now and I expect they won't change. That says something? OTOH, maybe their disclaimer is "air tight".

[lbuttery]

Gerry:

we are in agreement

I was countering the points Justice tried to make

Lew

[Justice]

Lew,

My conclusions are based on discussions from other posts about ML improvements made by CA administration staff.

I don't want to argue with you, that's just the impression I got right or wrong, it should clear up in time.

More important is 3d BIM with CA, they don't think its a priority or not many of us will need it.

With 3d BIM we can get our models taken off by other estimating software or, if no 3d BIM, please fix up ML and make it accurate.

Get a legal document disclaimer maybe, that the take off list even though accurate to some point may not cover all the individual components of a building, since that depends on the level of completion of the BIM model.

I am not a lawyer but that may need to be looked at, before we get more commitment to ML improvements?

[lbuttery]

With 3d BIM we can get our models taken off by other estimating software

Justice:

I think this is probably the better course

it would be nice if it could all be done in one package
but ???

Lew