Hi Nuge,
here is a very short ArchiQuant description.
ArchiQuant is a simple add-on that let’s you get quantity take-offs together with costs estimation.
ArchiCAD already let’s you get something similar (I suggest to every ArchiCAD user to buy the wonderful handbook “ArchiCAD, From CAD to Quantity Survey” by Eric Wilk) but the user has to do a lot of job and he also needs to have some familiarity with GDL commands.
For using the “standard” ArchiCAD quantity calculation procedure you have to do several steps:
1. Built your components database (quite annoying because you cannot import existing external databases)
2. Built your Attribute objects: this needs some GDL expertise
![](/legacyfs/online/emojis/icon_evil.gif)
because if you need to calculate specific quantities from a construction element you have to use some GDL statement to refer to the right quantity
3. Link the Attribute object to your construction elements
4. Built up your list scheme in order to display these info
The main limitation of all this job, from my point of view, is that isn’t so easy to get quantity take off together with the cost estimation coming from this calculation and, for me as architect (at least here in Italy) this is not enough: I cannot say my client that he needs to buy 100 bricks… he will immediately ask me “how much do they cost?”.
This come from a “strange” GS definition of the component.
For GS a component is essentially made by:
1. an identity code
2. a name/description (limited to just 127 characters)
3. a unit
4. a quantity
The missing items from this definition (once again for me!) are:
5. the currency unit
6. the unit price of the component
ArchiQuant tries to address these issues:
1. You have your quantity database, where you can also import external database or convert your already built ArchiCAD ones.
2. the component elements include also currency unit and unit price info
3. No limitation in the component description (it can be long as you desire)
4. Absolutely no GDL skill (you can define your calculation formula just as you do “by hand” by referring to the element quantities and to any kind of mathematical calculation sums, subtractions, multiplications, divisions, ect.)
5. No needs to create dozen of attribute objects to link the components to the construction elements: just select the construction element and by opening its setting dialog window you will find the ArchiQuant panel where you can link your database components to your selected element/s.
6. You can calculate also the two-dimensional entities
7. you can customize you list schemes (the ArchiQuant list schemes) by using the dedicated setting dialog windows (let me swear it is more comfortable/friendly that the ArchiCAD one)
8. you can always export your quantity/estimation data in a spreadsheet format
9. you can calculate/display quantities together with cost estimation
This is just a “snack” of the ArchiQuant functions.
Now the user manuals are in the translation phase, I think it will be released in the next autumn… to be sure, let me say before Christmas.
Friendly
Fabrizio
Fabrizio Diodati
Graphisoft Italy Srl | Via Rossignago 2/A Spinea Venezia 30038 Italy