What all will this do.

[Anonymous]

Kinda new here. My company doesn't really use these features. What all will AC10 calculate?

[Rakela Raul]

great opportunity for you to make a survey about calculation:

i would ask the following questions:

1. I dont use the Calculation at all
2. I use door + windows + Finishes Schedule only?
3. i use #2 + quantities extracted from the construction elements for just a few important items
4. i use #2 + quantities extracted from the construction elements for all items
5. i use all of the above + Construction Cost
6. i dont use it because is too difficult

[Dwight]

You have asked a big question. On an Archicad topic this causes more hair pulling and instructor lynching than any other.

Archicad counts things - so if you have a lot of car space objects on a parking lot - no more 1,2,3… just ask Archicad to count them.

The more data you add to your building elements, the more information concerning material quantities you can extract. But it gets complex. I find that in my practice, the old "per square foot" estimating still works adequately.

The problem for architects is that defining assemblies and calculation parameters takes a long time and these parameters need the estimating expertise of a quantity surveyor to be truly useful in determining quantities and costs.

With rudimentary data, you can effectively compare design solutions for relative efficiency, but don't bet a bid on it.

[Anonymous]

We could benefit from all so "5. i use all of the above + Construction Cost".
Is there a resource i can look at for creating custom door, finish and window schedules?

[Rakela Raul]

The more data you add to your building elements, the more information concerning material quantities you can extract. But it gets complex. I find that in my practice, the old "per square foot" estimating still works adequately.

The problem for architects is that defining assemblies and calculation parameters takes a long time and these parameters need the estimating expertise of a quantity surveyor to be truly useful in determining quantities and costs.

With rudimentary data, you can effectively compare design solutions for relative efficiency, but don't bet a bid on it.

all true, but i wonder if we are really using these features...probable Rick T. uses it almost 100%. (and Karl O. for sure)

Jeff,
Check AC manual, i think the calculation is coverd decently.

[Karl Ottenstein]

jkoenig1980 wrote:
Is there a resource i can look at for creating custom door, finish and window schedules?

Strangely enough, this area is under-documented. The PDF (and printed) AC 10 manuals have slightly different content than the Help menu help...so there is a little bit in each, but not much.

There are a couple of old articles posted on the wiki:

http://www.archicadwiki.com/Interactive_Door-Window_Schedule?highlight=%28window%29%7C%28schedule%29

http://www.archicadwiki.com/TechNotes/Making_equipment_schedules_with_ArchiCAD%27s_Interactive_Sched...

and lots of info scattered about these forums, but no coherent single document. Perhaps one of us will start one on the wiki at some point...

Karl

[Rakela Raul]

http://v3.digitalvis.com/pdfs/customschedules.pdf

[Steve Jepson]

I think it is very interesting how ArchiCAD is being marketed as such a fantastic tool for creating the BIM, but to extract that data into useable formats is so difficult that most users won't even try to do this with ArchiCAD.

[Dwight]

Steve wrote:
I think it is very interesting how ArchiCAD is being marketed as such a fantastic tool for creating the BIM, but to extract that data into useable formats is so difficult that most users won't even try to do this with ArchiCAD.

I know what you mean:
It seems that software isn't miraculous - you still need specific knowledge and skill in numerous lateral areas to be effective:

Sloppy drafters make bad wall joints in Archicad.
Lousy architects still make bad buildings in Archicad.
Archicad does lousy renderings if you use the default settings.
and
nobody put this month's values in the calculation menu, so go figure.

[Anonymous]

I find that I can extract plenty of useful data out of Archicad. The trouble is formatting, organizing and presenting the information. The schedules do not work like Excel, they are much more basic.