fellow AutoCAD drafters, a question:

[KG]

I'm architectural drafter for small residential builder/remodeler. my boss insists there must be a program that will allow me to quickly do take-offs, mostly lumber, that works in AutoCAD.

I'm just using straight up v2005.

does any such thing exist?

thanks in advance

[slj0101]

1. Well, Autodesk does offer architectural software.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=2956700

Beyond that, I can't think of anything in regular ACAD that specifically caters to architectural drawings. The tool palettes menu does have some common architectural symbols, though.

[KG]

2. since my co. buys the lumber for the framers, he wants something

that will tell me how many studs, etc are needed.

don't have much experience with Arch. desktop.

i'll look there and see what they have, thanks

[slj0101]

5. Maybe you can get someone to program a LISP file to do it.

Good luck with that. I did some LISP programming for a CAD course once. I still get the creeps everytime I see parentheses. :)

[KG]

6. i'm thinking, if such a tool exists, if i post in enough discussion groups, i'll finf it..

:hi:

[Crazy Dave]

3. On and off over the years....

TurboCAD had something like that embedded into their program once but I never really got good at it. For square and linear footage I've always used polylines. Other than that I still do things what may be the hard way or the only way, count them manually by touching each individual item with the cursor. The grips let me know which ones I've counted. With framing, trusses and studs you can pretty much calculate how many studs spaced 16" apart are in a 20'(L)x10'(H) wall. Lots of other options too but with most home builders I do work for they pretty much use the same two or three floor plans with minimal variations. Once I've done one or two then the rest only take minutes.

[KG]

4. counting stuff by hand is what he wants get away from, from a productivity standpoint.

i'm not so sure what he's looking for exists, but i'm looking around anyway...

[Crazy Dave]

7. I try to tell most of my clients...

Look, I can get the total quantity down to the gnats ass, within an inch if you like but do you want to pay me at my rate for an extra hour and a half or more to get it that close when I can at least get you within 10' linear feet or within three or four 2x4's? If they choose the within an inch option then they've spent an extra $50 - $80 when they could have spent that same amount of money on probably half a bundle of 2'x4' studs or other materials and since most lumber and other building materials are purchased and delivered in bulk it's really a waste of time and money trying to figure things to the inch or exact board count. YOu slso can count on quite a few boards in a bundle that are not usable. In about an hour I can have all the framing and truss quantities figured up for a 2000 sf. plus home and if it's a floor plan I did before with minimal changes then it will only take me about twenty minutes. If I'm long five feet or three 2x4's extra (I always factor in a little extra) it may cost someone $2o - $30 but if I spend an extra hour and a half then it costs them $50 - $80 or more.
Spending a dollar to save a dime is not a good idea and it doesn't impress owners or clients.

[bleedingheart]

8. the only way I know of is to build the code yourself

years ago I created cad drawings of office furniture and then linked those drawings with a database...once you created a drawing using those other drawings...you could get a listing of the total cost and number of items...etc

[KG]

9. not a coder, i'm hoping someone else already done did the dirty work.

:hi:

[bleedingheart]

10. Here is what I found..

http://www.rl-labs.com/Products/GIS/acad.php3


So the product is AutoCAD MAP...may be worth looking into ...

[Neshanic]

11. I use straight up 2008, But Architectural Desktop version?

I am lucky, I just do block counts and area which vanilla AutoCAD does very well.