Extensions Part 1 - Overview
Find out how extensions can help you improve your work flow and efficiency. eTakeoff offers several versions of extensions including predefined and custom. Check out https://etakeoff.com to learn more and download your FREE 15 day trial.
—
Welcome. This video is an overview of extensions.
Extensions allow user input and calculations to be added to individual measurements. For example, a wall area extension would allow the user to enter the wall height then calculate the wall area as the measurement length multiplied by the height entered.
eTakeoff provides a library of predefined standard extensions that can be used by advanced and premier users. Advanced users are only allowed to use the predefined extensions. Premier users can create their own set of extensions.
Let’s take a look at some of the standard extensions. Open the templates folder in the trace list. We have provided traces for most trades. Each trade folder contains some traces with extensions; we will look at a couple in this training video. Once you understand how they work, you can experiment with the ones that apply to you.
First, let’s look at concrete and see how to calculate cubic yards from a square foot measurement. Open the concrete folder and double-click the first trace, concrete cubic yards. Measure a square foot area. Now, in the right control panel, the quantity list shows the results of the square foot measurement. Notice the fields for depth and volume are empty and colored differently than the other fields. This is where you enter the depth of the concrete and then hit the enter key on your keyboard to finish. The volume results are calculated and displayed in the quantity list and in the measurement summary below.
Next, let’s look at a wall trace with an extension. Open the frame and drywall folder and double-click on two by four wall length studs in drywall. We take a simple length measurement. Now we go to the quantity list to enter variable data for this measurement. We can enter the height of the wall, you can change the default on-center distance, enter how many sides of the wall will get drywall, and then choose the drywall sheet size. The results are total track length, total studs, drywall square feet, and sheet count. You can see how powerful this is and how much time it will cut in your takeoff by allowing you to take one measurement and get multiple results. See the measurement list training video to learn how to sort and total all of your project results.
If you take a measurement with a trace that has an extension but fail to enter your information in the extension, the red E will remain to remind you that the measurement and its extension need to be finished. You can always go back and select the measurement and finish the extension.
Please see the Extensions Part 2 video to see how to build extensions with eTakeoff premiere.