Please see tester comments below.
"See below:
The primary reason our company purchased Magnet is for takeoff purposes for estimating. Since purchasing Magnet I have seen improvements with being able to make parallel strings (still unable to use them for boundaries in takeoff, but that is already being handled elsewhere and without too many additional steps figured out a workaround for using command in takeoff,), follow command, and other commands that have improved over time. Ability to calculate Strata Bore Holes is still being worked on, but hopefully something soon. As an estimator though, we are looking to get the job-site sub-grades/quantities as fast as possible and I had a couple ideas that I thought might contribute toward some deductive reasoning logic which could aid in an automating process to cutting out a lot of steps that can make something that seems like a simple task, be surprisingly time consuming.
Summary of steps. My takeoff consists of creating boundaries around different types of materials that comprise a job-site (paving, sidewalks, buildings, etc.). Then apply sub-grades to those boundaries to figure out quantities of materials that will be required to build job etc. Sounds easy enough, but the tricky part is making sure that NONE of the boundaries overlap with other boundaries/sub-grades EVER or else the takeoff portion of Magnet will never stop giving error messages until every infringement has been fixed. This modification of boundaries can prove to be quite time consuming (has improved over years though, by giving hints of where problem is or prompts saying which points are the cause). Now that I'm more familiar with software am getting somewhat used to its quirks like how any line work created with parallel line tool doesn't work when it is used for creating boundaries within takeoff (boundaries are created, but can't be used with sub-grades, because it thinks they are overlapping or have some error when they don't. The good news is that can use the follow tool to trace the line-work created by parallel strings and then takeoff likes the line-work). Anyway, the point is when i have a parking lot boundary, i have to make lines as close as possible to the previous boundary (without crossing) over and over again. Once get through job, believing that am getting close to end of job because have encompassed the entire site, then I push boundaries into the takeoff portion of Magnet and then the error messages can begin when trying to assign subgrades and get quantities. Sometimes, it can take longer to sort through the error messages than actually taking off the job. To which i come back to the original question, it seems like a takeoff grabbing paving, landscaping, sidewalk and a building shouldn't be too difficult, yet somehow, it always takes more time than would think.
Concept: My thought is that through a series of deductive logical arguments, it seems like Magnet could almost make the boundaries for me, rather than me tracing every nook and cranny trying to keep from overlapping boundaries/sub-grades etc. It seems like Magnet could create the boundaries for me. For example, If i set up a site boundary that has been carefully traced around the limits of project, then deductively I am telling Magnet that there is nothing outside of the site boundary(I think Magnet already has that programmed into it). Then I trace out the Asphalt parking lot on the job and set sub-grades to it. Since, Takeoff already knows that only one sub-grade can occupy any one given area of job, the boundary with a sub-grade assigned to it is basically "an exclusionary boundary" for any future boundaries being created for sub-grades in other areas. Then lets say there is a sidewalk/curb next to the asphalt parking lot. If i draw a line on the outside of the sidewalk (not touching the asphalt, but one next to the grass) then basically there is two sides to that line, one side has the asphalt parking lot for illustration purposes say the left side and the other side goes to the site boundary. Deductively there is only two sides to a line, one side has parking lot on it, the other has the site boundary. A prompt could ask which side of line want to go to and make a boundary snap to nearest boundary with sub-grade assigned(asphalt parking lot) or site boundary. Then when the sidewalk boundary has been determined, assign a sub-grade to it, which lets Magnet know that again this is an "exclusionary boundary" that no other sub-grades can occupy, thus allowing another line to be drawn elsewhere for the landscaping section of job. Again left side of line could go to the edge of sidewalk, while the right side goes to site boundary. Once confirm landscape area, apply sub-grade, and repeat process until get through job site. This functionality seems similar to the prompts in "Follow" command or even the Vector Trace functionality where it highlights the area and allows user to confirm yes or no that is the correct selection you are looking for. This would allow Magnet to do all the nook and cranny tracing along the edge of existing boundaries the way it wants to which would keep the human factor out of it (which could reduce potential errors, but more importantly save time!) and/or Magnet not liking which tool i chose to create my lines.
Above instance of sub-grades being used as an exclusionary boundary don't necessary have to be used to indicate no other sub-grades would be there. A simple boundary could do the same thing as long as the site boundary has a different designation than regular boundaries awaiting sub-grades. Just a thought.
Something I've been thinking about for a while and though i would share ideas. Let me know if have any questions.
Thanks!
Johann K."
