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Cost Estimating Programs and Revit

12 REPLIES 12
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Message 1 of 13
MarvinL
6494 Views, 12 Replies

Cost Estimating Programs and Revit

Can people help me out with recommendations for Construction Cost Estimating computer programs that can exchange data with Revit Architecture? Or if there are ones to avoid, I would appreciate knowing that also. Thanks very much.
12 REPLIES 12
Message 2 of 13
Anonymous
in reply to: MarvinL

Look into QTO (Quantity Take Off) from Autodesk. It reads DWFs, DWGs,
PDF's, and image files. Make a DWF from a Revit model, and QTO will count
and quantify every modeled element in seconds. You can then add cost data
and assemblies in QTO, or use cost data from Timberline, MC^2, or Excel.

wrote in message
news:6364365@discussion.autodesk.com...
Can people help me out with recommendations for Construction Cost Estimating
computer programs that can exchange data with Revit Architecture? Or if
there are ones to avoid, I would appreciate knowing that also. Thanks very
much.
Message 3 of 13
Anonymous
in reply to: MarvinL

+1 on QTO. It's clean, simple to use, and pretty powerful.

The only odd thing is that you have to use DWF as the data transfer mechanism,
instead of an RVT file.

Matt
matt@stachoni.com

On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 09:22:26 -0700, Scott D Davis \(Autodesk\)
wrote:

>Look into QTO (Quantity Take Off) from Autodesk. It reads DWFs, DWGs,
>PDF's, and image files. Make a DWF from a Revit model, and QTO will count
>and quantify every modeled element in seconds. You can then add cost data
>and assemblies in QTO, or use cost data from Timberline, MC^2, or Excel.
>
> wrote in message
>news:6364365@discussion.autodesk.com...
>Can people help me out with recommendations for Construction Cost Estimating
>computer programs that can exchange data with Revit Architecture? Or if
>there are ones to avoid, I would appreciate knowing that also. Thanks very
>much.
Message 4 of 13
Anonymous
in reply to: MarvinL

"Matt Stachoni" wrote in message
news:6364550@discussion.autodesk.com...
> +1 on QTO. It's clean, simple to use, and pretty powerful.

Scott & Matt,

can either of you explain how an external costing database (like MS Access
or Excel) can be used in conjunction with QTO?

Example: Say I have a RVT Wall Type that is a Standard Drywall Assembly
(3-5/8" Metal Studs, @ 16" O.C. w/ 5/8" Gypsum Wall Board, full-height, each
side; 3-1/2" Sound Batt Insulation).

Can I *pre-create* a link in QTO to grab the costing data from the external
database, in a *dynamic* way? ("pre-create", and "dynamic" being the key
points, here). If so, what is the linking mechanism?

Thanks,
Corey
Message 5 of 13
Anonymous
in reply to: MarvinL

hmmm, well the "pre-create" portion is easy. This would be the QTO catalog
that you use for the project. The catalog file (.ATT) will contain all of
the components, assemblies, costs, and categoritization for the QTO file.

QTO, when it finds your standard 3 5/8" metal stud/gyp assembly, will assign
that wall type to the correct assembly in QTO. The QTO catalog will define
the assembly, and each piece of the assembly, as far as how is it counted
(linear, area, count, etc.) and what are the
material/labor/subcontractor/etc costs.

So where does this ATT file get created? You can make it in QTO, or you can
get it from a source like Timberline, which will now save its database out
as an ATT file for QTO.

You can also let QTO just count and quantify, and then export the results
out to Excel, and link your Excel cost database with QTO's quantities in
Excel format.

So to your last point..."dynamic". If its dynamic meaning changes to the
database are immediately and automatically applied to QTO, then no. But the
ATT file can be updated and reloaded to update costs. QTO will remember all
the previous objects (each has a unique ID like Revit) and will apply the
new info to those objects. It does take a 'reload' of the ATT file in QTO,
and thats about as dynamic as it gets at this point. 🙂



"caLayton" wrote in message
news:6365504@discussion.autodesk.com...
"Matt Stachoni" wrote in message
news:6364550@discussion.autodesk.com...
> +1 on QTO. It's clean, simple to use, and pretty powerful.

Scott & Matt,

can either of you explain how an external costing database (like MS Access
or Excel) can be used in conjunction with QTO?

Example: Say I have a RVT Wall Type that is a Standard Drywall Assembly
(3-5/8" Metal Studs, @ 16" O.C. w/ 5/8" Gypsum Wall Board, full-height, each
side; 3-1/2" Sound Batt Insulation).

Can I *pre-create* a link in QTO to grab the costing data from the external
database, in a *dynamic* way? ("pre-create", and "dynamic" being the key
points, here). If so, what is the linking mechanism?

Thanks,
Corey
Message 6 of 13
Anonymous
in reply to: MarvinL

"Scott D Davis (Autodesk)" wrote in message
news:6365526@discussion.autodesk.com...
> QTO, when it finds your standard 3 5/8" metal stud/gyp assembly, will
> assign
> that wall type to the correct assembly in QTO.

How does QTO "find" my wall, exactly?
What piece of data is it using to make this connection? Type Name? Or
something else?

> The QTO catalog will define
> the assembly, and each piece of the assembly, as far as how is it counted
> (linear, area, count, etc.) and what are the
> material/labor/subcontractor/etc costs.

Do I have the option to assign costs to *assemblies* (like a SF cost applies
to the RVT Wall Type) and/or *components/materials* (like independent costs
assigned to each RVT Layer/Material in the wall),
or will QTO *only* derive the independent Layers/Materials contained in the
assembly and cost them?

> to your last point..."dynamic". If its dynamic meaning changes to the
> database are immediately and automatically applied to QTO, then no.

yes, that.

> But the ATT file can be updated and reloaded to update costs. QTO will
> remember all
> the previous objects (each has a unique ID like Revit) and will apply the
> new info to those objects. It does take a 'reload' of the ATT file in
> QTO,
> and thats about as dynamic as it gets at this point. 🙂

well, that's not *terrible*.
At least it's not hopelessly static.
I could live with that.
Message 7 of 13
Anonymous
in reply to: MarvinL

QTO can find the wall by almsot any parameter. Yuo could be very specific
and say "find all walls that are " or tell QTO to find all
walls on level 1. It's up to you. If you do a "model takeoff" it finds all
walls and lists them by Revit Type.

You can assign costs to individual components of assemblies, or to the
assembly as a whole. You can also input formulas in QTO to calculate
unmodeled elements. For instance, you don't typically model drywall 4x8
sheets, but a calculated value in QTO can take the wall area divided by 32
SF to approximate the number of sheets of drywall needed.

"caLayton" wrote in message
news:6365692@discussion.autodesk.com...
"Scott D Davis (Autodesk)" wrote in message
news:6365526@discussion.autodesk.com...
> QTO, when it finds your standard 3 5/8" metal stud/gyp assembly, will
> assign
> that wall type to the correct assembly in QTO.

How does QTO "find" my wall, exactly?
What piece of data is it using to make this connection? Type Name? Or
something else?

> The QTO catalog will define
> the assembly, and each piece of the assembly, as far as how is it counted
> (linear, area, count, etc.) and what are the
> material/labor/subcontractor/etc costs.

Do I have the option to assign costs to *assemblies* (like a SF cost applies
to the RVT Wall Type) and/or *components/materials* (like independent costs
assigned to each RVT Layer/Material in the wall),
or will QTO *only* derive the independent Layers/Materials contained in the
assembly and cost them?

> to your last point..."dynamic". If its dynamic meaning changes to the
> database are immediately and automatically applied to QTO, then no.

yes, that.

> But the ATT file can be updated and reloaded to update costs. QTO will
> remember all
> the previous objects (each has a unique ID like Revit) and will apply the
> new info to those objects. It does take a 'reload' of the ATT file in
> QTO,
> and thats about as dynamic as it gets at this point. 🙂

well, that's not *terrible*.
At least it's not hopelessly static.
I could live with that.
Message 8 of 13
ttutti
in reply to: MarvinL

Tocoman offers a solution to integrate Revit with etimating tools like Microsoft Excel or Timberline. The application is called Tocoman iLink, which tells that it intended to link the BIM objects with the existing cost databases. It is an extension to Revit, so it utilizes the native format instead DWF or some other file.

 

Use can read the estimating items into Revit and link them with objects. The linkage is based on intelligent (or dynamic) rules, which simulate the traditional process, but are much more efficient.The software has been used in over 500 real construction projects for BIM based takeoff and/or estimating until today.

 

You read more about the software from our web site. We have also published a white paper about BIM based quantity takeoff and estimating. It explains our philosophy of linking.

 

Best regards

 

Tomi Tutti

 

Technical Director

Tocoman - BIM based Quantity Takeoff and Estimating

Message 9 of 13
granite07
in reply to: ttutti

I can second that ilink is a powerful tool. Comparing ilink to QTO is similar to comparing my kids little league team to a proteam. It is still baseball but they should not be on the same field at the same time.

Forest Peterson, granite@stanford.edu; build-sheet
Message 10 of 13
ccollins
in reply to: MarvinL

I would also take a look at Vico Office.

 

It has what I consider the best set of tools for 4D and 5D BIM.

 

It imports Revit and other BIM formats.

 

Here's a link:

 

http://www.vicosoftware.com/products/Vico-Office/tabid/85286/Default.aspx

 

cheers

Cliff B. Collins
Registered Architect/BIM Manager
Thalden Boyd Emery Architects
St. Louis, MO
Message 11 of 13
sharkhunter
in reply to: ccollins

hi all,

 

there is another tool for cost estimating - BuildingOne. works as plugin for revit and has a bidirectional interface.

elements/rooms can be updated any time the revit or alphanumeric data changes. no extra references or preparation. you can edit data on any side and then call the sync.

 

Dynamic quantity providers, costs, catalogs, reporting...

 

http://www.onetools.de/de/buildingone3/module/revit-addon.html

 

info@onetools.de

 

regards,

Message 12 of 13
prof.demel
in reply to: sharkhunter

hi there,

I installed BuildingOne 6 and have trouble setting up the configuration to synchronize. Do you by any chance have an idea how to selecet the input for the element provider?

Thanks a lot

robert

Message 13 of 13
bashburn
in reply to: MarvinL

Sigma Enterprise has an excellent integration with Revit, and it's being used on large projects worldwide. You can check it out at http://sigmaestimates.com/pricing/sigma-editions/sigma-apps/revit-intregration

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