Current QTO formula function is a manual process on each dwg file, this idea is about having the possibility to add formula to the base pay item file and use it as a standard on all dwg files that uses the same pay item file.
You are the person that set up the country standards for pay items and you don´t want to add pay item file and formula file to the template.
You assign pay item files and runs takeoff with an api solution, partly to avoid having pay item files as dependent files on vault check in and partly to be able to use different pay item files on the same template file.
The method for creating for example line markings is with a closed polyline (0.1 m wide), the standard says specification för line markings is length and the width is described in text in pay item description.
If I create a pay item with unit area, takeoff reports the area (not according to specification standard but the value and the unit match)
If I create a pay item with unit length, takeoff reports the perimeter (not according to specification standard and the value is the perimeter instead of the length).
If I create a pay item with unit length and hope that the user adds my prepared formula file with the formula, item area/0.1 (now I´m on track, according to standard and the value and unit match and reports the length)
If I create a pay item with unit area and the user adds my prepared formula file with the formula, item area/0.1 (this is the worst scenario, it reports length but the unit says area)
This approach have to rely on an end user action to assign the formula file to each file before running takeoff is weak, there is neither api support for assigning formula files before takeoff.
The idea
Either of this suggestions:
Make it possible to add formulas directly in the pay item file
Make it possible to set a formula file through api
Best regards /Magnus
