ArtEstMain

Estimating is no less of an art than the building design itself. There is a feel of the building that is acquired as one evaluates and quantifies the data. Automatic quantities make the professional estimator more than a little apprehensive about this method. From my perspective it is similar to the difference between a Renaissance painter who had to make his own colors compared to a contemporary painter that can buy his paints. Having the paints and having the numbers merely gives the painter or estimator more time to properly do his job and allows focus on the truly important aspects of his trade. The drudgery and uncertainty of manually gathered data is such a daunting task. I was asked by one of my peers, "How close is the quantity that is generated by the 3d		Building Information Model?" The answer is that it is precise, but, only as precise as the model itself. The model and the extracted quantity are one in the same. The truly beautiful aspect of deriving the quantities form the 3d Model, is the ability to visually confirm the data by isolating the items in the 3d model. If you have a concern about the number of steel columns, you can turn off everything in the drawing except the Steel columns to visually confirm your data. If you do not see one in the drawing for the master bath room, then it will certainly not be in the database report. All Elements in the model can also carry unlimited information with them; i.e., make, model, color, size, and exact xyz location.
Example of Model Extraction		Example of Model Extraction Report