Product Description - Extensions Overview

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 that height. Extensions are not available in the Basic viewer. Using an extension involves the following steps:

  1. Use Edit Standard Extensions to create a standard extension where we define the user input and calculation fields. This feature is available for Premier users only. eTakeoff provides a library of pre-defined standard extensions that can be used by both Pro and Premier users.
  2. Use the Trade Edit Window to create a trace that uses the standard extension. The Data Type for the trace can be set to any of the extension fields.
  3. Assign the trace to a measurement.
  4. Use the Extension Measurement Values Window to fill in the extension's user input fields for the measurement.

For Premier users, a standard extension can be specified for quantity worksheet items. Then the extension fields can be used in the quantity worksheet items in the same way that area, count, length and perimeter are used.

Let's walk through the use of the pre-defined "Wall Area" extension.


Figure 1: Wall Area Standard Extension Definition

Figure 1 shows the Wall Area definition. The Name column shows the name of the field. This is used in formulas. The Description provides a longer description of the field. The Default/Formula column shows the Default value for user input fields or the formula for calculated fields. "WallHeight" is a user input field that has no default. "WallArea" is a calculated field that multiplies the entered WallHeight by the Length of the measurement.


Figure 2: Trace using the Wall Area Extension

Figure 2 shows a trace that uses the Wall Area Extension. Note that the Wall Area Extension has been selected (toward the bottom of the window) and that the Data Type is the WallArea field from that extension.


Figure 3: New Measurement using Extension Trace

Figure 3 show a measurement that has just been created using that trace. Note that the extension icon appears next to the first point in the measurement. The "e" in the icon is red, indicating that the extension values have not been filled in yet. Also, note that the measurement quantities list shows both WallHeight and Wall Area as "##INVALID##". We can right-click on the measurement and select "Edit Extension..." to correct this as shown in Figure 4.


Figure 4: Editing Extension Values for a Measurement

Once we enter the WallHeight of 8.00 feet, the WallArea is calculated. After we press OK, the red "e" is gone and the extension values are shown in the measurement quantities as shown in figure 5.


Figure 5: Measurement using Extension Values Entered

Using Extensions in the Quantity Worksheet

Premier users can use extensions in the quantity worksheet. In the quantity worksheet, we can assign an extension to an item and use the extension values if item formulas. The value for the item will be the sum of the extension field values for all measurements assigned to the item. First we set up the item to use the extension as show in figure 6.


Figure 6: Quantity Worksheet Item using Extension

Not that the Wall Area Extension has been selected (toward the bottom of the window) and that the Quantity Calculation is the WallArea field from that extension.


Figure 7: Quantity Worksheet with Extension

Figure 7 shows a quantity worksheet item using an extension with measurements assigned to it. For the item "EXT USE", the WallArea is shown as the sum of the WallArea value for all measurements assigned to it that also use the WallArea extension.

In figure 7 the focus in on the row "EXT_MULT" so that you can see its formula in the formula bar. Note that EXT MULT uses the WallArea quantity from the "EXT USE" item just as it would use the Area, Count, Length or Perimeter.

Using Extensions requires more care than using simple measurements. eTakeoff includes a number of Auditing Features to help you review your project and make sure all extension values are entered and the measurements with extensions are properly assigned.