Mastering Custom Formulas
    • Dark
      Light
    • PDF

    Mastering Custom Formulas

    • Dark
      Light
    • PDF

    Article summary

    En Español

    Adding a custom formula to items in an assembly gives you greater control over what is displayed in the final line items on your Reports and in Estimates. 

    Below are some of the most commonly used formula conversions and add-ons.

    Common Variable Conversions

    Common Unit Conversion

    Common Formula Functions


    Common Variable Conversions

    You may need to convert a takeoff variable into another. Below are examples of common custom variables you can create to convert the data.

    Starting From Count

    From [MeasuredCount], add custom variables to represent the other dimensions of the building condition.

    Starting from Count

    Add Custom Variable (example)

    To Linear Feet

    [WallLengthFeet]

    To Square Feet

    [WallLengthFeet] and [WallHeightFeet]

    To Cubic Yards

    [WallLengthFeet] and [WallHeightFeet] and [WallThicknessInches]

    [MeasuredCount]*[WallLengthFeet]
    [MeasuredCount]*[WallLengthFeet]*[WallHeightFeet]
    [MeasuredCount]*[WallLengthFeet]*[WallHeightFeet]*([WallThicknessInches]/12)/27

    Starting from Linear

    From [MeasuredLinear], add custom variables to represent the other dimensions of the building condition.

    Starting from Linear

    Add Custom Variable (example)

    To Square Feet

    [WallHeightFeet]

    To Cubic Yards

    [WallHeightFeet] and [WallThicknessInches]

    [MeasuredLinear]*[WallHeightFeet]
    [MeasuredLinear]*[WallHeightFeet]*([WallThicknessInches]/12)/27

    Starting from Square Feet

    From [MeasuredArea] or [MeasuredSurfaceArea], add custom variables to represent the other dimensions of the building condition.

    Starting from Square Feet

    Add Custom Variable (example)

    To Cubic Yards

    [WallThicknessInches]

    [MeasuredArea]*([WallThicknessInches]/12)
    [MeasuredSurfaceArea]*([WallThicknessInches]/12)/27

    Common Unit Conversion

    You may need to convert a takeoff or custom variable from one unit to another. Below are examples of common units and their conversion factors.

    Inches and Feet

    From

    To

    Factor

    Inches

    Feet

    12

    [WallThicknessInches]/12
    [MeasuredLinear]*12

    Square Feet and Yards

    From

    To

    Factor

    Square Feet

    Square Yards

    9

    [MeasuredArea]/9
    [CarpetRollYards]*9

    Cubic Inches, Feet, and Yards

    From

    To

    Factor

    Cubic Inches

    Cubic Yards

    46656

    Cubic Feet

    Cubic Yards

    27

    ([MeasuredArea]/12)*([SlabThicknessInches]/12)/46656
    [MeasuredArea]*[SlabThicknessFeet]/27

    Common Formula Functions

    Adding a Waste Percentage

    You can add a waste percentage to your formula to control the final quantities. Some examples:

    [MeasuredLinear]*1.10
    [MeasuredArea]*(1+([WastePercentage0to100]/100))

    Evenly-spaced Items

    To calculate an item that occurs on set intervals, add a custom variables to represent the distance of the spacing, and then:

    [MeasuredLinear]/[ItemSpacingInFeet]
    [MeasuredLinear]*12/16
    [MeasuredLinear]*12/[ItemSpacingInInches]

    Area-coverage Items

    When an item is set to a known dimension, that information can be used to convert area takeoffs into item counts. For example:

    4'x8' sheet of plywood: [MeasuredArea]/32
    4'x10' sheet of drywall: [MeasuredSurfaceArea]/40

    Area of a Circle

    To calculate the area of a circle, add a custom variable to represent the radius or diameter of the circle, and then:

    3.14*[RadiusOfCircle]*[RadiusOfCircle] or
    pi()*power([RadiusOfCircle],2)

    3.14*([DiameterOfCircle]/2)*([DiameterOfCircle]/2) or
    pi()*power([DiameterOfCircle]/2,2)

    Circumference of a Circle

    To calculate the circumference of a circle, add a custom variable to represent the radius or diameter of the circle, and then:

    2*3.14*[RadiusOfCircle] or
    2*pi()*[RadiusOfCircle]

    3.14*[DiameterOfCircle] or
    pi()*[DiameterOfCircle]

    What is an Item
    Bulk Import Custom Items to STACK
    What is an Assembly
    Create a Custom Assembly
    Working with Item Formulas in Assemblies
    Excel Functions in Formulas


    If you need additional assistance, please Contact Us.


    Was this article helpful?