# Onscreen Takeoffs



## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

I used an onscreen takeoff tool for the first time a few days ago and for the most part liked it okay. Who else uses onscreen takeoffs and how do you like it?


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

I remember the last time you tried to spam the forum with that software. Didn't you end up getting banned?


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

TooledUp said:


> I remember the last time you tried to spam the forum with that software. Didn't you end up getting banned?


I have no idea what you are talking about. Surely you can dig up some of my old posts where I was spamming and show the world.

All I have done was an introduction a couple of weeks ago and today asked others if they have used onscreen takeoffs. How is that spamming?

I post a lot on one of Nathan's other forums and have been real careful NOT to spam there and in fact was invited to join this board from there just 2 weeks ago.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

On screen take offs suck.

Do you offer a free trial period?


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## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

What would be the advantage of an onscreen takeoff? (seriuosly)

How would this software make it a more efficient process.

Of course I have never received plans online, so it is hard to imagine. (specially with my vision)


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

There are several advantages of onscreen takeoffs. Availability of plans is a big one. About 25% of todays work is on digital format blueprints and many of them are available only that way. Only those who have the ability to either do onscreen takeoffs or have the drawings printed out themselves will be bidding on that work. Having drawings printed is pretty expensive.

Eveything is going that direction. Even the AGC plans have many available online only.

It is nice being able to take off a job from your office. One of the big problems with blueprints is availability, going to planrooms, having to reserve them overnight etc. Ever need to look at something on a set of plans right before bid time or have someone call with a question right before bid time? It is much easier if you can look at these drawings on your computer.

I currently don't have any onscreen takeoff software for sale. I am working on a program now but there is no onscreen takeoff software for sale as of now. Generally it is pretty expensive. I haven't had any in the past that I have been trying to sell either. I was really wanting some others opinions on it. This thread was not started as a spam tool as mentioned earlier.

I seriously had my first taste of that technology earlier this week and here are my thoughts.

While the availability of plans is good there are some things I didn't like. First off you have to go to a website and look at the drawings there, find the ones you want and download them. Once you have all of the plans on your computer then they can be loaded and measured. It just seemed like a lot of extra steps. It was still faster than driving across town and those files are still on my hard drive.

The onscreen takeoff software needs to be tied into an estimating program to get the full benefits from it.

The ability to print out the drawings on 8 1/2 X 11 paper is nice also. While these are too small to see any detail they are still good drawings for jobsite use. They are plenty big (and cheap) to give to employees outlining the days work etc. or colorcoding for finishes.

Eyesight is another thing. It is much easier for me to see drawings on a computer screen than on paper. I am 54 and my eyes aren't what they used to be. It has gotten to where if I have some reading to do I would prefer it to be on my computer. It is easier.

As mentioned, this is not something I have for sale. Before that happens it would have to be finished in development and then some beta testing. I do have estimating software but I have never been here spamming it before. It has only been for sale for the last 2 or 3 weeks. LOL Also I have never been banned from this site. I have never even been in any trouble on any of these sites. I am not a spammer.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Is this on screen take off part of the software package in your signature?


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

No it isn't. Hopefully before too long it will be an option.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Is the estimating software in your signature your company?


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## NEPS.US (Feb 6, 2008)

www.oncenter.com


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

DavidNTexas said:


> I post a lot on one of Nathan's other forums and have been real careful NOT to spam there and in fact was invited to join this board from there just 2 weeks ago.


I was the one who suggested he come here, he had many good technical, articulate posts about painting at CT, without pushing the software.



bikerboy said:


> What would be the advantage of an onscreen takeoff? (seriuosly)
> 
> How would this software make it a more efficient process.
> 
> Of course I have never received plans online, so it is hard to imagine. (specially with my vision)


More builders and GC's are going to online plan rooms. I love it because I do not have to pick up a set of plans and rush to get them back, especially when you have the whole set and only need the finish and floor plans. There are also addendums and changes, you can keep up to date on,

I do mostly online and it drives me nuts! I am a mac user and there is not much software for me. I do it two ways.
Print and use a magnifier.
Use Adobe Acrobat and use the tools there to enlarge, I showed the 'Loupe" tool that creates a separate box you can really enlarge.
You still have to spend a lot of time measuring and adding.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

Bender said:


> On screen take offs suck.
> 
> Do you offer a free trial period?


I want you to try to be more upfront with us on this, but your right. Got to put a little fluff in there.


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

ProWallGuy said:


> Is the estimating software in your signature your company?


Yes it is.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

Are you a painter Dave?

Lineal feet of sprinkler pipe would be nice to do online. Sqft is a headache, at least to me.
(But I'm no estimator)


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

Yes I am. I went through the apprenticeship program from 1975 to 1977, worked in the field as a journeyman and foreman for several more years. 

I was estimating the year before I learned to paint and in some way or another have always seemed to have my fingers in both sides of the business, labor and management. Even when I had my own contracting company with several painters there still seemed to be times that I had to work the jobs.

It used to always be nice after sitting in an office for about a year to go out on a jobsite and maybe spend a month applying texture coating or rolling walls or something. The first day or so is usually rough but once you get past that it is all good.


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

Bender said:


> Are you a painter Dave?
> 
> Lineal feet of sprinkler pipe would be nice to do online. Sqft is a headache, at least to me.
> (But I'm no estimator)


 
It's all how you figure it. Paint usually covers 300 sf per gallon so if you are using 4" pipe, that is about 1 foot around the pipe (4 X 3.14 inches) or 12.56 inches. At 300 SF per gallon you would be able to paint just under 300 LF of pipe (287 LF). Three inch pipe would be 3 X 3.14 or 9.42 inches around a 3" pipe. That is .77 SF per lineal foot of pipe. You could paint 390 LF of 3" pipe with a gallon of paint at 300 sf per gallon.

Whether it is pipe or walls, on plans it is all just lines. The only thing not measured as lines are items like doors and frames. If a line is defining an 8' wall then a gallon of paint will cover 37.5 LF of wall that is 8' high with paint that covers 300 sf per gallon (8 X 37.5 = 300). If it is a 9' wall then a gallon of paint covers 33.33 LF of wall. (9 X 33.3 = 299.97 SF).

It's just numbers. As long as you approach a takeoff with a logical routine for gathering the numbers there is nothing to it.


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

DavidNTexas said:


> I have no idea what you are talking about. Surely you can dig up some of my old posts where I was spamming and show the world.


They're gone now. I think it was slickshift that removed them after you asked if anoyone had used that and then continued to post a link to the site. I was refering to the software in your sig and you avatar but it looks like your O/P was leading into a plug for introducing onscreen into your wares. 

I don't make the decisions around here but it seems to me that you're signature and avatar are going a bit OTT with the advertising. Maybe you got permission from Nathan to advertise? If you did then I apologize and crawl back under the rug. I just don't think it's fair that some people try to circumvent the rules when other's actually pay to plug their stuff and help keep the forum bills paid.


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

This software has only been for sale for about 2 weeks and has never been made available in the past. I still don't have a clue what you are talking about. I sure wasn't here trying to push it or sell anything ever before in the past.

As far as my sig, there are many people that have their own website link in their sig. Are they advertising too?

And as far as advertising, all of the advertising for this forum is google advertising. I have contacted Nathan and that is what he told me. I have used Google adwords (what is required to advertise here) and have bid as much as $5 a click for advertising space here and on other sites in his network. I don't think any ads have shown up but it hasn't been from a lack of trying.

As said before, I have never offered this software for sale or distribution in any other way at all before 2 weeks ago and to date have never offered it to anyone on this site or another. I looked at some old posts and the closest it ever came was in 2007 mentioning my software and that when I had enough posts to add a link I would. I had planty of posts back in that year but never posted a link. The reason why is that it was NEVER offered for use to anyone else before last month. I still don't have a clue as to what you are talking about. You also mentioned something about "you thought" that my O/P was leading into a plug about my onscreen takeoff software, something I currently don't have. It appears you were wrong about that also. I am not a spammer and have never spammed this or any other board in the past.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

David said:


> It appears you were wrong about that also. I am not a spammer and have never spammed this or any other board in the past.


Well good! Hang out David:thumbsup:



> Lineal feet of sprinkler pipe would be nice to do online. Sqft is a headache, at least to me.


I meant measuring sqft online is difficult for me. My biggest problem is my wheel keeps scratching the screen and I cant find the 19" monitor scale so my bids are always to low


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## TooledUp (May 17, 2008)

The post I was refering to is this one. It's similar software to yours. I'm sorry if I confused that with you but it seems amazingly similar.



DavidNTexas said:


> You also mentioned something about "you thought" that my O/P was leading into a plug about my onscreen takeoff software, something I currently don't have. It appears you were wrong about that also.


Sorry, did I miss the bit when you were asked if it was part of your package and you said:



> No it isn't. Hopefully before too long it will be an option.


The people on here that have websites in their sigs are painting contractors. Yours is a plug for software. From the forum rules:



> *What advertising is allowed?*
> We allow you to create a signature file found here: http://www.painttalk.com/profile.php?do=editsignature
> This signature file can be up to four lines long and contain a link to your company, phone number, and and your name. Text in the signature must be standard font size (2) and must not contain any questionable content *or sales pitches*.


You have an avatar advertizing the software and not one, but two links to parts of your site. IMHO, that is a sales pitch. Then again, I'm not a moderator so the decision isn't mine. Nathan states in the rules that you can contact him about a banner ad if you want to plug your goods.

Don't take this as a personal attack because it isn't meant to be - I'm just pointing those things out and, fwiw, giving my opinion.


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

I'm not taking it personal, just answering (for the last time) some of your concernes.

This is quickly turning into something I have no desire to be a part of.



TooledUp said:


> Sorry, did I miss the bit when you were asked if it was part of your package and you said:


How is asking others opinions spamming in anyway. You also said it looked like a lead into spamming software, software I DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE so just how can that happen?

You also said in reference to my question asking others opinions about onscreen takeoffs that I had been here spamming this software before.

You say it looks amazingly similar. What exactly looks similar. I should probably give you a chance to reply to this but when you do this is what I will say and it is true. The logo was just created by someone other than myself just 2 months ago for this software. The entire estimating package has been totally rewritten and looks nothing like it did before. It was never offered to the public before. There is nothing similar to what it has ever been in the past and it sure was never an onscreen takeoff tool which is what this thread is about and you claimed as spam.





TooledUp said:


> The people on here that have websites in their sigs are painting contractors. Yours is a plug for software. From the forum rules:
> 
> You have an avatar advertizing the software and not one, but two links to parts of your site. IMHO, that is a sales pitch. Then again, I'm not a moderator so the decision isn't mine. Nathan states in the rules that you can contact him about a banner ad if you want to plug your goods.


I have contacted Nathan and have an email from him telling me to use google adwords if I want to advertise here. If I thought it actually important enough I would get his permission to post it here but there is really no reason for that. The simple fact of me telling you about an email from him detailing how I can advertise on his network should be enough. If I don't have that email he might likely correct me right here.

So far you have been the only one to complain. I'm sure the moderators as well as Nathan have seen both my sig and my avatar and so far you have been the only one to voice a _itch.

I have given more posts on proper preparation for painting and other paint related topics than I ever did on any kind of software. I am just here like everyone else, joining in a community of painting contractors for whatever reason any of us are here. Most of my posts haven't even been on this forum but is in the network. You can see where I recently joined and in my introduction mentioned I may have been here once before but don't remember it for sure. I think all I did was come here and look but never joined. I just joined this forum a couple of weeks ago.

Although my contracting days are mostly behind me I do have experiences that some might find beneficial. If I happen to talk about software from time to time that will not be spam anymore than you talking about paint and I will no more refrain from talking about any software than I would expect you to refrain from talking about paint or any paint related topic.

As mentioned earlier, this entire subject is heading to a place I have no desire to go with you. I can and will stand on my record in this forum and any of the others in this network that I have participated in.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

I currently use Take Off Live. Works Good enough for me. Could be better but the price is the most reasonable I've seen


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## DavidNTexas (May 26, 2009)

How much does it cost and how does it work?

Do you download the drawings then use a viewer to view and measure?

Does it work with any estimating software?

etc.


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