Defining the Selection Criteria for a Group
As explained in the section on defining a new material, the defining fields that appear in a material's Material Setup menu depend on the group that you chose to put the material into. The part of the menu where these fields appear is called the Selection Criteria (see Illustration 1). The following information describes the fields of the Selection Criteria as it appears for each group.
Illustration 1: Sill Plate Material Setup Menu
The following information describes the fields of the Selection Criteria as it appears for each group. Click any of the following material groups to go directly to the information that describes how to define the Selection Criteria for that material group:
· Wall
· Opening
· Stair
· Slab
· Ceiling
· Joist
· Flooring
· Bulkhead
· Roof
· Area
· Post
· Symbol
· Shutter
· Room
· Rail
· Cabinet
· Deck
· Site
· Beam
· Banding
If you specify that the material calculation for a material is to be based on the Per Floor group, no further defining options appear in the Selection Criteria part of the Material Setup menu.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Wall group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 2.
Illustration 2: Defining a Material in the Wall Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct walls to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Wall Part
Use this option to define whether the material being calculated is counted once per stud, wall, header, or sill. When you select the Wall Part field, the following menu opens:
- If the material you want to calculate is only required once per stud, as in the example of wall studs, select Stud.
- If the material you want to calculate is counted per wall, as in the example of paint, select Wall.
- If the material you want to calculate is only required once per header, as in the example of opening header, select Header.
- If the material you want to calculate is only required once per sill, as in the example of opening rough sill, select Sill.
· Load
To further define the walls you wish to use when the material formula makes its calculations, you can select the type of wall to use. When you select Load the following menu opens:
- To specify that only bearing walls are to be used in the material formula calculation, select Bearing.
- To specify that only non-bearing walls are to be used in the material formula calculation, select Non Bearing.
- To use both bearing and non-bearing walls in the material calculation, select Both.
This field is available only for the Wall group when using the Wall Part field Wall. Length allows you to specify where on the wall to measure the length to use. When the item Length is selected, the following menu opens:
As shown in Illustration 3, select an item from the Length menu that defines where on the wall to measure the length to use.
Illustration 3: Specifying the Length of the Wall to Use
If Maximum is chosen from the menu, SoftList will check to see which is the longest length: Inside, Center, or Outside, and then use the longest length for the calculation.
· Only calculate material if Wall
This field allows you to further define which wall will be included in the calculations for the material. To select this information just finish the sentence by checking the entry or entries that correctly completes the sentence, for example:
"Only calculate material if Wall ü Has Footing"
If you check Has Footing, only walls with footings will be included in the calculations for the material.
· Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials
In the SoftPlan program you can define the materials that make up a wall. In the Material Setup menu when you press the Select button, SoftList displays the Select Materials menu listing all available wall materials (see Illustration 4). Note that these materials are the same materials available to you in the Wall Definition menu of SoftPlan.
Illustration 4: Select Materials Menu
Use this menu to isolate which walls are to be included when calculating the material. To do this, select from the list the wall materials that you want SoftList to find. If it finds that one of the materials you selected is present in the wall, that wall is included in the calculations for the material.
When you have finished selecting the wall materials to use, return to the Material Setup menu by selecting the ok button. The name(s) of the selected material(s) appears in the Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials field of the Material Setup menu.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Opening group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 5.
Illustration 5: Defining a Material in the Opening Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct openings to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Library
When the Library field is selected, it lists the SoftPlan Opening libraries. Select which opening library is to be used in the calculation of the material or select All if all opening libraries can be used.
· Material
Note that this field is explained for the Wall Group. For details, see Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials.
Check Header if all openings with headers are to be included in the material calculation.
· Span Table
If openings with headers are to be included, you can then further define, based on the header material used, which openings are to be included in the calculation. To do this, press the Span Table button. From the menu that opens, choose the material used for the span table. Note that you can select any or all available choices. If you select No Association, openings with headers that do not have a Span table specified for it will be included in the material calculation.
· Wall Type
Use this section to specify the type of wall, either Interior or Exterior that the opening type must be found on in order to be used in the material calculation.
If you do not want any wall type restrictions, leave the Wall Type items unchecked.
· Options
The Options section of the menu allows you to further define which openings are to be used in the calculation of the material. To do this, check the option(s) that need to appear on the opening if it is to be included in the material calculation. For example, if only opening components that have trim on them can be used in the material calculation, check Trim.
If you do not want any option restrictions on the openings, leave the Options items unchecked.
· Type
In the SoftPlan program, openings can be defined that are made up of one opening component or multiple opening components. In the Material Setup menu, when you press the Type button, SoftList displays the Select Opening Component Type menu listing all available opening components:
Using this menu, select which opening components are to be included when calculating the material.
Illustration 5 shows that the material to be calculated is Window Trim, therefore you would want to check all window type components.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Stair group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 6.
Illustration 6: Defining a Material in the Stair Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct stairs to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Stair Type
Use this section to select which stair types are to be used in the calculations for the material.
· Stringer Type
In this section of the menu, select any stringer restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing what items are to be included in the calculation for the material. For example, when calculating the number of straight stairs to be listed on the material list report, if you check Closed, SoftList will only select the straight stairs with closed stringers found on the floor plan when making its material calculations.
Note:
If you do not want any stringer restriction, leave the items in this section unchecked.
· Material
Use this section to define the type of stair material: Regular Stair, Deck Stair, or Concrete Step to be included in the calculation for the material.
Note:
If you do not want any stair type restrictions, leave the items in this section unchecked.
· Skirt
If only stairs with a skirt are to be included in the calculation for the material, check Skirt.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Slab group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 7.
Illustration 7: Defining a Material in the Slab Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct slabs to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Slab Component
From the Slab Component field, select the component on which the material calculation is to be based.
· Only calculate material if Slab
In this section of the menu, select any of the restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing what slabs are to be included in the calculation for the material. For example, when calculating the amount of slab material needed, if you check Is Insulated, SoftList will only use the slabs found on the floor plan that are insulated when making its material calculations.
Note:
If you want to include all slabs in the material calculation, do not check any items in this section.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Ceiling group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 8.
Illustration 8: Defining a Material in the Ceiling Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct ceiling area to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Only calculate material if Ceiling
In this section of the menu, select any of the restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing what ceiling areas are to be included in the calculation for the material. For example, when calculating the amount of Ceiling Tile material needed, if you checked only Ceiling is Insulated, SoftList will only include ceiling areas found on the floor plan that are insulated when making its material calculations.
Note:
If you do not want any restrictions on the ceiling area that is to be included in the material calculation, leave the items unchecked.
· Finish Type
Based on their finish, use this section to further define which ceiling areas: painted, textured, tiled, plywood, and so on are to be included in the material calculation.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Joist group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 9.
Illustration 9: Defining a Material in the Joist Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct joist components to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Joist Component
From the Joist Component menu, select the component on which the material calculation is to be based.
Note:
Based on the selection that you made, other fields in the Selection Criteria may become available allowing you to further define the components to use in the material formula calculation for the material.
If you check Sill Plate in the Joist Component section of the menu, you can then check whether it is a Ceiling and/or Floor joist type.
If you check Ring Joist or Joist, you can then check whether it is a Ceiling, Floor, and/or a Landing joist type.
If you check Subfloor, you can then check whether it is a Floor and/or a Landing joist type.
· Only calculate material if Sill Plate
If the joist component is sill plate, use this section to select any of the restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing which sill plates are to be included in the calculation of the material. For example, if you checked Is Pressure Treated, SoftList will include only sill plate that has been specified as pressure treated when making its material calculations.
· Only calculate material if Subfloor
If the joist component is subflooring, use this section to select any of the restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing which subflooring is to be included in the material calculation. For example, if you checked Is Insulated, SoftList will include only subfloor areas found on the floor plan that are insulated when making its material calculations.
· Include Joists Associated With These Span Tables
If you have specified in the Joist Type section that Joist components are Ceiling and/or Floor joist types, you can further define, based on the Ceiling or Floor Joist Span tables, which joist components are to be included in the material calculation. To do this:
i. Check Ceiling and/or Flooring from the Include Joists Associated With These Span Tables section.
ii. From the Ceiling and/or Flooring field, select any or all available Joist Span table choices. If you select No Association, joists that do not have a Joist Span table specified for it will be included in the material calculation.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Flooring group, the following defining field appears in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 10.
Illustration 10: Defining a Material in the Flooring Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the floor type or types to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
In this section of the menu, choose the flooring type that SoftList should look for when choosing what floors are to be used in the calculation for the material. For example, when calculating the amount of ceramic flooring material needed, if you check Ceramic, SoftList will include the ceramic floors found on the floor plan when making its material calculations.
If you specify that the material calculation for a material is to be based on the Wallcovering, Baseboard, Crown Mold, Chair Rail, or Bulkhead group, its Selection Criteria is defined using the same method as a material based on the Flooring group.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Roof group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 11.
Illustration 11: Defining a Material in the Roof Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct roof to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Roof Component
From the Roof Component field, select the component on which the material calculation is to be based.
· Only calculate material if Roof
The Only calculate material if Roof section of the menu allows you to further define the roof component that is to be used in the calculation of the material. To do this, check the item(s) that defines the component you selected in the Roof Component field.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Area group, the following defining field appears in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 12.
Illustration 12: Defining a Material in the Area Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct area or areas to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Area Type
In this section of the menu, select the area types that are to be used in the calculation for the material. For example, if you check Area 1, SoftList will only include areas found on the floor plan defined as Area 1.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Post group, the following defining field appears in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 13.
Illustration 13: Defining a Material in the Post Group
You must specify this additional defining information so that SoftList picks the correct post to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Library
This section of the menu lists the SoftPlan Post libraries. From the Library field, select which Post library is to be used in the calculation of the material. Select All if all Post libraries can be used.
If you specify that the material calculation for a material is to be based on the Symbol, Speed Note, Electrical, Shutter, or Room group, its Selection Criteria is defined using the same method as a material based on the Post group.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Rail group, the following defining fields appears in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 14.
Illustration 14: Defining a Material in the Rail Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct railings to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Rail Component
From the Rail Component field, select which railing component is to be used in the calculation of the material. Chooses include: Post, Spindle, Handrail, Toerail, and Horizontal Spindle.
· Library
When the Library field is selected, it lists the SoftPlan Post and Spindles libraries. Select which library is to be used in the calculation of the material or select All if all post and spindles libraries can be used.
· Only calculate material if Rail
In this section of the menu, select any of the restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing the railings to be used in the calculation for the material. For example, when calculating the length of railing needed, if you check Is Not Deck Rail, SoftList will only select railings found on the floor plan that are not deck railings.
Note:
If you do not want any restrictions on the railings to be included in the material calculation, leave the items unchecked.
· Stair Type
Use this section to check the type of stair that the railing is found on.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Cabinet group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 15.
Illustration 15: Defining a Material in the Cabinet Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct cabinets or counters to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Material
Use this section of the menu to specify whether the material to calculate is a Cabinet or a Counter.
· Cabinet Properties - Type
If you want to isolate the cabinet types to be included in the material calculation, check the Type field, and then highlight the cabinet types to be included.
If you do not want any type restrictions, leave the Type field unchecked.
· Cabinet Properties - Shape
If you want to further isolate the cabinets that are to be included in the material calculation by their shape, check the Shape field, and then highlight the cabinet shapes to be included.
If you do not want any shape restrictions on the cabinets to be included, leave the Shape field unchecked.
· Has Countertop / Is Corner
In this section of the menu, check any of the restrictions that SoftList should look for when choosing the cabinets to be used in the calculation for the material.
· Counter Properties
If you have selected that the material to be calculated is a Counter, check Freeform if you want only the counters that were manually traced on the cabinets to be included in the material calculation. If you want to include all counters in the material calculation, leave Freeform unchecked.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Deck group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 16.
Illustration 16: Defining a Material in the Deck Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct deck to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Deck Component
From the Deck Component field, select the component on which the material calculation is to be based.
· Support Beam Materials
If you check Support Beam in the Deck Component field, you can then press the Select button to choose which walls are to be included when calculating the material. Note that this field is explained for the Wall Group. For details, see Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Site group, the following defining field appears in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 17.
Illustration 17: Defining a Material in the Site Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct items to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Site Plan Types
In this section of the menu, select the Site plan line types that are to be used in the calculation of the material.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Beam group, the following defining fields appear in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 18.
Illustration 18: Defining a Material in the Beam Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct beams to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Load
Note that this field is explained for the Wall Group. For details, see Load in the Wall Group section.
· Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials
Note that this field is explained for the Wall Group. For details, see Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials.
If you specify that the material calculation for a material is to be based on the Rod and Shelf group, no further defining options appear in the Selection Criteria part of the Material Setup menu.
If you have specified that a material is to have its calculations based on the Banding group, the following defining field appears in the Material Setup menu. See Illustration 19.
Illustration 19: Defining a Material in the Banding Group
Specify the following information in order that SoftList picks the correct walls to use in the material formula calculation for the material:
· Wall Materials
Note that this field is explained for the Wall Group. For details, see Calculate Material For Walls Containing Materials.