Quantity Extraction from 2D or 3D DWF?

You bet!

Brian Haines has created this very cool video, showing in detail as to how the process works. He describes the steps, from the creation of 2D or 3D content with Revit Architectural to the import into Autodesk Quantity Takeoff, and the subsequent data display.

Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff software enables cost estimators to gather design data, high-quality images, and precise information from intelligent design applications such as AutoCAD®, Revit® Architecture, and AutoCAD® Civil 3D®, as well as from “nonintelligent” CAD data and image formats.

Way to go, QTO.

You can view the video here or download it, by right clicking the link and choosing the "Save Target As.." option.

-Volker

Comments

[Ahmed Osman]

Hi there,

I downloaded your video, but it didn't display correctly. It showed throughout the entire video vertical color bars scrolling left to right.

-ahmed

[Volker Joseph]

Did you follow the link at the bottom of the window and download to correct video codec?

[Scott Sheppard]

People have asked for an Autodesk takeoff discussion forum. I think the time has come. Time has come today! Time!

[Greg Kosky]

I've been attempting to use QTO to produce a takeoff from a Revit Arch 2009 model, without much success. QTO worked fine with 2D and 3D dwfs exported from a relatively small (45MB) project when we tested the product before purchase. Two days of unsuccessful attempts to process DWFs from a 240MB project are leading me to believe that QTO as a product is not ready for primetime.

First I created a 3D DWF and a 2D DWF with (18) sheets representing the (18) floor plans. (I first tried .dwfx export. .dwf worked better).

I started using QTO on a fast laptop running XP Pro w/2GB memory. Wouldn't even import the DWFs. Moved to a faster desktop (quad core) with 8GB memory running Vista Ultimate 64-bit.

The first attempt was exported from a Revit Arch 2009 project that consisted of (5) linked projects ranging in size from 12MB to 124MB. Crashed everytime I tried using .dwfx. Managed to import (after a couple of hours) after exporting again using .dwf

However, I could proceed no further. QTO hung whenever I tried a Model Takeoff.

The next attempt was with the 240MB project with no links (I bound the (5) links into a single project).

This imported after several hours, and required a couple of more hours to perform a Model Takeoff (51,101 Objects). Mapping the takeoff items took even longer. Each change for each item took several minutes, or hung altogether if I tried to map too many items at one time. I learned to save frequently. At the end of the day when I finally finished mapping the items, QTO crashed. When I opened the project I had just completed THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. Something loaded, but all commands are greyed out, there are no documents attached, and the workbook is empty. The .ato file is over 44MB, but no one is home. A very frustrating day, completely wasted.

Right now the model is quite simple, consisting of only concrete and drywall. No doors, windows, casework, fixtures. etc. yet.

Does anyone know QTO's limitations? How many objects, .DWF file size,...

[MFK]

That sounds like a big project, 240 MB and 50,000 objects would make the best takeoff software I've used (my brain) crash! With a project that big, it must be parced in to takeoff packages, much in the same way the work would be distributed amongst a group of estimators. The model probably has a lot of linked cad and sheets taking up space. Hek Revit is slow at 240MB.