Tapping Calc Menu

Tapping the Power of the Calculate Menu
a Tutorial Manual for ArchiCAD™
10.15.00
written and presented by: Duane Valencia

Visual Frontiers
Hosted by: Graphisoft, INC.

Denver, CO
Copyright Notice
The materials presented here are copyrighted by
Visual Frontiers 2000. No reproduction in part or
in whole is authorized without the expressed
written consent of Visual Frontiers. This manual
is intended as a training guide for course given
by Visual Frontiers and is not intended for
individual resale.
No reproduction or redistribution of any electronic

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the expressed written consent of Visual Frontiers.
I. Introduction
A. About the Author Tapping the Power
B. Intent of this manual
1. Why Invest in the calc menu of the Calculate
2. Front Loading
II. Getting acquainted with the Calculate Menu
Menu
Table Of Content
A. Three Kinds of Listings
1. Element Listing
2. Component Listing
3. Zone Listing
B. Four Ways to Input Information into the Building’s Elements
C. Two Kinds of Output
1. Basic
2. Graphic
D. The Architectural Process & Listing
E. A simple area takeoff
III. Going Parametric
A. Creating a simple Inventory
1. Using PARAMETERS instead of Descriptors
2. Creating a BOGUS object as a template
3. Using the LAYER filter
IV. Schedules
A. Creating a Hybrid Descriptor / Parameter Schedule
B. Customizing a Graphic Template
1. Using the Format Assistant
C. ArchiCAD 6.5v2 Content
V. Zone Listing
A. Creating a Room Listing
1. Using Zones
2. Using Grouping and Totals
B. Creating a Room FINISH Schedule
1. Special Features of Zones for Room Finishes
2. ?
C. ArchiCAD 6.5v2 Content
VI. Component Lists
A. Creating Line Item Takeoffs
B. Editing Property Scripts
C. Databases in ArchiCAD
D. ArchiCAD 6.5v2 Content
VII. Importing & Exporting to Spreadsheet / Database
A. Getting Data from an external file
B. Sending list information to an external file for display and
management
C. WinEst
VIII. The Future of Listing with ArchiCAD
A. API Based Solutions
Appendix
A. Creating a Unique Database
B. Tips & Tricks (Typical Do’s & Don’ts of the Calculate Menu)
C. Glossary
Introduction
A . About the Author
Duane Valencia is a registered architect in the state of California. He has used ArchiCAD in his daily
practice since 1991 (Version 3.4). ArchiCAD has been the mainstay of this practice because of its
integration of the 3D model and 2D drawings.
Not only has Duane been beta testing ArchiCAD since 4.55, he has also been a major contributor to
ArchiCAD-Talk online. Duane has taught ArchiCAD at the community college level and has been an
ArchiCAMP counselor on several occasions.
Duane's ArchiCAD projects have ranged from the smallest of remodels to multi building office complexes.
Duane has a strong background in the Construction Documentation Phase as well as Design Presentations.
Using the Calculate Menu in his practice for over 5 years, Duane has developed many strategies to make
this process easier and more understandable.
B . About Digital Vision
Digital Vision Design Automation of Irvine, CA, provides tools and training for digital design
professionals, offering regional software sales and support for ArchiCAD, formoZ, EON Reality, and
Electric Image.
The Digital Vision Team has originated the "Mastering ArchiCAD" workshop series to assist architects in
optimizing ArchiCAD as a strategic advantage for increasing efficiency and profitability. The Team also
assists architects by hosting monthly Digital Architecture User Groups in Irvine, San Diego and Palm
Springs.
Digital Vision has been an ArchiCAD Value Added Reseller in southern California since 1989 and was one
of the first resellers chosen to represent Graphisoft products in North America.
C . Intent of this Manual
With the current issue of ArchiCAD, the Calculate Menu has grown in power. And, while it has also made
some leaps in user interface, it has become obvious that this power is largely untapped. It is our goal with
this manual to expose the underlying concepts of the Calculate Menu and make its use approachable by all
existing users.
This manual will begin with very basic concepts and build on those to unveil many of the hidden treasures
within the Calculate Menu. It will focus on uses that are directly related to not only the architectural
process, but to more intensive listings of line item takeoffs. This manual will also cover ways to go
outside ArchiCAD for output and information management with such programs as WINEST.
This manual is intended to be a study guide for our seminar, but should serve just as well as a stand alone
tutorial with the included CD. It may take a few times through to have all the information sink in so don’t
give up if things aren’t clear the first time. This will take some dedication on your part, but the results are
well worth it.
It is also appropriate to point out that all the information derived via the Calculate Menu has to be input
first. It is crucial to allocate proper time and effort to provide this information as dictated by your office
standards.
Listings will be a part of our philosophy of the Virtual Building by emphasizing input of information at
the element level (into the same elements that define our 3D model and produce our Documentation) and
merely extracted for display. Using this philosophy and methodology will mean that changes to the model
will be reflected not only in the drawings, but in the listings as well.
All of the tutorials in this manual will use base files that have been creating using the stock ArchiCAD
Library. It is important not only to see the effort that has gone into creating this library, but also to make
sure that everyone using this manual is on an even playing field.
Digital Vision: Mastering ArchiCAD Series 2 Tapping the Power of theCalculate Menu
Each section of this manual will follow this methodology...
(1) CONCEPT
(a) The goals and procedures are outlined and explained.
(2) TUTORIAL
(a) A step by step instruction taking you through a hands-on scenario.
(3) Commentary:
(a) Comments by the author regarding a number of issues including the validity of this methodology,
the appropriateness of the tools, the potential pitfalls, etc.
1 . Why Invest the Time to Learn the Calculate Menu?
One of the most frequent sentiments about the Calculate menu is that it is just too much work for the
return. This manual will help break down some of the fears and allow you to produce schedules and
takeoffs without much of a learning curve.
(1) This is attainable for everyone.
(a) Anyone can learn how the Calculate Menu works in ArchiCAD. The only hurdle will be your
willingness to endeavor. Let us strive to grasp the concepts and put effort into designing and
customizing these tools to your office standards, you will hardly think twice about creating
schedules and takeoffs again.
(2) Continuity of Information
(a) It is important to note one of the main reasons for learning these features is to preserve the
continuity of information from your plan drawings to your calculated schedules. It may seem
easier to simply look at the plan and type in the numbers for a schedule, but if you invest this
time into creating a scheme that can produce this information at will, you will enjoy the
satisfaction of knowing that there is a one to one relationship from plan to schedule.
(b) What this really means is that no matter what stage of the project you are in, it will always be
possible to get a current schedule.
(c) It will also be valuable to know that if something is not correct in the schedule, it is not correct in
the plan. And the fix is to modify the source (elements in the plan).
(3) Taking advantage of the elements that are in your model already.
(a) It should also be pointed out that much of the information (once the prep work is completed) will
already exist in your plan. This provides yet another level of efficiency to help you produce your
documents more easily.
2 . Keeping the Virtual Building Intact
(1) Schedules are derived directly from the physical elements of the model.
(a) It will be reassuring to know that your virtual building is intact. All of the information pertinent
to your project will be contained in the .PLN file. This means that 3 or 4 years from now, there
will be much less hassle searching for the correct information.
(2) Efficiency; the information is already in the elements of the virtual building. You will be merely
tapping into and presenting this information more easily than before.
(3) Add value to your services by including
(a) Facilities Management will become a service that you can add to your list. Now you can not only
produce document to facilitate building a building, but also keeping track of it and its contents.
(b) Comprehensive Cost Analysis is another service that will be attainable. All of the elements
containing the information to produce a complete cost analysis may already be in your model.
This is valuable information that can provide your clients a better understanding of the overall
project.
3 . Front Loading
Like almost every other facet of construction (or life for that matter), it will always be true that the more
effort you put into planning and preparing, the better the final outcome will be. With the Calculate Menu,
it is likely that much of the methodology and conceptual understanding will be new. It is important to
emphasize here that this learning and preparing will pay off like a good investment. Once the concept is
firmly engraved and your templates have been created, each project will get easier and more efficient. It will
be beneficial to concentrate your efforts on the following items...
(1) Learning the terminology of the database.
(a) Really study the terminology used in the Calculate Menu (see Getting Aquainted With the
Calculate Menu). Much of it will help explain how each facet differs from the other and in turn,
when each item is most appropriate. Understanding the concepts rather than merely pushing the
buttons will enable you to answer questions on your own or at least give you the background to
start looking for the answers.
(2) Produce office standard templates once for all your projects.
(a) Again, this investment is largely confined to the front of this process. Learn the methodologies
and put them into action creating your own templates. Once this is achieved, each project will
reap the benefits.
(b) Keep up to date with the latest on the Calculate Menu. It will be growing fast as more and more
users are developing their own ways to utilize its power.
(c) Customize it to your own needs. There will be no excuse for not creating schedules that look
exactly like you’ve already been using.
D . Refer to the Calculation Guide for more explanation.
Every effort will be made to explain the terms and concepts introduce herein. It may be helpful to refer to
the Calculation Guide that came with ArchiCAD 6.5 from time to time. Also note that this guide has
been provide in .PDF format and is available from within ArchiCAD under the Help Menu.
Tapping the Power of the Calculate Menu has also been provided in .PDF format for your convenience.
You can add it to your ArchiCAD 6.5 Folder>Documentation>ArchiCAD folder and it will be available as
well. Simply go to the Help Menu and select it.
Getting Acquainted with the Calculate Menu
A . Three Kinds of Listings

Graphisoft has provided 3 methods of listings in ArchiCAD, each with their own unique qualities. For the
most part, the underlying principals are the same for each, so strive to grasp these concepts rather than just
duplicate the tutorials verbatim. Every effort will be spent to try and explain these principles as we go.
1 . Element Listing
Element listing is intended largely for displaying “descriptions” of items selected. In ArchiCAD, an
element is a wall, slab, door, window, roof, etc. This will translate in the architectural practice to schedules
such as door and window. This method can also be used to display simple area takeoffs and inventories.
The essence of an element list is that it counts and describes the items.
This is a the most basic level of listing in that it only deals with a verbal description and doesn’t break
elements down into their assembly Components.
2 . Component Listing
Component listings, on the other hand, take each item and lists all of the Components that the item
possesses. For example, this method is more applicable to line item takeoffs where you want to see the
number of 2x4’s in the interior walls,.
As you can imagine, the greater the detail of information, the more “front loaded” time is involved. Again,
time and effort needs to be allocated to make the lists meaningful.
3 . Zone Listing
Zone listing is the final type. This method focuses on studying your defined zones and displaying attributes
of that zone. The most common use for zone listing is to create Finish Schedules. It is also well suited
for a Facilities Management scenario whereby you can not only provide zone information as it is planned,
but also track it over time.
For this type of list it is imperative that you understand the use of zones and ways to link elements to
zones.
B . Putting Information Into the Buildings Elements
It is also wise to note that just as there are different methods for listing, there are also different ways to get
the information into the elements. They are briefly described here and will be expanded upon later in this
manual.
WHERE LISTING INFORMATION COMES FROM
Parameter
Object
Database
•Descriptor PropertyScript
•Component
List
Attached
PropertyObject
Walls
Columns
Beams
Slabs
Roof
Meshes
[Fig 1. - Data Flow in ArchiCAD]
1 . Parameter... in an object’s dialog box (Open Library Part), parameters are all the items that can be modified.
Typically parameters will affect the 3D or 2D look of the object, but they can be used to describe its
specification as well.
[Fig 2a. - Parameters]
2 . Descriptor... a piece of data attached to an object either by Criteria, Property Script or Property Object
Assignment (all these are explained later). This piece of data typically “describes” an object or portion thereof.
For instance, a descriptor would be used to define the finish on a wall as GYPSUM BD. or the glazing of a
window as TEMPERED. It is a more general description than a component.
[Fig 2b. - Descriptors]
3 . Component... a delineation of pieces which are contained in an assembly or element. Components can be
used to count the number of studs within in a length of wall, along with the number of nails, SF of building
paper, etc. This data can be associated with an object in the same manner as a descriptor.
[Fig 3.-Components]
4 . Property Script... is another script in the GDL language that allows you to embed properties (Components
and Descriptors) to an object as well as create stand alone Property Objects that can be attached to any element
.
[Fig 4. - Property Script]
5 . Property Object... is a GDL script that can be saved without 2D or 3D information and later assigned to any
element in an ArchiCAD plan. Since we cannot script properties into the basic elements (walls, roofs, slabs)
we must create these Property Objects than can be attached to them.
[Fig 5. - Property Object]
This is an important distinction to grasp in order to understand the prescribed uses of the different listings.
C . Using Parameters to Define Properties
1. Inputting information can be as simple as typing it into a parameter of the object. In fact any listing that
displays the height and width uses this technique. The author of the library part can provide extra parameters for
use with listings as Graphisoft has done with the library in 6.5r2. As will be described later, these parameters
can then be used directly by the list or turned into Descriptors or Components in the Property Script.
[Fig 6. - Properties Parameters]
2 . Tutorial: Create a Parameter for Use with Listing
This tutorial will show a simple exercise in creating new parameters for listing purposes...
(1) Open the W Awning 65.WIN library part
(a) Select the window in the plan
(b) File Menu>OpenLibraryPart
(2) In the PARAMETERS box, choose NEW.
(3) Type the following information into the columns of this new parameter
(a) Variable = Uval
(b) Type= Real Number
(c) Name= U-Value
(d) Value= .64 (or any default value)
[Fig 7. - Parameters dialog box of W Awning 65.win]
(6) Save this Window into an active library as W Awning 65x.WIN
[Fig 7a. - SaveAs W Awning 65x.win]
That’s it! The U-Value for this object can now be input directly into the dialog box in the plan. Later we
will see a few different ways of getting this information into a schedule. Keep in mind, that parameters can
be any sort of information. See your GDL Reference manual for more information.
D . External Property Objects

For walls, slabs, roofs and meshes (and other items that you cannot manipulate the GDL code) adding
Descriptors and Components is a bit more difficult. Here, we will code them into a pure GDL object
known as a Property Object. Much the same as defining these attributes to a library part, the Components
and Descriptors can be chosen from a list or defined and calculated within the Property Script. These are
then saved as individual files.
Attaching a Property Object to an element in the plan may not always be the appropriate method. It would
be necessary to create many different iterations of essentially the same data in order to change the listing
slightly. For instance, a window Property Object might read.... Dual Glazing, Frame= Alumn,
UValue=.5, Shade Dev=Blinds, etc. All the properties or Components must match the item that it will be
attached to. Therefore you would need a vast amount of Property Objects to cover all the potential
instances in your projects.
[Fig 8. - Vast amounts of Property Objects]
There are times when this avenue will meet the needs of an architectural listing. In circumstances where the
data needs to remain consistent, creating Property Objects can be useful. For instance, delineating
Components of a wall can be easily put into this category. Note also that there are many complex
equations that can be used to define the quantities, so a seemingly stagnant Property Object can be quite
flexible.
While ArchiCAD 6.5r2/v2 has a vast amount of predefined Property Objects in the Property Data 65 folder,
it will prove beneficial to create one to understand the concepts of this feature. This exercise will show the
steps involved in creating a simple roof sheathing assembly. It will use predefined Components and
Descriptors from the stock ArchiCAD Library....
1 . Tutorial: Create a Property Object
(1) In the FILE menu, select the New Library Part>Properties
(2) Notice that this dialog is the same as any GDL object, yet it opens with the Component section
selected first.
(3) At the top of the Components Page click on the NEW button; Notice a new row of information
comes up.
[Fig 9. - New Component]
(4) Select the LINK TO DATABASE ITEM button and scroll to the _US_DB database>CSI
CHAPTERS
[Fig 10a. - Link to Database]
(5) Choose the following Components (by clicking NEW and entering SELECT for each component)
(a) Wood-Plastic>HemFir Shtg-5/8”
[Fig 7. - Parameters dialog box of W Awning 65.win]
(b) Thermal & moisture protection>roofing felt,30#

(c) Thermal & moisture protection>Roof Tiles
[Fig 11. - Completed Components]
(6) Note that it is necessary to switch out of the DEFAULT Database each time and into the _US_DB and
that the list is not alphabetized.
(7) Also note that to keep the database organized, each Component has a unique Key Code. A Key Code is
a numbering system to provide each item in the Database with a unique location. This has been
predetermined in the ArchiCAD Library. When adding new Components, pay particular attention to
this numbering scheme to avoid duplication
(8) Save this object in the Property Data folder of your library.
(a) Create a New Folder in the Property Data Folder and name it DigiVisProperties
(b) Save the Property Object as RoofSheathing.gps (we will use this later in the manual
Tutorial: Scripted Property Object
To see how involved a Property Object can become, take a look at one of the scripted objects provided in
the ArchiCAD Library.
(1) Open the Create a 04-01_DataInput.PLN file from ArchiCAD 6.5v2.
(2) In the File Menu>Open Library Part
(3) Select File Format>Properties (the open button should change to “as Properties”
[Fig 12. - Open Property Object]
(4) Navigate to ArchiCAD Library 65>Property Data 65>US_Property Data

65>ParametricAssemblies>WD 2x4 Ext Wall.gps.
(5) Notice that there is nothing in the Descriptors or Components page of the object. All the information
is calculated in the PROPERTY SCRIPT. It is not necessary to digest all the functions scripted here,
simply note that these Property Objects can achieve as high a level of complexity as any well scripted
GDL object.
[Fig 13. - Property Script]
(6) It will become evident that a command of the Global Variables (see the GDL Reference Manual) as the
property script will derive its contents from them. For instance, you can present information in a
listing from the Elevation(height) using the Global Variable “SYMB_ELEVATION”
2 . Tutorial: Attach Property Object to ArchiCAD Element Directly

Once created, it will be necessary to link this Property Object to the element it is intended to describe. The
most direct way is simply attach the Property Object to the ArchiCAD element...
(1) Draw a roof in plan and open its Settings Dialog Box.
(2) Click on the third button to get to the Calculate Page
(3) Notice that there are two checkboxes with which to attach properties
(a) By Criteria
(b) Individually
[Fig 14. - Calculate Page of Roof Element]
(4) For this tutorial, uncheck the “By Criteria” and check “Individually”
(a) You can CHOOSE MANUALLY by scrolling through the available data until you find the
RoofSheathing object or
(b) You can SEARCH BY KEYWORD and simply type in ROOF
[Fig 15. - Search by Keyword]
(5) Once the ROOFSHEATHING.gps object is located, simply select LINK and it will appear in the box
below the checkbox.
[Fig 16. - Attach Properties Individually]
E . Linking Properties by Criteria

One of the most consistent ways to assign properties to items in your ArchiCAD plan is to set up a table
of criteria and matching assignments.
In the Calculate Menu>Link Properties to Criteria... dialog, under the Select Edit Criteria, you will find a
box similar to a FIND and SELECT where you first set up a list of criteria. For example, you can choose
all walls with a certain fill on a certain layer. When it comes time for ArchiCAD to create a list, it will
search that criteria and assign a Property Object to each element as you have prescribed in this dialog. This
method is appropriate for assemblies such as walls, roofs and slabs that can be defined graphically in your
plan.
[Fig 17a. - Properties by Criteria]
Tutorial: CREATE A CRITERIA ASSIGNMENT

This tutorial will demonstrate the basic steps in creating an assignment by criteria. There are two distinct
steps in order to complete this task. First a table of criteria and assignments must be created and second,
the elements that are to be assigned properties by criteria must be initialized.
In the Link Properties to Criteria option of the Calculate Menu notice that the dialog box completes the
sentence.... If an element matches these criteria, use this Property Object. It remains evident that the task
now is to begin defining these links.
(1) Open the Link Properties to Criteria dialog box from the Calculate Menu.
(2) In the top of the box, select Show Links in: _US_DB
(3) Press New Link
(4) Press Edit Criteria
(a) Notice this dialog looks very similar to the Find & Select box
(5) Choose Of Type>> = Roof and More Choices>Pencolor =4
(a) Note that you can set up a wide variety of criteria here; this is only an example
(6) Press Apply
[Fig 17b. - Criteria Selector]
Commentary:
Using the Criteria Table will allow for a very uniform system for items that cannot script their own
properties. For instance, Walls are a very good choice for Criteria Assignment. It is typical for an architect
to present a Wall Legend describing wall types. We can similarly configure the criteria table such that each
assembly can be assigned to a wall type. This can, in fact, be used to produce a wall legend for your plans
as well.
F . Using Descriptors and Components
1. Adding Descriptors and Components to elements in the plan file can be done in several ways. One way is to
code them directly into a library part using the Descriptors and Component Tabs of the object editor. You will
notice that the majority of the time, Descriptors and Components come from a “Database” that is defined in your
ArchiCAD Library. This is done using the Descriptors and Components selection of the Calculate Menu items.
We will discuss this in greater detail later. For now, just realize that from a palette of material descriptions and
Components you can attach them to any library part.
[Fig 18. - Descriptors and component tabs of the object editor.]
4. This works fine for library parts, but as you will see in the following section of this manual, adding these to
other ArchiCAD elements requires an extra step.
5. In addition to merely pulling down preset Descriptors from a list in the database, you can also calculate
Descriptors and Components in the property script within the object. Here you can give greater detail to the
Components by using equations to perform calculations for area, number of items per square ft, etc. This
concept is further delineated elsewhere in this manual.
[Fig 18a. - Property Script Sample]
Commentary:
The idea of having a database with all the items ever needed to adequately quantify and describe the elements
in the Virtual Building is nothing new to architecture. The CSI standards and Sweet’s Catalog have relied
on systems similar to this for years. And, in an effort to ensure proper cross references, this system is
valid. Some effort will be required to build up the entire Database, but the rewards are plenty.
This task is best done over time and as needed. All the items in the database are fully editable and you can
choose your own level of detail as dictated by your desired output. The use of Components and Descriptors
are advantageous because the information will be tightly formatted and consistent from one item to the
next.
Remember that Components and Descriptors can be expressed directly within an object or attached to
elements via a Property Object.
G . Output
There are two methods of displaying information gathered for a listing in ArchiCAD: Basic and Graphic
Template. These will be discussed in detail here and referred to later in this manual. It is important to
grasp the differences so that you can choose the right method.
1 . Basic Format
As the name implies, this is the simplest of the two methods of output. The result of a basic listing is an
ASCII text file that can be exported for use with other programs such as a word processor or spreadsheet.
The simplistic nature of this output method makes it applicable to the following scenarios. But don’t let
the name fool you. Although it is a simplistic OUTPUT method, the information contained within this
type of listing can be very complex and extensive.
The following scenarios are some appropriate uses of the Basic Format:
(1) Getting a Quick list with simple information. Perhaps a simple area takeoff that will simply be
printed out and referred to.
(2) Producing a complete take off of all building Components to export to a database or spreadsheet
program. In fact, one of the export options is to save as an Excel spreadsheet.
Exporting to .txt, .xls, etc. can only be done using the Basic form of output.
Tutorial: Create A Basic Listing

(1) In a new plan, create a few fills giving each a unique ID (eg. Living Room, Dining Room, etc.)
(2) Pull down Calculate>Element List>Basic
This shows a simple list with probably more information than you’ll ever want to know about these fill
patterns. There will be a discussion later in this manual about how to tune out the superfluous information
and keep just what is needed. For now, it is enough to see what a Basic listing looks like.
Note you can scroll over the text right in the listing window. You can actually edit it here prior to
printing. You can delete characters and add your own, though if it is information extracted from the plan, it
would be more prudent to change this information at the source (in our case, the fill patterns in the plan)
than to simply create a band aid in the listing window.
[Fig 19. - Basic Listing Sample]
2 . Graphic Format
The Graphic Template form of output can display the same information as the basic, but it can be formatted
to suit your needs right in ArchiCAD. The result of a Graphic Template is a window with lines and text
blocks and pictures that can be copied and pasted into your plan file or saved as a .pmk file. This offers
several advantages over the basic method as described below:
(1) Formatting is “hard coded” with drawing elements and not only ASCII characters so they will look
good printed.
(2) There is no need to export to another program to create layouts.
(3) Listings can be derived at any point in the architectural process and remain consistent.
[Fig 20. - Formatted Graphic Listing]
H . The Architectural Process & Listing
We have concluded the overview of the Calculate Menu in ArchiCAD. This chapter will explain in detail
how to extract listings that are pertinent to an architectural practice. It is important to understand the
appropriate times to use each of the methods described above. More information to make the correct choice
will come in the chapters that follow. You are encouraged to practice these tutorials to gain insight into
the benefits and limitations of each.
The following is a list of some of the uses this manual will cover...
(1) Area Takeoff
(2) Simple Inventory
(3) Door and Window Schedules
(4) Finish Schedule using Zones
(5) Bill of Materials
DOOR SCHEDULE
REFERENCE DIMENSIONS MATERIALS REMARKS
ID LOCATION WIDTH HEIGHT THK. TYPE CORE SFTY U FRAME
1 FOYER 6'-6" 9'-0" 1 3/4" 15 SC TG .55 WD

2 GREAT ROOM 16'-0" 10'-0" MANU. 15 - TG .55 WD
3 FAMILY RM. 9'-0" 9'-0" MANU. 5 - TG .55 WD
4 FAMILY RM. 9'-0" 8'-0" MANU. 5 - TG .55 WD
5 PANTRY 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
7 WINE 4'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 12 SC TG .55 WD
8 LAUNDRY 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
9 HALL CLO 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
10 GUEST SUITE 1 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
11 BATH 1 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
11A SHWR 1 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 10 SC TG - WD SHWR E
ATTIC VENT CALCS LO 1 2'-6" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
ATTIC RATIO VENT REQ'D VENTS PROVIDED
REF. AREA SQ. IN. QTY REF SQ.IN.(EA) SQ.IN.(T
ECH 3 5'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 13 SC
A
GARAGE
1077 300 517 3
11
1
2
100
24
300
264
ECH 3
ARAGE
5'-0"
3'-0"
8'-0"
8'-0"
1 3/4"
1 3/4"
13
1
SC
SC
WINDOW SCHEDULE
B 324 150 311 4 1 100 400 ARAGE 18'-0" 8'-0" - 6 Stl REF SIZE MATERIALS SOLAR
DINING ROOM
ART 13'-6" 8'-0" - 6 Stl
C ID TYPE WIDTH HEIGHT FRAME PANES TINT SFTY ORIENT U SHADE DE
TORAGE 4'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 11 SC
D A 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
CLERESTORY SCHEDULE B 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
E C 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
REF SIZE MATERIALS
D1 1A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .57 -
VENT LEGEND: D2 1A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .57 -
REF SQ.IN./EA.
DESCRIPTION ID TYPE WIDTH HEIGHT FRAME PANES TINT
1 100 20" O'HAGIN CLOAKED VENT TILE D3 1A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .57 -
U1 1A 3'-0" 1'-6" WD 2 TNT
2 24 1' OF 2" STRIP VENT E1 5A 2'-6" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
U2 1A 3'-0" 1'-6" WD 2 TNT
E2 5A 2'-6" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
V1 1A 4'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT
F 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .56 -
NOTES: V2 1A 4'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT
G 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
1 ALL OPENINGS SHALL BE COVERED WITH 1/4" DIMENSION V3 1A 4'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT
CORROSION RESISTANT MESH. H 5B 3'-0" 4'-6" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
V4 1A 4'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT
2 ATTIC SPACES OF LESS THAN 30" IN HEIGHT NEED NOT BE VENTE I 5B 5'-0" 4'-6" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
3 ATTIC WITH VAPOR BARRIER NOTED SHALL HAVE VAPOR BARRIER V5 1A 4'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT
J 5B 4'-0" 7'-6" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
INSTALLED ON THE WARM SIDE (UBC 1505.3) TYPE
1A FIXED
K 5B 6'-0" 7'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
1B FIXED / MITERED
L1 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
2A SLIDER (XO)
2B SLIDER (XOX) L2 1A 6'-0" 6'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .57 -
3A SINGLE HUNG L3 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
M1 4A 3'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .60 -
SKYLIGHT SCHEDULE
REF SIZE MATERIALS SOLAR REMARKS
ID TYPE WIDTH HEIGHT FRAME PANES TINT SFTY ORIENT U SHADE DEV.
SK-1 6A 2'-0" 2'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE

[Fig 21. - Listings in ArchiCAD]
Now that we have learned all the terms and concepts of listing, we must put this knowledge into action in a
traditional architect’s practice. This section of the manual will show you how go about creating schedules
and lists that are necessary to a standard practice. There is not time to deal with all listings, but we will
cover the different types and provide enough background for you to create your own specific listings.
I . A Simple Area Takeoff
As discussed earlier, we can create a simple area takeoff rather quickly by drawing some fills to denote uses
on our plans and generating a basic element list. Now we want to have more control over the output, so
we will need to use the SETUP LIST SCHEMES dialog in the Calculate Menu. Keep in mind that things
will get complex and we will be dealing with little bits at a time. Try to follow along with the tutorials
and understand the concepts that can be applied to your specific needs.
Tutorial: Defining the Output for a Simple Takeoff
(1) Open the tutorial “SimpleTakeoff.pln”
(2) We have already provided a simple plan with fills that denote the use of each space.
(3) Select all the fills and create a Basic Element List (Calculate Menu>Element List>Basic)
(a) Notice that only the fills show up in the list with more information than we really need.
(b) Close the List’s window.
(c) Note that only selected elements will be calculated.
(4) With nothing selected in the plan, choose the same list.
(a) Notice that the walls are now included in this list
(b) Close the List’s window.
(c) Note that with no selection, all elements of the plan will be calculated.
(5) Open the Setup List Schemes dialog (Calculate Menu>Setup List Schemes)
(a) We must first create a NEW LIST to use for this tutorial.
i) Highlight the Database or List Scheme Set to add this new listing. Select DigiVisDB.
ii) Click on CREATE Element List Scheme.
iii) Name it Simple Takeoff
(b) The first page you are presented with is the ELEMENTS page where we can isolate just the
elements that we want considered in our list. It is important to understand how the Calculate
Menu operates; if there is nothing selected in the plan, the list will consider ALL elements of the
plan. Even those on layers that are turned off. Like the 3D window, this can be limited by
selecting item on the plan before creating the list. On the other hand, it may be difficult to isolate
the elements you want listed and these elements may come from more than one story. It is
therefore, advantageous to master the filters page to let ArchiCAD isolate these elements for us.
(c) For the simple list, we can limit the items to consider by choosing only specific layers, tool
types, elements with an ID, etc. For this tutorial, the following items will be isolated....
i) Types = OBJECTS only
ii) Layers = Furniture
iii) ID = Skip Elements without ID
iv) Story = 1.Story (there is only one story in this tutorial)
(d) Click on the Properties and Parameters Tab and select the following
i) Keys: None
ii) Components: None
iii) Descriptors: None
iv) Paramters: None
v) Global Element Parameters: UserID
Library Part Name
All others off
(e) Click on the List Format Tab
i) Change the type to TEXT LIST (not Graphic Template)
ii) Notice that there are only two bits of information required for this simple takeoff
(1) UserID
(2) Library Part Name
(f) Click OK
(g) Select this element list from the Calculate Menu>List Elements>SimpleTakeoff(DigiVisDB)
i) Notice that it has grouped the Chair 5 65 showing a Qty 3
ii) It has listed the two Table Mistic 65 Separately because they have unique ID’s.
[Fig 22a. - Simple Takeoff Results]
(6) Grouping and Counting

(a) Once we are satisfied with the exactness of the information in the list, we will turn our attention
to the third tab of the Setup List Schemes dialog. Still using the BASIC format, note some of
the features shown here...
[Fig 22b. - List Format Page of the Setup List Schemes]
(d) “Each Element on a Separate Line” will allow you to expose every item in your list one by one or
group like elements together. One by one listing may be more appropriate in itemizing an
inventory, for example,
(e) Both methods have merit and can be used on different occasions.
Going Parametric
A . Creating a simple Inventory
1 . Using PARAMETERS instead of Descriptors
Alternative to setting up Descriptors and a myriad of Property Objects, we can also extract the information
directly from an object’s parameters. The concept of this method is to add the proper parameters to the
objects involved in the listing and then have them displayed directly in the list. This method is appealing
because it has a direct relation from input of information and output to the list. For this tutorial, we will
create a Simple Inventory using standard ArchiCAD Library parts.
[Fig 23. - Parameters for listing]
Tutorial: Listing from Parameters

(1) Open ParamList.pln from the CD
(2) Select the Table Mystic 65.gsm from the plan and open OBJECT SETTINGS
(3) Notice that one of the pull down tabs is labeled “For Listing”
(4) In the parameters box, type the following information into these parameters...
(a) Cost = $179.00
(b) Manu = Thomasville
(c) Part or item number = 12345
(5) Place several tables into your plan
(6) Choose Setup List Schemes... in the Calculate Menu
(7) CREATE a new ELEMENT list (DigiVisInventory) under the DigiVis_DB file drawer (see appendix
for setup)
(8) For now, ignore the Elements page of the setup; this list will be generated from selected objects
(9) Under the Properties & Parameters page, choose...
(a) Components = None
(b) Descriptors = None
(10) Uncheck all Global Element Parameters except
(a) User ID
(b) Library Part Name
(11) Under the Library Part’s Additional Parameters, select “As in Selected Library Parts”.
(12) After a moment of searching a dialog will appear looking for a library part to open.
(13) Navigate through the ArchiCAD Library 65 and check the Table Mistic 65.gsm.
(a) This list of library parts is long and you must navigate without the benefit of folders.
(14) To limit the parameters to use for this list, use the buttons to the right under List Parameter Types:
(a) Dimension = Off
(b) Angles = Off
(c) Real Numbers = Off
(d) Integer = ON
(e) Boolean = Off
(f) Text = ON
(g) Materials = Off
(h) LineTypes = Off
(i) Fill Types = Off
(j) Pen No. = Off
(15) Notice the Cumulated Contents list is being reduced as the filters are invoked.
(16) In the List Format page choose TEXT LIST as the format type.
(17) Notice the items to be listed contains only that which we specified on the previous page:
(a) Library Part Name
(b) User ID
(c) Manufacturer
(d) Part or Item Number
(e) Serial Number
(f) Cost
(18) If your items are not in the order above, reorder them by dragging the graphic arrows next to the name.
(19) Notice that there are additional boxes next to the Library Part Name and User ID. Since these are
global variables, the heading that is associated with them can be manually edited. For instance, check
the Use & Define Custom Headers checkbox and type ITEM and REF in the respective boxes.
(20) The list DigiVisInventory should still be selected in the Available list schemes portion of the dialog
box. It should also be a subset of the Element List Schemes in the DigiVis_DB. If it is not there,
simply click and drag it there.
(21) Choose OK.
(22) Select all the tables in the plan and invoke the DigiVisInventory from the ELEMENT LISTS in the
Calculate Menu.
(23) You should see the following:
[Fig 24. - DigiVis Table Inventory]
(24) This is simply an ASCII text file and can be printed or exported.
(25) You have successfully created an inventory list.
2 . Creating a “Bogus” Object as a Template

Keep in mind, that using parameters from a selected set of objects could result in many extra parameters in
the list as we cannot specify them individually. We can create a BOGUS object and strip out all the
unwanted parameters and use that as our list definition.
TUTORIAL: Creating a Bogus Object for Listing
(1) Select one of the Tables from the plan and File>Open Library Part
(2) Save this as Table MisticPARAMs.gsm
(a) You should consider creating a new folder within your own library for placing property items...
i) Object Parameters Folder
ii) List Setup Schemes Folder
iii) Property Objects Folder
iv) etc.
(b) Keep all of your special items in these folders and NOT in the ArchiCAD folder where they can
accidentally overwritten when a new version of ArchiCAD is released.
(3) Remove all the unwanted variables such that your object is left with the following items...
(a) Cost
(b) Manufacturer
(c) Part or item number
(d) Serial number
(4) You could also clear the scripts as this will not be used for 2D or 3D in the plan file. This is not
necessary, however, because the parameters will not be affected by them.
(5) Now under the Calculate Menu>Setup List Schemes> Properties and Parameters page, you can choose
this object instead of the original table.
3. Using the LAYER filter
Over the evolution of my education on the Calculate Menu, some things have been discovered that may not
be obvious the first time around. One such item is the “Elements” tab of the Setup List Schemes. This
dialog is the “filter” for the List Scheme and can be used to great advantage. As discussed earlier, if you
invoke a listing with nothing in the plan selected, it will consider all the elements of the plan. Actually it
is all the elements of the .pln file that meet the criteria of this ELEMENTS page.
There are some obvious aspects of this dialog. For instance, while creating a Door Schedule, we would
limit the Types to only DOORS. But it is important to study the rest of this box and use it to your
advantage.
For example, while creating the same door schedule, we might want to leave out items such as openings
we’ve used for other purposes (like Fireplace openings or archways). We can achieve this by choosing the
“Skip Elements with an empty ID field” and leaving the ID’s of these opening blank.
It might also be desirable to ignore Shower Doors. Another way to filter these out is to have them on a
different layer (the wall that contains them) and use the LAYER filter in the ELEMENTS dialog. In fact, it
will be to your advantage to use this Layer filter quite liberally and limit all of your listings to only those
layers that are meaningful.
Keep in mind that when creating a listing, without selecting the items first, it will look at all the items in
your plan unless filter them out here. And remember that if you have items selected, the Calculate Menu
will ignore this filter section. Therefore, if you simply select all doors, you may get those extra, unwanted
items we have just discussed.
4. Limitations
This method has it’s limitations. You can only describe parameters in objects, doors and windows so it
won’t apply to walls, roofs or slabs. On the other hand, there are many “global” variables dedicated to these
elements that can be chosen right in the Properties & Parameters page of the Setup List Schemes dialog.
5. What we’ve learned

That parameters can be used directly in a listing
That using parameters only allows filtering by parameter type
That creating a bogus object can economize this process, resulting in listing only the parameters needed.
Schedules
Now that we’ve poured a good foundation of all the basics of the Calculate Menu, we can put these
concepts into action. Probably the most common uses for the Calculate Menu in an architect’s normal
services are to create door and window schedules.
We have discussed the ways to get this information into the objects themselves. Now we must turn our
attention to creating the layouts to display them. We will first discuss the concept that we can combine
some of the input methodologies and not be restricted by any one type.
We will then spend some time discussing the Setup List Schemes dialog box resulting in creating a layout
for a typical door schedule. Keep in mind that the tutorial here are intentionally kept simple to expose the
methods and practices. There is almost no end to the possibilities within the Calculate Menu and they
produce some very detailed listings
WINDOW SCHEDULE
REF SIZE MATERIALS SOLAR
ID TYPE WIDTH HEIGHT FRAME PANES TINT SFTY ORIENT U SHADE DEV.
A 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -

B 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
C 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
D1 1A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .57 -
D2 1A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .57 -
D3 1A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .57 -
E1 5A 2'-6" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
E2 5A 2'-6" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
DOOR SCHEDULE F 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .56 -
REFERENCE DIMENSIONS MATERIALS REMARKS G 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
H 5B 3'-0" 4'-6" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
ID LOCATION WIDTH HEIGHT THK. TYPE CORE SFTY U FRAME I 5B 5'-0" 4'-6" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
1 FOYER 6'-6" 9'-0" 1 3/4" 15 SC TG .55 WD J 5B 4'-0" 7'-6" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
2 GREAT ROOM 16'-0" 10'-0" MANU. 15 - TG .55 WD K 5B 6'-0" 7'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
3 FAMILY RM. 9'-0" 9'-0" MANU. 5 - TG .55 WD L1 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
4 FAMILY RM. 9'-0" 8'-0" MANU. 5 - TG .55 WD L2 1A 6'-0" 6'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .57 -
5 PANTRY 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD L3 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
7 WINE 4'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 12 SC TG .55 WD M1 4A 3'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .60 -
8 LAUNDRY 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD M2 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
9 HALL CLO 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD M3 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
10 GUEST SUITE 1 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD M4 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
11 BATH 1 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD N1 5A 2'-6" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
11A SHWR 1 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 10 SC TG - WD SHWR ENCLOSURE N2 5A 2'-6" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
12 CLO 1 2'-6" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD N3 5A 3'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
13 MECH 3 5'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 13 SC - - WD N4 5A 3'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
14 MECH 3 5'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 13 SC - - WD O1 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
15 GARAGE 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD O2 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
16 GARAGE 18'-0" 8'-0" - 6 Stl - - - SEE DETAILS O3 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
17 CART 13'-6" 8'-0" - 6 Stl - - - SEE DETAILS P1 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
18 STORAGE 4'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 11 SC - - WD P2 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
19 HALL 1 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 2 SC TG .55 WD Q 5B 4'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .56 -
20 GUEST #2 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD R1 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
22 BATH #2 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD R2 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
23 CLOSET 2 2'-4" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD R3 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
24 GUEST 3 4'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 12 SC TG .55 WD R4 5A 3'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
24A CLO. 3A 4'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 11 SC - - WD S1 5A 3'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
25 GUEST 3 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 4 SC - WD S2 5A 3'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .60 -
25A CLO. 3 5'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 11 SC - - WD S3 5A 3'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .60 -
26 SHWR 3 2'-6" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 10 SC - - WD T1 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT TG .60 -
27 GUEST LIVING 5'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 12 SC TG .55 WD T2 4A 2'-0" 2'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -
TYPE SPECIFICATION
28 GUEST #4 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
1A FIXED SEE PLAN AND ELEVATION NOTES FOR SPECIFICATION INFORMATIO
29 GUEST #4 6'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 12 SC TG .55 WD 1B FIXED / MITERED
30 CLO 4 2'-6" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 2A SLIDER (XO)

2B SLIDER (XOX) LEGEND
31 BATH 4 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 3A SINGLE HUNG

TG
LAM
TEMPERED GLASS
LAMINATED GLASS
3B DOUBLE HUNG W.I. WROUGHT IRON
32 DEN / OFFICE 5'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 11 SC - WD S.F. SQUARE FEET
4A AWNING ALUM ALUMINUM
33 DEN / OFFICE 7'-0" 8'-0" MANU. 5 - TG .56 WD 4B AWNING COMBINATION BRNZ BRONZE ANODIZED
WD WOOD
5A CASEMENT
33A MASTER BATH 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 5B DOUBLE CASEMENT NOTES
5C TRIPLE CASEMENT (XOX)
34 HIS 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 1 ALL GLAZING SHALL BEAR A STAMP INDICATING MANUFACT
6A SKYLIGHT (ACRYLLIC)
6B SKYLIGHT (TEMPERED) INSPECTION.
35 HER CLOSET 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
7A BIFOLD 2 ALL GLAZING SHALL BE .....
36 HERS 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD STANDARD GLAZING
8A TRIANGULAR WINDOW
37 HIS CLOSET 2'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 3 ALL EGRESS WINDOWS SHALL HAVE A MINIMUM NET CLEA
CLEAR OPENING HEIGHT SHALL BE 24" THE MINIMUM NET CL
38 MASTER BEDROOM 8'-0" 8'-0" MANU. 5 - TG .55 WD WINDOWS SHALL HAVE A FINISHED SILL HEIGHT NOT MORE
39 MASTER BEDROOM 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD

40 POWDER 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD
40A POWDER 2'-6" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 4 SC - WD
41
42
POWDER
GARAGE
3'-0"
3'-0"
8'-0"
8'-0"
1 3/4"
1 3/4"
2
9
SC
SC
TG
20 MIN.
.55
-
WD
WD w/ SELF CLOSER
SKYLIGHT SCHEDULE
43 ELEC 6'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 13 SC - - WD REF SIZE MATERIALS SOLAR
44 MECH 1 4'-8" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 13 SC - - WD
ID TYPE WIDTH HEIGHT FRAME PANES TINT SFTY ORIENT U SHADE D
45 MECH 2 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 3 SC - - WD
DOOR TYPES CORE SFTY SK-1 6A 2'-0" 2'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
1 SWING 11 SWING; PAIR HC HOLLOW CORE LG LAMINATED GLASS SK-2 6A 2'-0" 2'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
2 FRENCH 12 FRENCH; PAIR SC SOLID CORE TG TEMPERED GLASS
3 LOUVERED 13 LOUVERED; PAIR MTL METAL WG WIRE GLASS SK-3 6A 3'-0" 3'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
4 POCKET 14 POCKET; PAIR
5 SLIDING GLASS DOOR 15 MULTIPLE SLIDING GLASS DOOR SK-4 6A 4'-0" 4'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
6 GARAGE DOOR; SECTIONAL 16 GARAGE DOOR; ROLL-UP
7 ENTRY DOOR 17 ENTRY DOOR PAIR FRAME SK-5 6A 2'-0" 2'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
8 BIFOLD 18 MULTI-BIFOLD WD WOOD
9 FIRE DOOR 19 ENTRY GATES MT METAL SK-6 6A 3'-0" 3'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
(20 MIN. w/ SELF CLOSER) L WROUGHT
10 SHOWER ENCLOSURE W.I. IRON SK-7 6A 3'-0" 3'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE
TYPE SPECIFICATION
NOTES
1A FIXED SEE PLAN AND ELEVATION NOTES FO
• VERIFY ALL DOOR FACES AND FINISHES w/OWNER PRIOR TO INSTALLATION 1B FIXED / MITERED
• ALL DOORS w/ GLAZING SHALL USE SAFETY GLASS
• ALL EXTERIOR DOOR STOPS SHALL BE INTEGRAL WITH DOOR FRAMES 2A SLIDER (XO)
LEGEND
• ALL DOORS SHALL BE CUT AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO FLOOR FINISH 2B SLIDER (XOX)
TG TEMPERED GLASS
3A SINGLE HUNG LAM LAMINATED GLASS
3B DOUBLE HUNG W.I. WROUGHT IRON
S.F. SQUARE FEET
4A AWNING ALUM ALUMINUM
4B AWNING COMBINATION BRNZ BRONZE ANODIZED
WD WOOD
5A CASEMENT
5B DOUBLE CASEMENT NOTES
5C TRIPLE CASEMENT (XOX)
1 ALL GLAZING SHALL BEAR A S
6A SKYLIGHT (ACRYLLIC)
6B SKYLIGHT (TEMPERED) INSPECTION.
7A BIFOLD 2 ALL GLAZING SHALL BE .....

STANDARD GLAZING
8A TRIANGULAR WINDOW
3 ALL EGRESS WINDOWS SHAL
CLEAR OPENING HEIGHT SHAL
WINDOWS SHALL HAVE A FIN
[Fig 25. - Samples of Formatted Schedules]
A . Creating a Hybrid Descriptor / Parameter Schedule
It may become more convenient to use a hybrid of the input methodologies to achieve the proper output for
typical architectural schedules. It is just as valid to use both parameters and Descriptors in the same
schedule at the same time. It will simply mean that care is taken to identify the location of each of these
input sources.
We can include all of the following into any given object for calculation...
(1) Attached Property Object with
(a) Components and Descriptors from the Database
(b) Components and Descriptors coded into the GDL (Property Script)
(2) Parameters to be used directly in the listing
(3) Properties coded directly into the Component and Descriptors page of the object itself
(4) Scripted Properties from the Property Script directly in the object.
All of these sources of data belong to a specific location within the ArchiCAD scheme. Refer to the table
below for examples.
(1) Parameters
(a) As typed directly into objects only
(2) Local Descriptors
(a) Descriptors delineated directly into an object
(b) Descriptors coded into the property script
(c) Descriptors attached via a Property Object
(3) Global Descriptors
(a) Any Descriptor that is linked via the Criteria Table
(4) Local Components
(a) Components delineated directly into an object
(b) Components coded into the property script
(c) Components attached via a Property Object
(5) Global Components
(a) Any Component that is linked via the Criteria Table
Tutorial: Properties and Parameters

This is a small tutorial to explain concept of the location of the bits of information in the Calculate menu
(1) Open the 04-03_ParamList.PLN.
(2) In the Calculate menu>Setup List Schemes window>
(a) Create New Element list
(b) Name it DataLocationList
(3) In the Elements tab select only Objects
(4) In the Properties and Parameters tab select...
(a) Components: All
(b) Descriptors: All
(c) Additional Parameters As in Selected Library Parts
i) Navigate to the Table Mistic 65 and click OK
(d) Global Elements: UserID
(e) Extra Parameters: None
(5) In the List Format tab:
(a) Choose Text List
(b) Note that the Components and Descriptors do not show up.
(6) Choose Graphic list
(a) Now we can see the Component “Table Leg”
B . Customizing a Graphic Template

1 . Using the Format Assistant
Probably the reason for the interest in the Calculate Menu is to find out how to make the Format Assistant
work for you. Clearly this is one of the goals of this program. It was necessary, however, to build a solid
background of the concept of the Calculate Menu before getting here.
This chapter will bring to light the methodologies to consider while creating your own schedules and lists.
There will be a good deal of information to digest, so don’t give up after the first time through.
We have discussed the difference between the Basic Format and the Graphic format earlier in this manual.
Please refer to that chapter if you don’t know the difference. This chapter will deal exclusively with the
Graphic Format.
There are actually two ways to achieve a graphically formatted listing; coding an external .txt file and using
the Format Assistant built into ArchiCAD. There was a time when the Format Assistant was not available
and the only way was to code this layout by hand. The Format Assistant took its concept from here and
embellished some of the methodologies to more easily fit the essence of this new graphic interface. For
example, lines used to separate rows or columns were coded in as a line and now with the Format Assistant
it is an attribute of the text block.
Let’s get acquainted with the Format Assistant. Actually we need to discuss the entire output system of the
Calculate menu. We have already discussed the Basic Format to the extent we know that it’s mainstay is
that it will output ASCII text primed for importing into another program for processing. The Graphic
Format, then, is meant to be used totally inside of ArchiCAD and merely plotted.
We must first spend some time with the Setup List Schemes in the Calculate Menu to understand how the
information is getting into the list and how the list is set up to output it. The Setup List Schemes is
divided into the main tabs and a navigation window for the current file.
[Fig 26 - Setup List Schemes]
The navigation box shows you the path of each of the preset listings available. You will notice that there
are some File Cabinet icons that are governed by the DATABASES that are setup in your active libraries.
They provide the first hierarchy for this system. Each Database (File Cabinet) will have three folders;
Element List Schemes, Component List Schemes and Zone List Schemes. And within each folder will be
the actual lists themselves that appear in the Calculate Menu. Note that some are LOCKED and other are
not. If you need to edit a LOCKED list, it will be necessary to DUPLICATE it first.
Also, note that you can delete and create new List Scheme Set (similar to a Database without it own set of
Keys, Descriptors, Components, etc.), Element, Component and Zone List Schemes. The location of these
new scheme is dependent upon the cursor location at the time you create the new scheme. But, if you
inadvertently create one in the wrong database, you can move it by clicking and dragging. You cannot
create a new Database from here. This can only be done in the Calculate Menu>Edit Database which will
be discussed later in this manual.
(1) The ELEMENTS tab
(a) The Elements tab has been introduced earlier in this manual. Here it will be covered in more
detail. The Elements tab is really the “filter” for the elements to be considered in this particular
scheme.
i) The “....by Types:”filters the element types. The list can consider only doors, for instance.
ii) The “....by Property Objects:” filter elements by which Property Object are attached to them.
iii) There are also “....by Layers:” and “....by Stories:” each of these provide crucial limitations
that can make isolating elements of you list easier.
iv) You can also isolate elements by whether or not they have an “associative label” or an “ID”.
(2) The Properties and Parameters tab
(a) The next set of filters is the Properties and Parameters tab. This filter isolates the information that
you want extracted from the elements.
i) Keys: will allow you include or ignore property information based on its category in the
database.
ii) Components and Descriptors: have the following choices...
(1) All
(2) None
(3) From Databases Only
(4) Object Specific Items
(5) Custom Set from Databases Only
(6) Custom Set and Object Spec. Items
iii) Global Element Parameters
(1) This section lets you select items such as ID, StoryName and Zone Name to be included
in the list.
iv) Extra parameters:
(1) This section deals with other more specific “global” types of information like Window
Sill Ht, etc.
(b) You should spend some time with this dialog to get to know all the possibilities for inclusion in
your lists.
(3) The List Format Tab
(a) This page is the culmination of the listing and where the final layout comes together. There are a
few important things to note before continuing into the tutorial..
(b) The window in the lower portion of the dialog displays all the items that could be displayed in the
list given the setup of the filters on the previous two pages. It is possible to leave items out by
unchecking them here.
(c) The order in which these items are displayed is critical to the outcome of the list. Make note that
the order number is displayed at the left of each row. If you change the order of these items, the
row numbers stay the same. It will become evident later that when placing the values into the
formatted template is done by identifying it’s location in the window here.
(d) This page is also the place where you can choose a template or start the Format Assistant.
Tutorial: Creating a Schedule with the Format Assistant
(1) Plan Ahead! Produce a sketch of what you want from your schedule and keep it close by. Be specific,
too. Note the overall size of your schedule and the size of each column and row as it will be printed
from Plotmaker. It will be advantageous to jot down the number of rows and columns. Here is a
sketch of the schedule we will be creating.
[Fig 27. - Sketch of Schedule]
(2) Create a new Layout

(a) In the Setup List Schemes dialog>Navigation Window, choose Create NEW ListScheme
(b) Name it “DigiVisSchedules”
(c) Select the “DigiVis Schedules” and expand it to see the different folder for listings
i) Element Lists
ii) Component Lists
iii) Zone Lists
(d) Expand Element Lists and choose Create New Element List
(e) Name it DigiVis-DoorShched2000
(f) Be sure this DoorSched is selected while editing these pages.
(3) First, set up the filters page to..
(a) by Layers: Exterior Walls
(b) by Stories: ALL ( there is only one story in this tutorial
(c) Check Skip Elemets with no User ID
[Fig 28. - Setup List Schemes/Elements Box]
(4) Next, set up the Properties and Parameters page as follows...

(a) Keys: None
(b) Components: None
(c) Descriptors: Object Specific Only
(d) Library Parts Additional Parameters: As in Selected Library Parts>D1 65 List Template.DOR
(e) Global Element Parameters User ID

Zone Name
(f) Extra Parameters None needed.
[Fig 29. - Setup List Schemes/Properties & Parameters Box]
(5) On the List Format page, notice that all of the parameters from our BOGUS object are now there.
These are available for use in the schedule. The benefit of using Parameters over Descriptors and
Components is that we have a one to one relationship of the NAME of the data instead of a location
identification.
(a) Reorder this list to match the format of the schedule you are trying create.
i) UserID
ii) ZoneName
iii) Local Descriptor(s)
iv) Header Detail
v) Jamb Detail
vi) Sill Detail
vii) Remarks
[Fig 30. - Setup List Schemes/List Format Box]
(6) Select GRAPHIC type

(a) You will notice that a template is chosen and grayed out. If you had a “hard coded” template, you
could use that by clicking the Choose Template and navigating to the file to be used. We will be
creating our own template, and it’s name will appear here when we initialize it.
(7) Start Format Assistant
(a) There are three sections to the Format Assistant
i) Layout
ii) Contents
iii) Fields
(b) Select the DoorLegend_US Layout and choose Duplicate.
i) It really doesn’t matter which one you choose as we will be discarding all the information and
starting fresh. ArchiCAD requires you to duplicate an existing one.
(c) Name it DigiVisDoorSched-Layout
i) If you click DONE, you will notice back on the List Format page that this new name is now
in the TEMPLATE: box and is grayed out. The INCLUDE in LIST SCHEME box is
checked, meaning that this file only resides within this List Setup. If you want to save this
to your hard drive, you must uncheck this box at which time you will be prompted to save it.
(d) We must describe the layout for the sheet. Note that all the numbers may be in millimeters. So
you will need to convert inches. By selecting DoorLegend_US, the layout comes in inches. This
may be a better place to start.
(e) Choose SINGLE COLUMN type
(f) Choose CUSTOM paper size.
(g) Input 9” Width (We are actually going to limit the width to 8”, but we need 9” to start.)
(h) Input 30” Height
[Fig 31. - Format Assistant Layout Box]
(k) There are 4 more buttons in the lower right

i) Header
(1) Just like a word processor, the header is placed at the top of each page. For our purposes,
it will contain the column names and the name of the schedule as defined in the sketch of
our schedule layout. It is recommended to start with the Header so you can define all your
columns by simply typing in there names. This will give us a point of reference for the
remainder of the schedule.
[Fig 32. - Edit Page Item Box]
i) Footer
(1) A footer is identical to the Header in concept. They can, of course, be defined with
different information. The footer section will be placed in the schedule after the “fields”.
It is conceivable that you could type a legend or index into this footer. It is independent
from both the header and fields in terms of specific layout (ie. you can have different
columns in the footer and it won’t negate the layout of the other sections).
ii) Background...
(1) Here you can place a background picture behind your schedules. This is probably not
commonly used in architectural drawings
iii) Details.
(1) The Details sections will allow you to define a few other items regarding the overall
schedule, such as
(2) Line Gap...a distance between rows in the schedule to force separation between the rows.
(3) Scale...the actual scale of the schedule itself. This will allow the text proportions to be
set at one scale. If you copy and paste this schedule into a plan or other window, it will
need to match this scale in order to print correctly.
[Fig 33. - Details Box]
(p) Create the Header

i) Click on the Header button
ii) Study how this template is put together
iii) It was started with the upper portion of the page by defining the..
(1) Total Width 9.00”
(2) Total Height .65”
(3) No. of Rows 3
(4) No. of Columns 9
iv) Then setup the Default Text to your liking.
v) Now it is time to begin filling in the header.
(1) Navigate through the header by clicking on the arrows for rows and columns. For our list
this is not too troublesome, but for any significant schedule it will be something upon
which to pay close attention.
(2) Have your schedule layout sketch handy while creating the header.
(3) In Field 1:1, type DOOR SCHEDULE. This is the only item in the first row. We can
modify its text attributes by clicking on the Text Format button. Make this title large
and bold.
(4) Cycle through the boxes, filling each in with the appropriate title. Note that some boxes
will be left empty to accommodate the 2nd rows grouping per our sketch. Simply don’t
type anything in these boxes.
(5) Note that the size of the boxes comes in initially as equal per the overall width. Care
must be given while editing these dimensions. It is recommended to make the overall
total larger than need before editing the cell sizes. This way you have some flexibility.
(6) Also note that as you type, ArchiCAD will try to outguess you and begin filling in the
OFFSET: box for you. YOU MUST GET ALL THE OFFSETS BACK TO 0.00”
BEFORE THE SCHEDULE WILL CORRECT.
(7) It is also recommended to click the little checkbox next to the WIDTH box to make it
FIXED. Otherwise, every time you edit the overall width, the widths that are not fixed
will distribute to equal dimensions.
vi) You can click OK to all of these pages to save this layout. At this point it is recommended
to invoke this schedule by selecting it out of the Calculate > ElementLists >
DigiVisDoorSched2000. Check for layout issues and typographical errors here. The BODY
of the schedule should be blank or contain “garbage” at this point.
(q) Footer
i) A footer is not required for our layout. We can ignore this section.
(r) Background
i) A background is not required.
(s) Details
i) In the Details window, type in 1/4”=1’-0” if it is not already selected.
(8) Click over to the Content page
(a) Here is where the Grouping and Totaling is defined.
i) Read the Calculation Guide for more information here.
(b) For our purposes, check “01 UserID” under the CALCULATE TOTALS / SUBTOTALS BY...
(c) With UserID selected, note the Pagebreak button becomes active. Make sure it is set to NONE
i) One of the pitfalls of this setup is that, if you have duplicated a format and previously deleted
any items that were part of a group, the Content page will not work properly. Specifically,
the pagebreak will be fixed and the grouping will not be able to be ungrouped. If this
happens, you must start from another template.
(9) Click over to the Fields page
(a) This page looks very similar to the Header/Footer edit page. The sizes of all the boxes and presets
for the fonts are entirely independent. You will have to redefine all the boxes again to match the
header layout. Refer to the Headers discussion and our sketch for more information.
(b) It will only be necessary to have one row for the body of the schedule. Each row will repeat with
new information until the information runs out.
(c) While creating the Header, it was only necessary to type headings into the boxes. Here we must
reference back to the items in our List Format for inclusion.
(d) This is done in the lower left of the screen with the three buttons
i) Insert...
ii) Item (it should be set to USER ID)
iii) Insert Special (global items like the time and date or filename, etc.)
(e) The process for embedding this information into the layout is as follows...
i) Choose the ITEM to be inserted first. In our case, Field 1:1 needs the USER ID. (recall that
we had put these in order to match our layout. This greatly decreases the amount of potential
frustration during this phase).
ii) With USER ID selected, choose INSERT VALUE. This will fill in the box for you with
#Value[1] where 1 is the location of this item in our list of items.
iii) Repeat this for each box
iv) When entering the values for the Local Descriptors, you will have to add the position number
of the individual descriptor within the descriptor list. Remember that we have specially coded
some items and made them Descriptors. This is a different kind of information in that they
are all lumped together into a MATRIX variable. In our case, the first descriptor is VALUE
[3][1] where the 3 is it’s location in the list of all parameters and 1 is it’s location within its
own list. See the Calculate Guide for more information.
[Fig 34. - Descriptor List in the Properties Script of D1 65x]
(h) Once all of the items have been placed in the appropriate boxes, we can take a look at the schedule.
Don’t be surprised if the schedule is incorrect on your first attempts. Here is a list of some
common problems....
i) Offsets have been filled in by ArchiCAD and are throwing off the layout.
ii) Borders are incorrect and are contained in more than one adjacent cell.
iii) The order of the Parameters to list has changed and the “height” is now where the “remarks”
should be. Check all values for discrepancies. Remember, once the values are placed, they
don’t refer back to the name of the item, only its location.
(i) Look in the Section Window > DOOR SCHEDULE for a sample of what the schedule should
look like.
[Fig 35. - Completed Schedule]
Commentary:
The Format Assistant is really fairly straight forward once you get used to using it. It may take some
practice, but again, once you’ve set up this template, there should be no reason to come back to the Format
Assistant.
There are a few things to keep in mind and worth repeating here.
(1) Note that the width and height are “floating” against the overall dimensions. It could be tricky the first
time through to realize that it is dictating the maximum size of a box because ArchiCAD is dictating
the max size and the sum of the columns cannot exceed this.
(2) Note that while typing in the sizes, there is a checkbox that allows you to “Fix” the the column or row
sizes. This is very handy in designing a schedule.
(3) The ideas here are not specific to Door Schedules. Try to interpolate this methodology for other
similar schedules by understand the concepts.
Zone Listing
A . Creating a Room Listing
1. Using Zones
Along with Element and Component listing, ArchiCAD contains a slightly different avenue for listings
called a Zone Listing. As the name implies, all the information extracted in these list will be relative to
Zones. Now that we have created a schedule, we have all the basic concept complete. The other kinds of
schedules are merely variations of the theme.
For a zone listing, we have a few additional items to discover. Now everything will be based on which
zone it belongs to. To understand this more completely, refer to the ArchiCAD Reference Manual. Some
areas will be highlighted here.
2. Zone Boundaries
In order to create boudaries for zones, it is possible to merely draw them as you would any polygon. The
zone tool has some special creation modes that allow you to merely click in the center of a room and have
it find the extents; much like the magic wand. While this sounds great, there are a few things to keep in
mind:
(1) Some plans are very open where the walls might define several spaces. It is now possible to simply
draw lines at the intersection of these zones. Make sure the line is identified as a zone boundary in it
dialog box and then begin to zone the rooms.
(2) It is a bit tricky to have walls correctly linked with a zone. As in the Door Schedule, it will depend on
whether or not the reference line is on the zone edge. Also, having one long wall that traverses several
zones may confuse ArchiCAD. It will typically pick ONE of the zones and fix to that. In order to
overcome this, simply break the wall at the corners such that each wall belongs to only one zone.
(3) Also, zones cannot recognize 2d elements as belonging to them. For instance, you may want to
describe floors in your plan as a hatch patter. Trying to associate this with the zone for listing is
impossible.
3. The New Zone Tool
Refer to the ArchiCAD 6.5 Reference Manual for more information on the new Zone tool. Here are a few
items of note:
(1) Inheriting finishes from the zone itself.
(a) On the Model Attributes page of the Zone settings dialog box you will find a new radio button for
selecting “Inherit Boundary Wall and Trimming Element Materials”. If the materials on the
building elements surrounding the zone are correct, a listing can be created to match.
(2) Accurate Volumes
(a) There is also a new page in the Zone settings dialog called the Area Calculation page. This will
allow you to be very specific in modifying areas for openings, etc.
(b) It is now also possible to cut Zones with Roofs to get a more accurate calculation of the volume.
B . Creating a Room FINISH Schedule

1. As we have just discussed, most of the information for a Finish Schedule can be extracted from the Zone Tool
itself. But you must input this information into the Zone’s dialog to get at it. It also presents us with a bit of
quandary as we must now rely on the Materials name. For this tutorial, the finish information will be derived
from the Zone’s stamp information.
Tutorial: Creating a Room Finish Schedule
(1) Open the 04-05_Schedx.pln file.
(2) Select the Receptions Zone
[Fig. 36: Zone Settings]
(3) Simply type in the floor, wall and clg. finishes.

(4) Click OK
(5) In the Calculate menu select ListZones>ZoneExample(DigiVisDB)
[Fig. 37: Zone Schedule]
(6) Although this is a basic example, it is easy to see that quickly we can generate information in a
listing. It is possible to apply the methodologies discussed in the chapter on Format Assistant and
embellish this schedule to any office standard.
Commentary
Component Lists
A . Creating Line Item Takeoffs
This manual has been largely focused on ELEMENT Listing. As stated earlier, Element Listing is
appropriate when we are interested in descriptions of elements from the plan. Closely related to Element
Listing is Component Listing. This method is most appropriate when performing Quantity Calculations
for not only the global element itself but all of its sub Components. These typically result in output such
as Bill of Materials or Inventories.
The conceptual methodology is essentially the same as Element Listing. Provide the proper input sources
(Property Objects, scripting or Parameters) and create a List Scheme to output that information. The
differences lie in the complexity of the calculations and the depth of the embedded information.
Use of the Database will also be more widespread in a Component Listing. This is because the uniformity
of information in critical to the outcome. Again, there will be time required to update you database to
provide meaningful information.
The following tutorial will show you how to setup items in ArchiCAD with Components and display them
in a component list.
Tutorial: COMPONENT LIST
(1) Open the ComponentList.PLN file
(2) Select one of the walls and notice that it is a composite wall with the following delineation..
(a) Plaster
(b) 2x4 Studs
(c) Gyp. Bd.
(3) On the Calculate Page of the wall’s dialog box, select “Choose Manually”.
(4) In the “Choose Manually” section, select “WD Ext 2x6Wall”
(5) Create a listing by selecting Calculate menu>List Components>Basic
Components and Descriptors both have a Short Text (Title) and Full Text which can be a very lengthy
description.
B . Editing Property Scripts
Property scripts and objects are more likely to be used in Component Listing as most of the sub
Components need to be calculated rather than merely input (like using a simply parameter as we did in
Element Listing). For instance, it might happen that part of the listing requires a nail count per sheet of
gyp. bd. Rather than asking the user to input this into an object in the plan, it is possible to provide a
property script that performs that calculation. Within a script, the calculations can become quite complex.
C . Databases in ArchiCAD
1. Refer to the Calculation Guide for more information on the structure of a Database.
2. Refer to Appendix A: Creating a Unique Database for tips on how to begin creating your own database.
3. It is possible in ArchiCAD to have more than one current Database. This will allow you to create specialized
Databases and use all of them for calculating. These Databases merely need to reside in your active libraries to
be available.
D . ArchiCAD 6.5 Content

1. Graphisoft has spent quite a bit of time creating databases inside of ArchiCAD. As was evidenced earlier, there
is a Default Database, and a _US_DB. There are many new Components in the libraries to help you get started
with creating a database. The WinEst link has also provided some groundwork for preset Components
2. Graphisoft has also included some new Component lists that have been programmed to work with all the new
framing API’s and their resultant library parts. Take some time to review these to study how they were
acheived.
[Fig. 38: New Listings]
It is worth noting that Graphisoft has also mirrored properpties between Components and Descriptors. It is
therefore, possible to have a wood wall component (for Bill of Materials) match a wood wall description
(For schedules or specifications). They are organized under the same Keys and Codes.
[Fig. 39: New Components]
Exporting to an External Spreadsheet or Database
A . General Export Information
Whether you are exporting to a database or spreadsheet program, it will be necessary to use the BASIC form
of output rather than a Graphic Template. The ASCII information can be easily translated into Tab-
Delimitted Text or an Excel spreadsheet. And at this point, the graphic layout will all be done in the
spreadsheet or database, so there is no need to create a Graphic Template in ArchiCAD.
In both cases we can consider the information extracted from the Virtual Building as merely little bits of
data. Spreadsheets and databases may more appropriate places to deal with this information. For instance, if
we are managing data from a Virtual Building for such things as life cycle cost analysis an external program
could more easily update information like cost per unit using the quantities derived from the Calculate
Menu. It would be a more efficient use of the program to keep track of the numbers of physical objects and
let the database provide the analysis.
And, it may just be more convenient to use your already formatted spreadsheet schedules as a template and
import the data from ArchiCAD. It must be recognized that no “one” program will do everything necessary
as our needs are very diversified.
TUTORIAL: EXPORTING DATA
This tutorial will show the basic concept for exporting date from the Calculate Menu for use in another
program. While the complexity will vary greatly, the methodology is the same.
(1) Open the ExportData.pln from the CD.
(2) Notice the office building layout. We will be taking inventory of the furniture in this building
(3) Select the predefined InventoryList from the ELEMENT LIST menu.
[Fig 40. - Inventory]
(4) Choose Save As and select Excel as the Filetype

(5) Name it OfficeFurnData
This data is now ready to be manipulated by Excel. Although it is beyond the scope of this manual, the
concept would be to have predefined spreadsheet or database template and define ArchiCAD’s layout to
match. Again, exporting can only be done using the Basic format. It is possible, though, to create a
Graphic layout for presentation in ArchiCAD and simply switch to Basic for export.
1 . Organized for WinEst
ArchiCAD 6.5 r2/v2 now contains Descriptors and Components based on the popular Windows program,
WinEst. This means that the assemblies will match and export to WinEst with no intervention. If you
currently run WinEst for in house estimating, you may want to dedicate some time to develop a good
database for your most popular assemblies.
WinEst has a free downloadable demonstration copy of their software at www.WinEst.com. It would seem
that this union of ArchiCAD and WinEst will be the latest in adding to our notion of the Virtual Building.
The same company also makes WinCost to aid in tracking this cost throught the duration of the project.
WinEst is a database engine used for developing Cost of Construction Estimates. ArchiCAD’s
involvement is to predefine these properties in order to ensure cross program compatibility. More
companies will be joining this area to the architect’s benefit. Ultimately, the architect will have much
more information at his/here fingertips.
The Future of Listing with ArchiCAD
Without making promises for Graphisoft, here are a few samples of the possibilities for the future:
A . API Based Solutions

1. With the API technology providing an avenue for greater localization, it seems only natural that it will infiltrate
the Calculate Menu in the near future. Currently, API solutions are in the works to help facilitate the creation
of formatted templates and links to external databases such as RS Means.
B . Interaction with Vendors
1. Vendors of building components are already converting their databases to a more global network. It is eminent
that not only the 3d physical information will become commonplace, but also the specifications. Once these
become available, the Virtual Building will contain much more critical information to facilitate a project with
continuity.
2. With the Calculate menu it will be possible to create Reference Notes for construction documents, general
specifications for plans and full specifications for each project.
Appendix A: Creating a Unique Database
As you create more and more list schemes and begin compiling your own set of Descriptors and
Components, it may become necessary to keep them all in your own personalized database.
You will notice if you invoke a NEW AND RESET that there are two databases available;
(1) Default Set
(2) _US_DB (US-Design Build)
[Fig. 41: ArchiCAD Databases]
You can create your own Databases by following these steps...

(1) In the Calculate Menu>Edit Database pull down the CREATE menu and create a NEW DATABASE
(2) Enter OK when prompted to create a new database
(3) Give it a name and save it into a PROPERTIES folders in one of your active libraries.
(a) Note that it would be prudent to create your own Properties folder for these kinds of files.
(b) Also note that ArchiCAD will search the library for potential database files, so it won’t matter
where you save it, as long as it’s in an active library.
(4) You must create UNITs for this database.
(a) Choose Create UNITS from the pull down menu
(b) Here it might be easier to duplicate those units from the _US_DB rather than starting from scratch.
(5) You may now create Descriptors and Components to your liking.
(a) It is beyond the scope of the class to propose a complete list of Descriptors and Components.
(b) Keep in mind that you can add to this database at any time in the future. So treat this as a work in
progress.
(c) You will find that the items you create at the beginning may lack enough separation as you build
the database. This too can be updated as you progress.
(6) Once you have some information from which to create you lists, you can now begin to make your own
List Schemes. Remember the following tips for creating them...
(a) Element Lists are intended for listing GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS of the items calculated. This
is most advantageous for producing SCHEDULES like Door and Window Schedules. It merely
regurgitates little bits of information from the object into the Listings.
(b) Component Lists are intended for “Bill of Material” type takeoffs were there are more specific
quantities of sub Components required. Again, this type of list would be able to display No. of
Nails or LF of Gyp. Bd. Tape if so coded into the objects.
(c) Zone Lists are intended to relate items and or description to the zone in which they belong. Finish
Schedules and Facilities Management scenarios are applicable here.
It is NOT necessary to create a NEW DATABASE to organize your own Schedules and Listings. If you do
not want to separate YOUR own Components and Descriptors, then you will merely need to create a
dedicated List Scheme File in the Setup List Schemes dialog. This produces a “file folder”, if you will, for
storing and organizing your listings. This folder will have sub folders for Element, Component and Zone
Listings just like a Database, but does not have unique sets of Components and Descriptors.
To set up a List Scheme File, merely select Create>List Scheme File in the Setup List Schemes box and
give it a name. Each new list type folder will contain a BASIC and DEFAULT scheme. These are provide
to ensure you have one of each kind of layout; basic and graphic to get started. You can create your own
from scratch or edit these.
Note that creating your own list of Components and Descriptors is a daunting task. It is recommended that
this take place over time and as needed. A component list can be edited at any time.
Use the organizational techniques discussed in this manual and in the Calculation Guide. With this much
information available, a predetermined organizing scheme like CSI is essential. The specific codes can even
match that of Sweet’s Catalog.
Appendix B:
Tips & Tricks (Typical Do’s & Don’ts of the Calculate Menu)
A. There are many facets to the Calculate Menu in ArchiCAD, so don’t be overwhelmed by it’s initial complexity.
This appendix will describe some of the common pitfalls in the system and ways to avoid them
1. DON’T load multiple LISTSET.TXT files from your libraries. This will often confuse the Calculate Menu and
may result in not showing recently created list schemes. Simply make sure you only have one LISTSET.TXT
loaded. This can be verified by choosing the MISSING LIBRARY PARTS report in the WINDOW menu. If
you have loaded multiple copies of this file and have subsequently created some new list schemes, there may be
no other choice than to recreate them.
2. LISTSET.TXT files are typically automatically stored in your FIRST loaded library. Use caution when
“playing” with lists and new files. Make sure you know which libraries are open.
B. Here are some tips regarding Listing
1. When diagnosing problems with any listing, select one or two items to calculate rather than waiting for the list
to calculate the entire file.
2. When using Zones as the LOCATION for a Door Schedule, for example, use care to insure the proper zone is
being calculated.
(1) Walls that are on top of two or more zones will gravitate to ONE of the zones. To avoid problems,
break the walls at the zone boundaries.
(2) Windows and Doors will gravitate to the zone where the objects direction was clicked. The zone will
need to COINCIDE with that side of the wall that the door or window is in. Some practice will be
necessary.
3. There are a few navigation tips to pass along while using the Calculate Menu:
(1) Using the Calculate Menu to navigate to a particular listing can get tedious as you create more listings.
If you want to go back and forth to one of the listing in a given session, pull down the WINDOWS
menu and choose the Element List, for example, to get back to the last called Element List. This is
handy when diagnosing the information of a door schedule, for instance.
(2) Also, notice that once a particular List is invoked, it will jump to the beginning of the pull down
menu. This can take some getting used to as it is natural to expect that it will remain in alphabetical
order. This is similar to the menu of Section Windows.
C. Alternative uses for the Calculate Menu
1. Notation / Specification System
It has always been a goal to create a system of Reference Notes like Master Spec that could be integrated
into the work process. Theoretically this would be easy to accomplish, but just like creating your own
database, it will take some time.
The concept would be to create a Database where the Descriptors are the Notes themselves and the Keys are
the reference ID’s that can be tagged by the objects in the plan. Merely creating a listing with only the
items that have an Associated Label will create a sheet of notes for including in your plans. Some issues
come to mind and without having tested this theory, the answers are not available at this time.
(1) How is formatting handled for the Descriptors in the listing?
D. Locking your Schedule Layouts
1. It will be important to lock each of your layouts as you complete them. This is done simply by clicking on the
lock icon next to the layout name.
2. Locking will prevent you from inadvertantly changing an item. Remember, as the lists depend on the location
of the information, it won’t take much in the way of accidents to render the list useless.
Glossary:
A . Component:
An individual part of an overall structure. Components can be the plaster, lath, building paper, plywood, studs,
sills, plates and gypsum board of a wall assembly for example. Components can also be items such as hours or
costs involved in creating an assembly.
B . Database
A database is a collection of similar bits of data for retrieval and compilation. Like an office filing cabinet, a
database is organized into groups for ease of navigation. ArchiCAD has grouped information into databases
based on the CSI standard.
C . Descriptor
A discription of an overall item. A descriptor might be 20min fire rated door or tempered glass. A descriptor is
usually not quantitative.
D . Element List
An Element List in ArchiCAD is a descriptive list of data. For example, a door schedule or area takeoff are
Element Lists.
E . Format Assistant
The Format Assistant is an environment in the Calculate menu that facilitates the creation of your own custom
listing layouts.
F . Key
The Key in a database system is the organizational scheme utilized. ArchiCAD uses a Key and a Code within
each Key to provide a unique location for each piece of data.
G . Parameter
Any variable (user changeable bit of data) is a parameter in ArchiCAD. The height of a door or the leaf
thickness are good examples of a parameter.
H . Property Object
A Property Object is a self-contained GDL object that contain only Descriptors and Components without actual
2D or 3D data. A Property Object can be attached to a regular object or to other root element in ArchiCAD.
Where data cannot be scripted directly into an element, a property object is used to supply that information.
Property Objects can extract data from the element that it is attached to for further calculations.
I . Unit
Each Database in ArchiCAD must have a set of units to work under. Units can be defined as lengths, areas or
volumes of physical entitites or dollars and hours of labor elements.
Notes
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Tapping the Power of the Calculate Menu

a Tutorial Manual for ArchiCAD™

written and presented by: Duane Valencia

Hosted by: Graphisoft, INC.

No reproduction or redistribution of any electronic

A . Three Kinds of Listings

WHERE LISTING INFORMATION COMES FROM

[Fig 1. - Data Flow in ArchiCAD]

[Fig 2a. - Parameters]

[Fig 2b. - Descriptors]

[Fig 5. - Property Object]

[Fig 6. - Properties Parameters]

[Fig 7. - Parameters dialog box of W Awning 65.win]

(6) Save this Window into an active library as W Awning 65x.WIN

[Fig 7a. - SaveAs W Awning 65x.win]

D . External Property Objects

[Fig 8. - Vast amounts of Property Objects]

[Fig 9. - New Component]

[Fig 10a. - Link to Database]

(b) Thermal & moisture protection>roofing felt,30#

[Fig 11. - Completed Components]

[Fig 12. - Open Property Object]

(4) Navigate to ArchiCAD Library 65>Property Data 65>US_Property Data

[Fig 13. - Property Script]

2 . Tutorial: Attach Property Object to ArchiCAD Element Directly

(2) Click on the third button to get to the Calculate Page

[Fig 14. - Calculate Page of Roof Element]

[Fig 16. - Attach Properties Individually]

E . Linking Properties by Criteria

Tutorial: CREATE A CRITERIA ASSIGNMENT

[Fig 17b. - Criteria Selector]

[Fig 18. - Descriptors and component tabs of the object editor.]

[Fig 18a. - Property Script Sample]

Tutorial: Create A Basic Listing

[Fig 20. - Formatted Graphic Listing]

ID LOCATION WIDTH HEIGHT THK. TYPE CORE SFTY U FRAME

1 FOYER 6'-6" 9'-0" 1 3/4" 15 SC TG .55 WD

SK-1 6A 2'-0" 2'-0" ALUM 2 BRNZ NONE .94 NONE

[Fig 21. - Listings in ArchiCAD]

[Fig 22a. - Simple Takeoff Results]

(6) Grouping and Counting

[Fig 22b. - List Format Page of the Setup List Schemes]

[Fig 23. - Parameters for listing]

Tutorial: Listing from Parameters

[Fig 24. - DigiVis Table Inventory]

2 . Creating a “Bogus” Object as a Template

5. What we’ve learned

A 5B 5'-0" 5'-0" WD 2 TNT - .60 -

30 CLO 4 2'-6" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 2A SLIDER (XO)

31 BATH 4 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD 3A SINGLE HUNG

39 MASTER BEDROOM 3'-0" 8'-0" 1 3/4" 1 SC - - WD

7A BIFOLD 2 ALL GLAZING SHALL BE .....

[Fig 25. - Samples of Formatted Schedules]

Tutorial: Properties and Parameters

B . Customizing a Graphic Template

[Fig 26 - Setup List Schemes]

[Fig 27. - Sketch of Schedule]