SELECTIVE QUANTITY TAKEOFF FROM COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN DRAWINGS

• US 20090240730A1
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/289 Object oriented databases

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention sets forth a CAD application configured to perform quantity takeoff computations. The CAD application is further configured to organize a CAD drawing into a hierarchical representation of object families and associated object types, where instances of the object types represent drawing objects present in the CAD drawing. The CAD application is further configured to receive a selection of an object family and to parse the selection to determine the object types associated with the selection. The CAD application then creates a takeoff object for each of the object types associated with the selection and identifies instances, associated with object properties, of each of the object types of the selection. The CAD application quantifies the instances and associated properties to produce a quantity takeoff value. Advantageously, users are able to more quickly and easily estimate the cost of a design project associated with the CAD drawing.

Claims

1. A method for performing a quantity takeoff computation, the method comprising:

organizing a CAD drawing into a hierarchical representation that includes at least one object family associated with one or more object types, wherein at least one instance of at least one object type represents a drawing object present in the CAD drawing;

receiving a selection of an object family;

parsing the selected object family to determine the one or more object types associated with the selected object family;

creating a takeoff object for each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family;

identifying instances of each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family, wherein each instance is associated with one or more object properties; and

quantifying the instances and the one or more object properties associated with each instance to produce a quantity takeoff value.

2. The method of claim 1, receiving a selection of an object family comprises receiving a selection of every object family in the CAD drawing, and the steps of parsing, creating a takeoff object, identifying instances, and quantifying are performed for each object family in the CAD drawing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each instance of the of the one or more object types is identified by an instance globally unique identifier (GUID).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each takeoff object is identified by a different takeoff GUID.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying instances of each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family comprises comparing the instance GUID of each instance with the takeoff GUID of each takeoff object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein quantifying the instances comprises calculating a numerical count.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein quantifying the one or more object properties associated with each instance comprises calculating a linear count, an area computation, or a volumetric computation that specifies how the one or more object properties associated with each instance are to be quantified.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the result by:

generating a takeoff report using the takeoff objects, wherein the takeoff report includes the values for a quantify type, a quantify property, a cost data, and a cost estimate; and

displaying the takeoff report.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a quantity takeoff computation, by performing the steps of:

organizing a CAD drawing into a hierarchical representation that includes at least one object family associated with one or more object types, wherein at least one instance of at least one object type represents a drawing object present in the CAD drawing;

receiving a selection of an object family;

parsing the selected object family to determine the one or more object types associated with the selected object family;

creating a takeoff object for each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family;

identifying instances of each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family, wherein each instance is associated with one or more object properties; and

quantifying the instances and the one or more object properties associated with each instance to produce a quantity takeoff value.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, receiving a selection of an object family comprises receiving a selection of every object family in the CAD drawing, and the steps of parsing, creating a takeoff object, identifying instances, and quantifying are performed for each object family in the CAD drawing.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein each instance of the of the one or more object types is identified by an instance globally unique identifier (GUID).

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each takeoff object is identified by a different takeoff GUID.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein identifying instances of each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family comprises comparing the instance GUID of each instance with the takeoff GUID of each takeoff object.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein quantifying the instances comprises calculating a numerical count.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein quantifying the one or more object properties associated with each instance comprises calculating a linear count, an area computation, or a volumetric computation that specifies how the one or more object properties associated with each instance are to be quantified.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising the step of displaying the result by:

generating a takeoff report using the takeoff objects, wherein the takeoff report includes the values for a quantify type, a quantify property, a cost data, and a cost estimate; and

displaying the takeoff report.

17. A computing system configured to perform a quantity takeoff computation, the system comprising:

organize a CAD drawing into a hierarchical representation that includes at least one object family associated with one or more object types, wherein at least one instance of at least one object type represents a drawing object present in the CAD drawing;

receive a selection of an object family;

parse the selected object family to determine the one or more object types associated with the selected object family;

create a takeoff object for each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family;

identify instances of each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family, wherein each instance is associated with one or more object properties; and

quantify the instances and the one or more object properties associated with each instance to produce a quantity takeoff value.

18. The computing system of claim 17, wherein each instance of the of the one or more object types is identified by an instance globally unique identifier (GUID).

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein each takeoff object is identified by a different takeoff GUID.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein identifying instances of each of the one or more object types associated with the selected object family comprises comparing the instance GUID of each instance with the takeoff GUID of each takeoff object.