11.04.01 attachment conditions

Attachment Conditions video

Attachment Conditions are special Count Conditions that attach to a Parent Condition.  For example, a Parent could be a Linear Condition such as a wall and the Attachment could be a window or a door that 'attaches' to and affects the linear or square footage results of the parent takeoff object (a window or door, for example, would reduce its parent object's square footage, its linear footage, or both).  Another example is when you are taking off an area such as an acoustical tile ceiling as the parent, you use Attachments for lights or other fixtures to reduce the number of needed tiles or square footage of ceiling material needed.

Setting up Attachment Conditions is similar to setting up a Count Condition.  The primary difference in the setup of an Attachment Condition is that the shape chosen for the Attachment Condition determines the possible selections in the Results Quantity fields and the Parent to which it may be attached (a Window, for example cannot be attached to an Area takeoff object nor can a light fixture (or other geometric shape) be attached to a Linear takeoff object).

Attachment Condition Properties - General Tab

This is basic information about the Condition such as height/width/depth, color/pattern and the Quantity results required.

• The Dimensions area includes optional settings for Height and Width (and Depth for some shapes) - Dimensions can be used to calculate square footage and volume
• Appearance sets the Color and Pattern of an object and a field to set the spacing in a non-solid or non-transparent pattern. Appearance settings determine how objects drawn with the Condition display on the Image Tab, how each Condition looks in the Conditions list, in the Image Legend, and on the Takeoff Tab and Worksheet Tabs.  Select a Color and a Pattern.
• Select the correct Shape - shape is important because it determines how the attachment can be used, as well as the Results available
• Results are the quantity values you want OST to calculate and display
• Notes are additional information about this Condition such as construction details

Attachment Condition Results

Available Shapes

The Results options differ depending on the shape chosen (see above screen shot for shapes list).

• Area Attachments include: Square, Circle, Triangle, Diamond, Ellipse, Hexagon, Octagon, and Rectangle.
• Linear Attachments include: RH Door, LH Door, Double Door, Double Egress Door, Window 1, 2, 3, and Opening 1 and 2

Area Attachments are attached to Area Condition takeoff and represent fixtures such as lights, vents, flooring insets.  
Linear Attachments are attached to Linear Condition takeoff and represent Doors, Windows and other Openings.

Results

Results are the totals for all the measurements taken for a particular Condition and the selected shape.  Results shown in the Condition window are for the current page only.  To see the total for all pages, review the Takeoff or Worksheet Tabs.  Results choices are dependent on the Shape selected on the General tab - not all options are available for a particular shape.  The Result selected determine which Units of Measure are available.

See Count Conditions for an explanation of each Shape's available Results and how those Results are calculated.

Attachment Condition Properties - Advanced Tab

• Once attached, Attachment objects move with their parent object.  When a grid-based area that contains Attachments is aligned, the Attachments must be able to fit into the area they are being rotated within.
  If an Attachment is intended to deduct a quantity from the parent Condition, you must have "Backout Quantities from Parent" checked in the measurement area of the Advanced tab (it defaults to checked).

Changing Shape after Using an Attachment

Once you use an Attachment Condition to perform takeoff, the Shapes available are restricted to either those that are Area in nature or Linear.  

Area Shapes

Linear Shapes

Helpful Hints

• Once a Condition is built it can be used on any page in the project - you don't need to create a new Condition for each Page.  

• Create a Duplicate Condition(s) to to setup many similar Conditions quickly and efficiently.

• Save Conditions to the Style Library for future use - see  Saving Conditions to Master and Creating Style Sets for more information.

Zones