Grouped Assemblies - Feature Idea
I want to request the ability to group and link takeoffs together so a single drawn measurement, or a single count, can drive multiple assemblies and scopes. I find myself wishing for this feature on almost every project I bid on.
Is this something others are interested in?
Two examples from a current project show why this matters.
Example 1: shared geometry, two scopes on one line
I have an existing 22-foot tall masonry wall that is getting furred out with 2-inch foam, Z-furring, and plywood. On top of that same wall I am building a 2-foot tall steel stud parapet cap that gets exterior sheathing, foam, Z-furring, plywood, and a weather barrier.
In plan, both pull from the exact same linear run off the floor plan. The line length is identical because the parapet sits directly on top of the wall below it. But these are two completely different scopes. The furring is an overlay on existing masonry. The parapet is new wall construction. Different assemblies, different materials, different pricing, and I need to quantify each one on its own.
So they are genuinely linked, they tie together physically, but they cannot be one assembly. Today the only way to get both quantified is to draw that same line twice, once for the furring overlay and once for the parapet. Same geometry, drawn twice, and they drift apart the moment the wall length changes.
Example 2: a grouped typical multiplied by a count
A different section of the same project is a window infill scope. There is one typical detail drawn in plan view for a single opening. My scope at each opening is to demo the drywall around the opening, demo the framing so the existing window and aluminum storefront can be removed as needed, then re-insulate, reframe as needed, repair the drywall, install new corner beads, and so on. To quantify that one typical, I have several linear takeoffs plus a few counts for things like corner beads and studs.
That same opening repeats multiple times across the exterior elevations. What I want is to group all the takeoffs from that typical into one unit, then attach that group to a single count takeoff. That count becomes the one item I place at each opening, and it multiplies the entire group across every instance. One count value drives every linear and count quantity underneath it. That turns a stack of scopes, materials, and takeoffs into one countable unit.
What I am after
The core ask is grouping. Let me bundle related takeoffs and assemblies into one named group while each item keeps its own tag, quantity, and scope package. Once grouped, two things become possible:
- Shared geometry. One drawn line feeds multiple assemblies. If I move or edit the line, every linked assembly updates. No redrawing, no drift between copies. (Example 1)
- Count multipliers. A group of takeoffs attaches to a single count, and that count multiplies the whole group across every instance. I draw the typical once and place it at each opening with one number. (Example 2)
Right now both situations force manual duplication, and the obvious workaround does not hold up. Copy-paste keeps the scale of the drawing you copied from, so a takeoff drawn at half-inch scale will not translate correctly when pasted into a sixteenth-scale elevation. The geometry comes in at the wrong size, and there is no clean way to rescale it, so I am back to redrawing by hand. That is the core of the problem. I redraw the same line per scope, or I rebuild the same typical per opening, and everything falls out of sync the moment a length or a count changes.
Grouped and linked takeoffs, with a count multiplier would solve all of this cleanly. I would love to see it on the roadmap.
Commentaires
What if we gave you the power to group items by division?
This would be awesome! I'll share the feedback to product to see how we can make STACK even better and cater to your workflow!
An option would be to add both assemblies to the same takeoff and then you can break them out within the estimate worksheet.
On the estimate worksheet you have the ability to define scope to include/exclude certain assemblies. You can also group by assemblies.
Very quickly you can create two separate estimates if needed by copying the estimate.
Great suggestion on the “typical” window situation!
Brenda Marrone that's what I was doing but it becomes an absolute hassle when you have 3 separate phases across 4-5 scopes to pull a specific section from a specific page for each occurrence of the takeoff
Dave Elfers
Same problem as I mentioned to Brenda just now
I don't know if I agree with that. Correct me if I misunderstood.
In the window scenario, your takeoff could be a count. Add one or more assemblies to the count takeoff. Each assembly will ask things like dimensions of the window, which specific materials to use, so you could use these assemblies for any conditions you see. Items are generated.
It sounds too simple, but it really is that simple…unless I'm missing something?
But I can't break those Assemblies out individually per label or tag because that's tied to the count takeoff only. I could filter for the takeoff per estimate per sheet per phase but again that's just easier to do the takeoff seperaly for each phase at that point.
And that would also require me to make new Assemblies using different formulas
I understand. I still suspect I could find a better solution for you. If you want to talk about it in person, the support team or your account manager can help you get on my calendar.
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