It's good you rise this point, because it allows us to discuss about a way to face this subject, that IMHO is one of our biggest challenges to the future of DataCAD. Every project must have a cost appropriation. All this 'BIM' solutions are commited to address this subject.
My guess is that we can deal with "our" solution, starting by this item: Takeoff.
In older versions of DataCAD we had available a macro that would signalize this direction: Est-link which would allow to set classification for entities in the drawing. The macro 'Est-link' is no more available in DC 11.
To get the results that we are looking for, we should start by a preliminary phase, where would be necessary to discriminate the drawing entities that later will be taked off.
Please, take a look at the first image below, which looks to the wall segment from the 'internal' position. This is a typical wall as it is built in Brazil. Probably you will have countries where the wall are much more complex, what will require additional care.
As you are aware, in the 'real life' a Wall is more then a graphic representation. It includes the different materials which we will need to get the inventory.
In the External view of the same wall can exist a different treatment, as I suggest below.
But when we produce our drawing, primarily all we have is this simple drawing.
So, our challenge is to turn a simple 2D (or 2 1/2D) drawing into a fully attributed model.
Perhaps we should work with 3D elements. In this case, the 3D entity, like the slab (e.g.: the wall) must be classified in its integer form and also, separately, in its faces.
I remember the macro 'Touch-Up' which has a very smart selection feature, which 'blinks' each face of an integer entity, in sequence, until you set the choosen.
WORKING IN 3D IS A NEW FRONTIER
Here comes another problem. How can we deal with the 'documentation' work, since the 3D modelling is not so friendly as the 2D drawing. Perhaps we should join 2D habilities into the 3d modeling. At least in the first steps.
I think this subject is only on the beginning.
Thanks,
Miguel
