Video - InEight Estimate - Linking to a Workbook

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to InEight Estimate.

InEight Estimate's linking capabilities with an Excel-like workbook can be done in one of two ways.

A field in InEight Estimate can be populated with a value from a workbook, or a cell in a workbook can be populated with the data from an InEight Estimate field.

This two-way linking functionality allows you to make quick work of complex chores to perform spreadsheet based takeoff or formula driven analysis.

 

Creating and Accessing Job Workbooks

When you create a job, it comes with an embedded Job Workbook accessed from the Estimate tab.

This Workbook contains predefined takeoff and analysis worksheets.

You can also create worksheets of your own, where you can create formulas of your own and link the results back to your estimate.

Back on the CBS register, when you link fields from this Workbook to a field in InEight Estimate, they show up as a blue hyperlink as shown here.

In this example, you need to do a takeoff to determine the size of a concrete foundation for the estimate.

Note that you have a Concrete Foundation cost item, but you have not yet determined its takeoff quantity.

 

Setting Up a Concrete Takeoff Worksheet

In the jobs embedded workbook, create a new worksheet named Concrete Takeoff.

Enter a title at the top of the spreadsheet, and then in rows three through six under Column A enter length, width, height, and then volume.

Leave Column B blank.

And in Column C enter the measurements as yards, with the total volume unit of measure being cubic yards.

In Column B enter a length of 10 yards, a width of 10 yards, and a height of 0.5 yards.

Calculate the total cubic yards by factoring the length, width, and height quantities using a formula that multiplies the B3, B4, and B5 fields.

You now have a takeoff quantity of fifty cubic yards for the total volume.

 

Linking Fields to InEight Estimate

To link this field estimate, it must have a field name. Click in the field you want to name, then click in the field name window and type "Volume".

Save the worksheet, then go back to InEight Estimate.

You can link fields from the Actions tab or by right-clicking on the Concrete Foundation cost item > Forecast Takeoff Quantity field, and select "Link this field to Workbook".

On the link to workbook dialog, select the "Update Estimate Field from Workbook" option.

In the field to link window, select Volume. You may need to click Refresh if your name field isn't in the list.

Then, click OK. Your Forecast Quantity field for Concrete Foundation is now linked to the Volume field calculated in the Workbook and is populated to 50.

Whenever the data behind your link changes, you can update the link back on the Estimate tab by clicking the Workbook drop-down arrow and selecting the appropriate option.

And that's how to utilize Estimate's linking capabilities with a workbook. Thanks for watching.