We are a small construction company that has been using Sketchup Pro for the last couple of years. We produce all of our construction documentation via this software. We want to develop a custom plugin to generate member schedules, quantities, and material takeoffs in general. This will assist our internal people and greatly speed up some of our processes. When we model, we use a lot a detail and we keep the models accurate. We understand that the data we are trying extract is via attributes and we are including a key data as such for component based items.
Our Goal is
Create a internal plugin specifically suit to our business
Create multiple reports based on type report needed
Create reports in either csv or xml
Create reports in a BOQ format that can be imported easily into estimating software (csv or xml format for importing)
We can provide examples of format and information we require.
We are looking for assistance or a developer that could help us (for a fee) in this idea?
Rather than “reinventing the wheel” , I suggest that you consider using the existing report writer, then use a VBA script in excel or similar to sort the list and produce appropriate documents (something I do for my work as a timber framing surveyor)
Drawing management is the essential ingredient for the best outcomes. So a scene showing appropriate items (correct layers) will speed up the reports and collect the relevant data.
There are plugins like profile maker 2 (~$40) which are ideal for skirting, gutters, structural profiles, etc which has its own BOQ, which may suit (or can be scripted via VBA to suit) your needs
I do believe the vision for Sketchup is towards BIM and I am looking forward to a better report editor/writer, so let them do the code work and keep your costs down. Otherwise you may consider (personally untried) plugin “PlusSpec” but @ $1000, its expensive.
Funny you should say that about the VBA scripting in excel, one of internal resources said the same thing today. Sketchup has come a long way the 3 years that we have been using it. If they could improve on the report writer that would be great.
Hello really understand their need , I’m a civil engineer, I have knowledge of process automation, design routines VBA for Excel and AutoCAD , I am currently started programming for sketchup , so you see might help .