At Vico, we believe that quantities are the linchpin for more accurate schedules and estimates.  We further assert that our quantities, which we dub "construction-caliber quantities" are far more precise. 

What makes the quantities from Vico Office Takeoff Manager so different?  Let's start with the understanding that simple area and volume calculations are not enough.  Objects as fundamental design building blocks have been around a long time in CAD systems.  Any decent design system can query those objects and report their geometric properties.  The most common geometric properties available to CAD system users are object count, object side length, object surface area, and object volume.  Combining these geometric properties with user-defined object attributes provides a powerful tool to designers. Architects, for example, can generate a door schedule, a window schedule, and a room schedule just as quickly as the design changes.

Relying on a design-BIM application for model element properties is not something that is going to work for a builder -- at least not if that builder is taking off model-based quantities to inform detailed cost plans and schedules.  As noted earlier, most design-BIM applications, like Autodesk Revit and AutoCAD Architecture, report simple geometric properties of an object. 

Vico Office Takeoff Manager gives users access to all of the element properties required to produce detailed cost estimates and derive task durations.  For example, Vico Office Takeoff Manager calculates ten complex properties for Walls and thirteen complex properties for Slabs. Vico ensures that our users have the property and quantity fidelity required by builders for Walls, Slabs, Beams, Columns, Rooms/Spaces, Windows/Doors/Openings.

As sophisticated as it is to use complex model properties to inform a construction-caliber quantity takeoff, Vico Office Takeoff Manager does it on models originating from many popular BIM authoring tools including... Revit, ArchiCAD, and Tekla.  And in the next release we will add support for buildingSMART's IFC as well as AutoCAD Architecture and CAD-Duct.  By remaining BIM-neutral, Vico is allowing more and more project stakeholders to participate in the great strides being made in virtual construction.

To learn more about Vico's stance on construction-caliber quantities, we've developed the following resources:

Design Quantities vs Construction Caliber Quantities

Vico Office for Preconstruction and Estimating Teams