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User`s Manual - ArenaSoft Estimating

1. jn Wu i us Sirene centem rr Man Hours door We could also expand the lines F5 and add Material Price List items to the Assembly lines Click Enter or the X to close the Assembly Form oe copy Screens Dewa Pimsesien Eres Tent Doom Lra The estimate line now imm io indicates 24 Man hours are aT Tan ti required for this line of the Vi Qu 1 En was res estimate 6 doors x 4 MH Dua EWI I LE z each ETT LT pm ae i H a i Ji A Example Assembly Drywall Partition Nested Assemblies Since an Assembly is a mini estimate each line of the mini estimate can have Labor Details Material Price st Items or be an Assembly itself Thus you can have an assembly inside of an Assembly inside of an Assembly indefinitely To see the details you can just keep double clicking the unit price box to see the next level of detail As an alternative to manually building an Assembly inside of an Assembly we can Click copy previously built assemblies into our Assembly For example in the 09200 Drywall section of the ArenaSoft Database we have a line called 3 5 8 Stud framing and this line is an assembly that consists of studs track hilti shots l
2. area control what is carried into the Override columns on the screen Enter 39 000 and Ace Concrete in this area Estimate Summary Close this screen and you will see the Override column with the Sub s Name and price filled in on the Estimate Summary screen The Override column total no longer matches the estimate total column The Override column is column that is used in the project total The Estimate Summary shows your estimate for the Concrete line grayed out because those numbers have been overridden Being able to see your estimate for comparison to the Sub s quote is of great benefit as you may want to question the Sub further if there is a large discrepancy op Let s say you get two more concrete quotes from Subcontractors Reopen the Override Estimate f6 screen Type 3 Sub s names in the yellow boxes and their Quotes on the next line BT Concrete amp JJ Concrete have lower quotes but they pan exclude sawing control joints Fill in your own SS Se estimates for the excluded items so that all three columns have complete scopes of work ite that you can type text in the boxes to record details of the quote The large text box above shows the full text Ace Concrete has the best deal after your adjustments Double click on the Sub s name to transfer his column total to the upper right boxes Here s the bid analysis Note
3. Client Amount SF_ BI z NG FendorScheolntrct PROJECT Bide Incidentals 17700000 5961 mount T incidentas TESTES 4012 piece Ireitertals Remove Ccningenoes Pistes Iud e a DM hiec Fes king TOT Boing Survey Testy Ste 11584 3 Forder NY FE Fe Public Bid Lara Planbing Ente Started 1959 Finanaing amp ather Fire Pretection Prowects SF Now 57200 CM s Fee amp Stat 22 PLmbingt Fro P 551000 1 87 Daton SF Rar Coninaeney TBS 55 iac 270000 720 Adusted SF Total 255527 TOTAL Redde THR 414 Details ens _ Unter Cua Dad Cede Tem 719 Un Hs Slr Daa 2 5 KAN EAR Kenner pa s sunzmo v TIe 23 3818 0502 c STRULTUHRLSTEE 18300 SUKUSF Es nir s susci cVenbrerereirg 233438 UB JA Jorr 901120 rg EX ips pado hao ajs jeus Pimbng 351000 ERG EF pem spun JC ZOO RSA SF EN ponas peo s suison Telecom 25 000 2489415 _120 TEE s r 1 DEDE AF z T ArenaSoft Estimating Version 280 User s Manual Page 29 Linking to 34 Party Software 9 Updating Estimates Using References ArenaSoft Estimating uses several different types of databases 1 When you start a new Ee estimate you select the Database References that
4. E Press F5 to expand the lines We click e a uas m wa ma Copied lines 20 amp 30 from the ArenaSoft database Note that there is a green star below the line number which tells you this line is linked to the database Also note that there is AS Db code which matches a code in the database pe 51 JL Na update this estimate to match changes in D TET the database close this form and click the esr Jat Project Info button on the MainForm Marra eee SU TES RET Click the Update Using Database button POP oi Cow Res EE Because the ArenaSoft Database probably has lines that reference your TradeCity labor equipment hourly rates your Crews and your Material Price List items anytime you make changes to these tables the ArenaSoft database will automatically be updated to match The estimate that is currently open on the MainForm will also be updated All other estimates will only be updated when you use the Project Info screen and click the Update Using Database button You can also add lines to your Database while working on an estimate Just right click the Description box of any line in your estimate Select Copy Line to Database If the line exists in the Database it s cost will be updated If the line does not exist
5. them to an different estimate ao LIII es EC Page 44 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Pull Down Menus Target Estimate pian T You can select whether you want to include the Quantities and Takeoff Coping includes all the details that are part of any line in the section such as Labor Details Assemblies or Material Price List items Section EXE f View Flagged Form Flagging an item you want to come back to later Each line of the estimate has a check box at the right hand side of the screen aaa uacecun Een You can check this box if you want to return to this line later Paving amp Surfacing Kent E TE anton of aca io Section General Conditions bates Zane mei From the MainForm you can click the View Flagged button This opens a screen which lists all the items where you had clicked the Flagged box and also any items which total zero This is designed I DU 7 to help you catch any items where a ee you forgot to enter a unit p
6. ARENASOFT ESTIMATING User s Manual 2R80 and later ARENASOFT Table of Contents Table of Contents l Installing Your Software 2 Getting Started 3 Key Concep 4 Crews Trades amp Equipment 5 ArenaSoft Database 6 7 8 9 RS Means Databa Material Price List amp Bill of Historical Cost Database Materials Updating Estimates Using References 10 Assemblies 1l Linking to 3rd Party Software accounting 12 Working Multi user 13 Appendix Table of Contents Expanded 1 Installing Your Software A Hardware Software Requirements B Installing your software 2 Getting Started Launch ArenaSoft Estimating On Line Help My Company General Info View an Existing Estimate 1 Open an Existing Estimate 2 Duplicating an Existing Estimate E Creating a New Estimate Organize Your Estimate Enter Estimate Lin Take off Quantities Analyze Subcontractor Quote Enter Bottom Line Percentages amp Profit Printing your Estimate Wizard 3 Key Concepts 4 Crews Trades amp Equipment A Setting up YOUR Labor amp Equipment Rates B Using Labor Details in your Estimate vos mauna Page 2 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual able of Contents 5 ArenaSoft Database A Usinga Single ArenaSoft Database B Converting the Albany Data
7. aan et Tips button will give you specific instructions from Space PORT Fil Export to Other 3 Party Software 1 ArenaSoft Estimating s Export Engine be customized to provide a one click export to virtually any other software package whether it be Scheduling software Project Management Software etc In Step 2 of the Export Wizard you can select CSI Section Totals Only which will give you a more condensed set of data If you wish to condense the data differently you can do as discussed above Page 40 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Linking to 3 Party Software 12 Working Multi user 1 ArenaSoft Estimating can be set up as a single user program or on your server for Multi user offices When used Multi user two or more estimators can work on the same estimate at the same time or on different estimates Either way they share a common database so the estimates will be consistent Using a server is ideal because it gets backed up each night You do not need a dedicated server as the server can be used for other programs as well If you have a small office even an estimator s PC can be used as the server for the other estimators Multi user set up is easy and can usually be set up with a 10 minute phone call with ArenaSoft Tech Support 2 For Multi user use each client gets a shortcut icon on their desktop that they double click to access the estimating system 3 Multi user s
8. on EIL eis ell fr poy be estimate If you only work in one city you will Sienai Deron Lone have choice E New Estimate Once an estimate has been started you can update the estimate to reflect changes in the database With the MainForm open to the estimate click the Project Info button to open the Project Info screen Under the heading Update Current Estimate Using click the button for the type of database that was changed You may have to click one or more of the Update buttons depending on the databases involved See list of databases below If you use multiple ArenaSoft a Databases for different cities and multiple TradeCities for different cities you can change an estimate from one city to another by changing the references and then clicking one or more of the Update buttons update your current estimate to reflect changes you made in a Database you must be in the current estimate with the Project Info screen open and you must click one or more of the Update buttons as follows Database Button If you made changes in the ArenaSoft Database click the Database button This updates the lines in your estimate that are linked to the ArenaSoft Database b RS Means Button If you receive new Means Data from ArenaSoft for a new year click the Means button to update this estimate to the new Means costs c TradeCities Button If you made changes to the Labor or Equip
9. If you wish you can include note like this in your email message ArenaSoft Estimating Version 280 User s Manual Page 47 Emailing Estimate If you have trouble opening the attached document please down load the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader This is a free program http www adobe com products acrobat readstep2 html Method B Receiver needs to be able to edit the estimate but does not own ArenaSoft Estimating Microsoft Excel Method 1 Use ArenaSoft s EXCEL Wizard to save the es spread sheets See Advanced Features Wizards imate reports into Excel Spread Sheets Now you can email the Excel Excel Wizard above Method C Receiver needs to be able to edit the estimate and owns ArenaSoft Estimating Import Export Method 1 From within ArenaSoft Export one or more estimates by going to pull down menu Import Export and selecting Export Estimates This puts the estimates into a folder called Exported Estimates which is in your C drive Quit ArenaSoft 2 Before emailing the file in your Exported Estimates folder it s a good idea to Zip the files 1 Most email programs will not allow you to receive the export file unless it has been zipped You can purchase the WinZip program from www winzip com Most PCs already have this program 3 Now attach the Zip file to an email Receiving an Estimate by email 1 You received an email message an
10. 03000 Concrete and 04000 Masonry to our estimate by clicking on these lines click the words or numbers 2 Now let s create a Zone for our estimate You can have one or many Zones From the MainForm click the Zones button Type Zone 1 Close the screen Page 8 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Getting Started 2 Enter Estimate Lines Now let s enter some lines into our estimate From the MainForm click View Summary You now see the 3 Sections we entered into this estimate Note that the lines have no dollars Click once on the Concrete line in the Tan colored area 2 The Enter Estimate screen opens click on Zone 1 in the pop up menu Let s type the first line as Piers Quantity 5 Unit each Labor 150 and Material 150 Let s add some additional lines without typing Click the AS Database ArenaSoft Database button A Click copy screen opens showing the ArenaSoft Database At the top of this screen is a list of Spec Sections from the database and 03000 Concrete is already selected so the bottom of the form is already showing Concrete lines from the database Note that you can click any section title in the upper list and the bottom list changes to that section From the lower section of the screen click on the lines Form footings continuous Place footings
11. 03000 for Concrete Click the Create New Estimate button 3 The MainForm now shows you are working on the East Street Office Building estimate 1 Organize Your Estimate You organize your estimate by making Sections and Zones Use the 2 buttons in the Setup area of the MainForm Sections are typically the CSI sections found in the Architect s spec book such as Concrete Masonry etc You must make at least one Zone Zones let you divide a project into areas you want totaled separately Examples of Zones might be Building A and Building B or New Construction and Renovations or Base Bid Alternate 1 Alternate 2 1 Let s create some Sections for our estimate You can have one or many Sections From the MainForm click the Make Sections button Ga mes trom nese fee The green form on the left shows the Sections in this mese mue estimate and the list is empty because this is a new pm zwa estimate In the 2 white boxes at the top of the green qao ASSEMBLIES form you can type a Csi number like 03000 and S Tg raat Concrete and press Return But it s easier to click on ce AA the Csi Sections you want in the grey list to the right of the green form Each time you click a line the line is Ea Titus copied to the Green list This is called a Click Copy screen and ArenaSoft uses Click Copy screens in places Let s add lines 02220 Building Demolition
12. 2 The Details list lets you enter an unlimited number of items The Csi pop up displays all the Csi Sections in your Synchronized Database To add a Section to the Pop up list first add the Section to your ArenaSoft Database The Column pop up lets you select which column Lab Equip Mat or Sub of an estimate this cost will be Click copied into 3 The Cost Code pop up displays all the Cost Codes entered in your Primary Cost Code table found under the Accounting Scheduling pull down menu For more information on using the Historical Costs Database read the on line help provided on the MainForm Global button Historical Cost Data Tab Also See Using the Historical Cost Database above 4 Inflation Adjustments Each project can be viewed with or without Inflation Adjustments by clicking a button on the above form Inflation is adjusted using a different percentage for each year enter these percentages go to MainForm Global button Historical Cost Data Tab and click the Enter Inflation Rates button You enter a different percentage for each year 5 Historical Project Cost reports can be printed from the MainForm Global button Historical Cost Data Tab These reports are useful not only when doing a detailed estimate but for Conceptual judgments of what a new project mi past projects pipe
13. 5 gal pails of spackling etc required in a project you can print this report If you are for each type of Partition in your estimate this report looks inside your Assemblies and totals all the components of the assembly as well 2 To view or print this report from the MainForm click the Details report button Under the type of report select Bill of Materials Under the options there are 3 different ways of grouping your materials a By Project this lists each price list item and it s total quantity for the estimate b By Section this lists each price list item within one estimate section and then goes to the next estimate section By Zone this lists each zone in an estimate and the does the Est Section report for that zone before going to the next zone 8 Historical Cost Database A Using the Historical Cost Database 1 The Historical Cost Database gives you access to your past projects costs while doing an estimate Just like the ArenaSoft Database this is a Click copy form that opens on top of your estimate This form has the added ability to either copy a line into your estimate or just edit the unit price on the active line of your estimate 2 To Enter lines into your estimate from the Enter Estimate form click the Job History button to open the Click copy Historical Costs screen on top of your estimate This form opens to the same Csi section you are working on and displays all the Proje
14. Expsirpo 2 Searching for Estimate From Mamaw Aa the MainForm click the Open Estimate buton 3 You have 2 methods of finding the Ont TREE estimate by selecting the CLIENT or by doing a key word SEARCH To do a Search click the SEARCH tab and type any word found in either the Project Name or Client name ArenaSoft finds all estimates that contains that word Select a Client Ta Click on the Text gt gt Coury SA LIE My Company General Info Form Locking Estimates The My General Information amp Insurance Ratas X Company General Info screen lets My Company s General Info you lock all your estimates to gt prevent accidental changes Locked wi Company Name 2 Lock All Estimates estimates can still be viewed and My Company Street 1 600 Corporate Drive Unlock AllEstimates Printed by any estimator Selected My Company Street 2 PO Box 98765 estimates can be locked or unlocked My Company Ciy r7 from the estimate s Project Info My Company State screen My Company Zip 12217 Phone 518667777 Fac E18 666 8888 ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 43 Forms Estimate Summary Form Cost Codes Press F5 expanded view to assign Cost Codes for your Overridden Sections Copy Paste Delete button This button apa Varro karen com aarte as opens a screen which lets
15. If your estimate has more than one Zone the Override Estimate form will have an additional box allowing you to distribute the override amount into each zone If you do not distribute the Override amount into Zones now you can do it at the end of the estimate from the Zone Totals Form See the topic for using the Zone Totals form later in this manual Page 12 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Getting Started Note that the Concrete line is now Grey greg pee peer indicating it s been overridden ve d mee Note that the Column Totals at the top of the form Exclude the Overridden numbers wj wa er pene Note that if the Sub s number is much lower than your number you should question him to ensure his scope s OK We re now ready to view the Estimate Totals and add our Final Adjustments like Mark up From the MainForm click View Totals to open the Totals form Notice how the Totals form displays the Tan and crise RE Green Column Totals at the top and other PURUS UEM Final Adjustments in a list To enter Final ze Adjustments type a description and enter an ki o amount or a formula Type Late steel bid mi 2000 on the 1 line Formulas can reference the CSI Column totals which are displayed at the top of the form by using the Ist letter of the Column Name On the
16. SureTrak Schedules Cash Flow Projections with Microsoft Project Microsoft Project or Primavera SureTrak can be used with ArenaSoft to produce quick Cash Flow projections that owner s frequently ask for Cost Loaded Schedules with Microsoft Project Microsoft Project or Primavera SureTrak can be used to product cost loaded schedules Some projects require that Requisitions be done from a cost loaded schedule To Export to a Scheduling Program 1 From the MainForm go to Export Import menu and select Scheduling Program Ste eb rcx ers sortie SA eee seen ma TE Soom e us x IE pm a l E The Tune up Table opens Click New Table if it s blank The Export Summary screen is set to summarize by Section This is an ideal format to export to a scheduling program since will create a Task bar for each section Concrete Masonry Steel etc You may want to use the Tune up Table to condense certain Sections into one See Exporting to Accounting to learn how the tools work You will note that the Top line of the Export Summary screen may have a blank Csi No These are the Tune up Table lines that have a blank Csi No They typically have an A in the Estimate Column indicating they came from the Final Adjustment section of the estimate You can group
17. TH Ha T E 55 3r sE 3r E 3 3r 3 EI Potion 15 3 E5 ga 1o wak cna sda lapad JE Cave 38025 ga oc gb oach ico Ferien 38 825 ge dovble lever gvb ooch vi Fertion 3 25 ga vb tapa Ein 3 78 gn Tinea bie Peri sech ad Panon 36 823 ga each ape Parton 38 823 90 Teac dosi Teyar quh sach s pad Fariton 3 2 qa each sce toed Pani 3 20 ga Toedo ble layer gon anche ned typ Bod api Primi overteping ee sj Dana Ginss Exeror Cap ci Abuse Rewari OE Ee ror Wal TB gn sis Tcr gab yp shesinc atau Exeror Well Tb gn sia G Vcr qui sheng bains ue Deore u EU Impena venser plaster ccal system Flstsrvars on mel excluding scs Fltercel rs met la erc ng sue isis 21 2 oz 3 cct go KI EI KI EI KI EI E E KI E s Ei FI sr s sr sr KI EI pol s EJ TH 5 37 47 Partition A and a unit of SF for Square Feet Double Click the unit price box to open assembly must have asize That way you can price everything that makes up the arbitrary sized thing The assembly will divide the total cost of the arbitrary assembly by it s size to get the unit prices Let s assume our assembly 10 LF l
18. The above estimate does not have any Cost Codes in it so the Export Summary is showing all the lines with Blank cost codes summarized as one line Page 36 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Linking to 3 Party Software In the Tune up Table let s add a single Step 1 Tune up Table ew ato se atum M the Rough Carpentry Scroll down to the I line in Section 06100 Rough Carpentry that has an M in the Estimate Column The M means onu Ut cot this number came from the Material column of the Estimate Click anywhere on this line Then Click the Find button a The Finder screen opens displaying the Find all lines that match yellow boxes Click on boxes to define search i line you clicked To find all the lines in Uk EAn S aar pai the estimate that have 06100 as the CsiNo Fost toda Pode Description on CIA and an in the Estimate Column Click CI NECI jus mate Fra Alpert Dose on this 2 boxes to tum them yellow T E ALLONS OU 0 B Click the Eind Now button E estimate Tune up T The Tune up Table now displays just the Step 1 Tane up Table lines that met your criteria camcote 4 Click on the Cost Code box to select your cost code Note you could also start typing your cost code to find the code Click Fill Column t
19. appears again Tips 1 30 heavy duty stapler that will staple the upper left corner of a 1 2 thick estimate is a handy tool to 2 a 400 Hewlett Packard LaserJet network printer will print the reports at 17 pages per minute turning out 50 page estimate in 3 minutes 2 Bill of Material Report See below 3 Labor Equipment Report This report prints a summary of Man Hours by Trade and Equipment Days for each type of Equipment An Option will break this down by Spec Section 4 Bill of Material Reports a You can view or print a Bill of Materials Report that summarizes the total quantity of each Price List Material item used in an estimate Thus if you want to see the total quantity of 1 2 gypsum board type X total quantity of 17 drywall screws and total quantity of 5 gal pails of spackling etc required in an estimate you can print this report If you are using an Assembly for each type of Partition in your estimate this report looks inside your Assemblies and totals all the components of the assembly as well b To view or print this report from the MainForm click the Details report button Under the type of report select Bill of Materials Under the options there are 3 different ways of grouping your materials 1 By Project this lists each price list item and it s total quantity for the estimate 2 By Section this lists each price list item within one es By Zone this lists each zone in an es
20. areas Thus if you are estimating a new school you might have a Science Wing Zone a Phys Ed Wing Zone a Classroom Wing Zone and a Bus Garage Zone Knowing the cost of each area during design is very useful if budget trimming needs to be done c Click copy screens Click copy screens are used throughout ArenaSoft Estimating because they are the fastest way to copy information from one place to another Each click also copies hidden data and advanced features such as assemblies crew production cost codes ete d Labor Details Labor unit prices can be based on hourly trade rates and different trades can be grouped into a crew with a daily production rate Thus crew s cost per day the number of units performed that day the Cost per Unit or Unit ArenaSoft Estimating Version 280 User s Manual Page 15 Key Concepts Price If you work in different cities ArenaSoft Estimating lets you select the city which switches the labor rates and updates the estimate to the new City Both the ArenaSoft Database and the RS Means database store Crews amp Production Tates so man hours can be calculated ArenaSoft Database This database of costs is completely customizable so you can store cost data your way It is the heart of ArenaSoft Estimating because it can store both simple data as well as many advanced features You store lines worded your way in the order you want to see them and with your unit prices If y
21. click the Global button Click the Trade Cities button Page 16 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Crews Trades amp Equipment A TradeCity is a list of all the Trades and their hourly rates and all the Equipment and Equipment daily costs These costs vary greatly from City to City TradeCity becomes attached referenced to your ArenaSoft Database ArenaSoft ships with one database and one TradeCity You may never need more It is simpler to maintain just a single database and TradeCity However if you add a 2 ArenaSoft Database a 2 ArenaSoft TradeCity is automatically mem created and attached referenced to the new Database oe 1f you have more than one TradeCity you can switch between them with the Select a Trade City popup rae ere pem Tabor ates Equipment Fates m You can add or delete Trades and edit their hourly rates By clicking the Equipment tab you can do the same for Equipment When you are done editing and close this form the ArenaSoft Database and any estimate that is currently open on the MainForm will be automatically updated to the new hourly rates This update does not effect old estimates However if you want to update an old estimate to reflect the new rates you can use a button on the Project Info screen to do so TradeCity separates the RS Means Trades from your custom trades The View contr
22. form Thus you do not Final Adjustments forget a line or miss type a formula Click the edit button to edit this stored list for use in future iz Desi estimates t rper rper E res E ArenaSoft Estimating Version 280 User s Manual Page 13 Getting Started The View Totals form lets you click on a Grand a Tutap maaga cre Total check box to emphasize the Grand Total Paa Tate Fore Tele mecs Cost at the bottom of the form This allows you to then add lines after the Grand Total to perhaps compare the estimate against the Budget or add Architect fees that are outside of your Grand Annet Form Total iF pecans 2 Sales Tax To add Sales Tax into your estimate on Totals screen write a formula using the letter T or X as the taxable amount X 08 would multiply the taxable amount by 8 You can control what is included in X the taxable amount From the Totals form click on the Tax amp Examples Tab to see the Taxable amount On a Taxable Job You can add sales tax to the entire Material column of the estimate by checking the Mat checkbox This puts a Taxable check mark next to the Material column on every line of the estimate This also puts a taxable check mark next to Material on any new lines you add to the estimate On a Tax Exempt Job You would not put a check mark in the Material check box on the Tax amp Examples T
23. line Page 6 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Getting Started The Enter Estimate screen opens for pm ma Concrete Click on Zonel there is only one zone in this estimate Now you see the concrete estimate You could scroll down and click on the blank line at the bottom of the list and enter another line into the estimate You can navigate to another Section or Zone of this estimate using the e Section amp Zone pop up menus at the top of the list Click on the Section pop up that says 03000 Concrete and change it to 04000 Masonry Now you could add lines to the Masonry Section of the estimate Close all open forms to get back to the MainForm 5 Now let s see the estimate s bottom line adjustments From the MainForm click the View Totals button Here s where we can enter percentages like Sales Tax and Overhead amp Profit to the total of the estimate s Sections Close the Totals form Final Adjustments am ee Ts p Our o a m3 CH Sree ON eee 2 Duplicating an Existing Estimate 1 Duplicating an Estimate From the MainForm which currently is viewing the Barric County estimate click the Duplicate Estimate button An options screen opens Note that
24. next zone nate section and then goes to the next estimate section mate and the does the Est Section report for that zone before going to the 5 Zones Report This report is a concise summary by CSI sections of the estimate with a column of costs for each zone This excellent when you have to breakout the costs for several buildings or areas within one estimate Since the Zone report includes any Subcontractor Quotes you entered into the Override Column this report will not open unless you have distributed those Quotes into zones using the View Totals Zone Totals screen 6 Historical Project Cost reports can be printed from the MainForm Global button Historical Cost Data Tab These reports seful not only when doing a detailed estimate but for Conceptual judgments of what a new project may cost based on your past projects 7 Material Price List reports can be printed from MainForm Global button Material Price List tab 8 Trade Rate Equipment Rates and Crew Costs can be printed from the MainForm Global button Trades amp Crews Tab 9 Custom Reports Customized Reports with special subtotals and any degree of sorts are easy Just copy your estimate into Excel using the Excel Wizard button on the MainForm Also any screen can be moved to Excel using the Tools Analyze it with Excel menu Page 46 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Pull Down Menus D Pull Down Menu
25. no extra work ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 23 ArenaSoft Database 6 RS Means Database If you have purchased the RS Means electronic data along with your ArenaSoft Estimating System the data has been preinstalled and tested by ArenaSoft for you You may have received a demo disk with some sample Means Data included In either case you can add lines in your estimate from the c oven ue RS Means Data Ex EE m Lu a From the Enter Estimate C orm you can a click the RS Means button to open the RS Means Click copy screen to insert Means CU lines into your estimate aga TL pom mid mdr um d x I You can quickly find the Means line you need using iy rao i a drill down method starting with the Top pop up menu and working your way down to the finest 7 detail You can also find your line by clicking the vm Search Tab which lets you search for a key word or Wir cong Fein Cline phrase tet SEY 2 Note that if you have set this estimate to use New Csi Codes then this screen will display the 6 digit codes us If you have set the estimate to use the Old Csi Codes this screen displays the 5 digit 16 division s
26. norint Hist you can add it by Te TE Tati ur tr Dia clicking New Format If you need hers Spur emis tw Tefal pare fermat Salat Gata assistance setting up New Format aug yim t veda srw Irt ee abd o e IM fr reas contact ArenaSoft Support and we Solel an counting Shon system Format will assit you Coat Meyer toten rm Click the Tips button to see if there peer Tnterie corr are any specific instructions for your kahan _ accounting system Frat Click Step 3 Create Export File pue VO DER RU MS Done Your accounting system import this file to set up your Job Cost module Wen pine on Ine previa ovt Sawan screen to contre tfr part oot Codes va Cal oc tione wt witout Zanes Stop Create EXPORT File se 1 If you just want to select various lines that may not have common criteria and assign them a Cost Code just click each line s Flag checkbox a rab santana rr aaa t rernm mc M Jor aa H Now you can use the Find amp Fill Column Er TES we uer buttons as before T the Fetes Daan al jes cen Use the Clear all Flags to clear all check boxes w rg z x c zT 3 x pi Ho ba 2 The Delete button will delete lines from the Tune Up Table
27. record dimensions of things which can later be reviewed and edited From the Tan and Green Estimate Summary form click the Tan area of the Concrete section and click Zone 1 We are now back on the Enter Estimate screen for Concrete Note the purple box around the Quantity ld The purple box means you can double click that box to open it Double click the Quantity box on the Form Walls line The Enter Takeoff screen opens for that line Click the pop up list on the left if it s not already open Select click SF Forms Dbl Vertical from the list That fills in the Takeoff Screen with labels and any constants that apply The constant 2 sides has been entered in a constant box at the top of the screen constant boxes are applied to all the lines that follow Thus every line you enter below will be multiplied by 2 to account for forms on both sides of the wall in the dimensions of a wall to calculate it s quantity Let s say a wall is 200 feet long 200 in the length column 8 feet in the height column and on the next line enter a wall that s 300 feet long amp 4 feet high Click the Enter button or press Enter on the keyboard to close this screen The quantity of 5600 SF of forms has been filled in for us on the Enter Estimate screen We could double click the 5600 to re open the Enter Takeoff screen to see if we missed a wall Note that the letter T for Takeoff appears under the 5600 to le
28. so they will not be Exported You might want to delete your Profit line Any changes you make in the Tune Up Table do not effect your estimate You can even change text or numbers and your Estimate is not effected 3 The Group button can be used after the Find button If 4 lines are found the Group button deletes them from the Tune Up Table and replaces them with a single line This is not as helpful as the Column button because the history of what the Group button does is lost Again deleting or changing lines in the Tune Up Table does not effect your Estimate Page 38 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Linking to 3 Party Software 4 If you are not happy with your Tune Up Table click the New Table button to replace the Tune Up Table with a new one which again has 1 line for every number in your estimate 5 If you have multiple Estimates perhaps Base Bid and Alternates were done as separate Estimates you can add additional estimates to your Tune Up Table by clicking Add an Estimate 6 If you quickly want to step through your estimate and assign cost codes to all lines for each Csi number Column type all 06100 s in Material Column then use the Cost Code Wizard button It works similarly to Steps 1 through 6 but is very fast Just skip lines you don t want to group You can Jump to the Section you want by using the pop up menu B Export to Microsoft Project or
29. take off again The Select Labels popup has predefined labels for common takeoffs like SF Vertical or SF Horizontal as well as special takeoffs for things like CY Concrete a Constant of 27 divides to get Cubic Yards from cubic feet Tons of Steel a Constant of 2000 divides pounds to get tons etc You can add your own custom Labels by clicking the Edit Labels button The math is always the same 4 columns multiply and 1 column divides But you control the labeling of each column and any constant values as part of a Label s definition ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 11 Getting Started 4 Analyze Subcontractor Quotes 1 Entering Subcontractor Quotes From the MainForm click the View Summary button so we can see the Estimate Summary The Estimate Summary has Tan columns on the left and 2 Green columns on the right The Tan columns summarize your estimate The Green columns let you override your estimate with a Subcontractor quote Let s say you get a quote from a Concrete parol subcontractor for 39 000 You want to pe cm override your estimate with the sub s quote Sections rines Fe Maie From the pagbara stimate Summary screen click in the green area of the Concrete line Bn 2 Pus ae to open the Override Estimate screen sur
30. the New Estimate Options screen will let us clear all Quantities which would duplicate the estimate and all of it s lines but leaving all quantities blank the new estimate would total 0 This is a common technique you will use for doing a new estimate that is similar to an existing estimate For now just click OK which makes a complete duplicate of the current estimate 2 Now the MainForm says the current estimate is Copy of Base Bid Office Building Click the MainForm s Project Info button and change the project name to Main Street Office Building Close the Project Info screen ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 7 Getting Started E Creating a New Estimate 1 From the MainForm Click on New Estimate mem 2 In the New Estimate screen type a Project Name let s type East Street Office Building Then press TAB to select a Client Let s say this estimate is for a new Client the ABC Company so the Client s name is not in the pop up menu Click the New Button and create new Client by typing ABC Company in the ClientCompanyName field Close the Enter Client screen Fill in the other boxes on the New Estimate screen Red Text are required fields If you select Use New Csi Codes you are selecting that all Databases switch to the new 6 digit Master Format 2004 Csi codes old system was 5 digits like
31. this line of the estimate click the Job History button When the History form opens it shows all the History lines for this Csi Section Now click the Cost Codes radio button and you will now see two buttons light up showing your Material Cost Page 28 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Historical Cost Database Code and your Labor Cost Code for Forming Footings Click either button shows your past projects amp costs just for that cost code either code labor or material Thus the body of the Historical Costs Click copy screen now shows Labor for Form Footings on Job A was 2 35 sf and on Job was 2 93 SF and on Job C was 3 38 SF If you click the radio button to Edit active line and then click the History line you want it will edit your unit price in the estimate to reflect the job history choice 4 Inflation The History screen lets you toggle costs for inflation adjusted or not adjusted See Inflation Adjustments below B Entering Projects into the Historical Cost Database 1 To enter a project into your Historical Cost Database from the MainForm click the Global button Historical Cost Data Tab and click the Enter Projects button Click the New Project button in the yellow area and type in the data Click the View button in the Details area to see more details Click this button again to switch projects Click a Project Name the yellow list to see that project
32. type of Maintenance is performed every time you Quit ArenaSoft If you Quit ArenaSoft by mistake allow or 2 seconds before relaunching the program or you may get a message saying the program is in use Maintaining your Windows Operating System ArenaSoft recommend you subscribe to Microsoft Update which will download Windows Updates that Microsoft issues If you are getting an error message in ArenaSoft we recommend you verify your Windows Operating system is up to date Go to ArenaSoft HELP and to Critical Updates Backing up your data It is good practice to periodically back up your data to another location either on your hard disk or better yet to a separate tape drive or network drive All of your estimates and databases are contained in one file called AseData2R80 mdb You may have renamed this file and moved it to a server or other location To verify the Data name and location go to the Tools menu Data File To do a back up just duplicate this file By default the file is located in the folder My Computer CProgram Files ArenaSoft Estimating 280 Page 42 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Pull Down Menus B Forms ArenaSoft has many Features and this Users Manual can not cover them all You will discover many feature as you use the program few features for a few selected forms are presented below Open Estimate Form l Update Export c T Tode Update
33. unless you manually adjust a line in a city by turning off Synchronization 3 Synchronizing RS Means data If you use RS Means lines in your ArenaSoft Databases then the same 3 rules are applied to the RS Means lines If your database is set to reference RS Means book values or to reference Means crews using your custom TradeCities then the Means lines are kept Synchronized perfectly If your database is set to reference RS Means City Indexes then the rule 43 City Index must match the Means City Index for the Synchronization to be a perfect match 3 Turning Synchronization OFF The above rules are only a help if you don t have better data If you want to manually enter Costs in one database and not effect the other databases you can turn Synchronization Off for that line eS 33 The green button on Database Entry form umm X nom means Synchronization is ON Click the button to turn Synchronization off Now when you edit a line in this database it does not effect the other databases If you want to see the values for one line in the other databases click the S button The City Synchronization Screen opens This is showing you the values for line 70 in 3 different databases You can click a line on this screen to switch to that database Because of such specialized tools maintaining multiple databases is almost
34. 2 line type Labor Burden 30 and type the formula L 30 This multiplies the Tamban bk be Eni iho Td estimate s Labor total by 30 Note that i since the Tan Column Totals at the top of the form do not include Overridden numbers this is an accurate computation Click the Insert Total button This gives us a subtotal Use a T in a formula to reference the previous Total line Type Insurance on the next line and T 0025 The formula for adding a Bond is the letter B and the resulting amount will be based on your bond rate table Bond Rates are entered in the My Company General Info screen Click the Insert Total button again Enter Overhead amp Profit and a formula of T 05 Note that you can even enter a complex formula to mark up labor 30 and the rest of job 5 The formula would be L 30 T L 05 and L will be your actual labor not labor that has been overridden with a sub s quote AINT Just like other screens the Totals form has an Insert Line button and you can move lines up or down by changing the line number and there s a renumber lines button You can add as many subtotals as you need by clicking the Insert Total button And like other forms there is a Click copy List button This opens a list your commonly used XY ERGO Final Adjustment lines Just click copy the lines Fie t you want into the Totals
35. M Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Material Price List a better quote on 3000 psi concrete and update one of the lines in the estimate you can click the small button in the upper right corner of the Enter Estimate Form to update the material unit price for all the lines in the current estimate that use this Material Price List item 3000 psi concrete This method does not change the price of 3000 psi concrete in your Material Price List or the ArenaSoft Database it just affects one estimate Click copy Serene Copy Poste Delete PintSacton _ Inset AS DataBase JobHistoy RS meone EU ses 03000 Cast in Place Concret 9Eq Days TE T Hul T 707527 Zoe omi Quay Uni Labor 5 E at 10 171800 amp 3 V Cost Codes Lab aao NONIE magaan Shon 4s pu cm ar s Oo NU e Cost codes Lab si Mat riiet anan RE 35 38 1 Crew 5n 23days Sa Mrs Crew Concrete Place Edit this price Then click the M to update all lines in the estimate using 3000 psi concrete 7 Using the Material Price List reduces the number of lines you need in the ArenaSoft Database making it easier to use the database and find the line you need For example you can have one line in the ArenaSoft Database for Brick veneer st
36. Price List items and Labor Details Very easy to do ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 35 Linking to 3 Party Software 11 Linking to 3rd Party Software accounting scheduling A Export to an Accounting System Nearly every Accounting System will import a list of Job Cost Items their Cost Codes and their Budgets from ArenaSoft Estimating These Cost Codes and Budgets are then used in your accounting system to track your real costs against your budgets accomplish this ArenaSoft Estimating lets you export your Job Cost data as a text file which is specifically formatted to be imported by your Accounting System There are 3 Steps to exporting to accounting Step 1 creates a copy of your estimate called a Tune up Table The Tune up Table has tools that help you condense your estimate into the lines you want in your accounting system and you can assign any cost codes that don t exist in the estimate Since the Tune up Table is a copy of your estimate changes you make to it do not effect yourestimate Thus you can delete your Profit line since you probably don t track that in Accounting Step 2 is typically 2 clicks to open the Export Engine and Select your Accounting system from the list Step 3 is one click Create Export File Note that some companies skip Step 3 and simply give the printed reports from the Tune up Table to accounting to be manually entered With your estimate op
37. R80 or later let s you select any printer from the File Select Printer menu You can even select an Adobe PDF printer to create a PDF file of any ArenaSoft Report Note you must own Adobe Acrobat Writer to do make PDF files Screen Resolution A computer Monitor can use any of several Screen Resolutions This effects how big or small things appear on screen ArenaSoft Estimating will adjust it s screens to any screen resolution Higher resolutions will show you more and this can be beneficial when estimating A common resolution that many PCs ship with today and which work well with ArenaSoft Estimating is 1680 x 1050 or something close With a high resolution like this you should also select a DPI setting of Large Text or 120 DPI This keeps your fonts from being too small This is a common factory setting However if you wish to change your Monitor s resolution right click your Desktop select Properties and click the Settings Tab To change the Font s DPI also click the Advanced button ArenaSoft version 280 the 1 ArenaSoft version to adjust it s screens and take advantage of these high resolution monitors Automatic Maintenance ArenaSoft Estimating performs automatic Maintenance to insure top performance at all times The 1 time you launch ArenaSoft on Mondays or Thursdays a message will alert you it s doing maintenance Maintenance may take about a minute if done on a network Let the screen finish without interruption Another
38. a Hotel and a separate estimate is a Parking Garage you can change the Zone name in the Hotel to Hotel and the zone name in the Parking Garage to Parking Garage Now merge the estimates You get one estimate with a Parking Garage Zone and a Hotel Zone Optionally if you make the Zone names in both estimates the same say Zonel when you do the merge you get an estimate with one zone Zonel Another use of the Merge Wizard is when you do not have a network and 2 or more estimators both work on the same estimate using different PC s Estimator A can then export his estimate copy it to the other PC with a floppy disk Import the estimate so that both estimates are now inside Estimator B s copy of ArenaSoft Estimating Finally from the MainForm click the Merge button This runs the Merge Wizard which combines 2 estimates into one 4 Excel Wizard The Excel Wizard on the MainForm is a great tool One click launches Excel and fills a spread sheet with any of several reports Once your estimate is in Excel you can do any type of analysis or report that you require This is so much more flexible than systems that claim to do custom reports because their custom reports rarely do what you want Another common use of the Excel Wizard occurs after you are awarded a job Many companies prefer to give their project manager the estimate in Excel so the PM can use the estimate to buy the job out The PM can sort and group the estimate any way he wa
39. ab However when you are entering lines in the estimate like form concrete you can tax the form material by clicking the checkbox in the material column on that line of the estimate Thus all lines of the estimate are tax exempt except for specific lines that you indicated are taxable in the estimate ua I aT fg Marking a Taxable item ES B GC iL mal bi ona Tax Exempt Job oem 4 Adding Markup to Zones The Totals form lets you add percentages to the end of the estimate For an estimate that has Zones you can see the total of each zone by clicking the Zone Totals Tab on the Totals form To distribute the line totals against the various zones you can select check boxes for 3 automatic methods of distributing to the zones or manually enter amounts in each zone Manually entered amounts must total the line total or the unbalanced amount will flash red until itis in balance If subs quotes were entered into the Override column during the estimate and you did not distribute the sub s quote into zones then the CSI total will flash red You can click the Distribute Csi Sections button to correct the imbalance ArenaSoft will not let you make a mistake 6 Printing your Estimat The MainForm has 4 buttons for printing your estimate Each of these opens an Options screen which lets you select from many useful reports The reports are designed for you an
40. abor etc There is another line called 5 8 Gyp board This line is an Assembly consisting of Gyp board material screws and labor There is another line called Taping This line is an Assembly consisting of taping compound corner bead and labor Let s add a new line to the ArenaSoft Database which will be an Assembly for a complete partition We will create this partition assembly by Click copying the other 3 assemblies into this Master assembly Open the ArenaSoft Database like it was estimate Click Open Estimate Databases Albany Open the Drywall section Click View Summary 09200 Scroll to a blank line at the bottom of the list ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 33 Linking to 3 Party Software ioter 092000 Drywall an Assembly e eB BEL Labor Equipment Melorial sub ET Nu oss Clem DATASARES Dataaaan Ai RT Wood Windows 330 960 Window loosen coseno Sect rds 200 Skdghs 0 87100 Doc Hardware 87180 Detention Hardware 080000 Gloang Glazing 92707 L loss Fiber screen Feb Ur UnhLabor Unt uip pres 715 TW 2 TU TH
41. an change the Multiplication Factor and the Unit Price will change or vise versa Thus you never loose sight of the original price in the Price List PL under the Material price indicates a Price List item was used and a PLO means a Price List item was used but was overridden PLO stands for Price List Overridden Click topy Scroons Copy Poste Delete PintSecion 8 Doista Line AS DotEase JobHistaw AS Means Overridden ats Ret 03000 Castin Place Concret WEE T Ci Tl aem Zone omi S Quanity Unit Labor Eq Mat sub Tota Tee a TU TU o a m na I V y Gost Codes Lab gt eal is Mat T 1 Mat Prust Fors ag mens cade Ge Grat Fam Pde TET Footings cortinucus 2944 228 5500 Lu quur TE iu I 3 Li T Cost codes Lab J Jal E Jma E Mat priist Coe SU Ea TRE maana case Sten 2 3 5 60 Cow conact Pace fva no cun Material Price List pop up menu Multiplication Factor 3 If you have more than one ArenaSoft Database the Material Price Li Database City is referenced in the estimate 4 A Material Price List item can be used on any line of the estimate or any line of an assembly or sub asse
42. andard size After using the Click copy screen to add this line to your estimate you can press F5 to expand the view and then use the Material Price List pop up to select the particular brick you need B Adding Materials to the Material Price List 1 To add lines to the Material Price List you go to MainForm Global button Material Price List and click the Enter Material Price List button You organize the Price List by Csi Section and then sub Categories within each Section 2 To add a Section to the Price List click the Add New Csi button and then select a Csi Section from the pop up menu If the Csi Section you want is not in the list you must first add the Section to your ArenaSoft Database Clicking the View Csi s Used button restricts the pop up to just the Csi Sections you have added to va ERO TSE Ona ani your Material Price Lis peeeco satotacongry 3 To add a Category to the Csi Section C Once you have selected a Csi Section you can click the Add Edit Category button mig t m to add sub categories under this Section Add Manufacturer s names or other EN TIE mil o divisions to organize your Price List ETET Y XA 4 To add a Material item When you add fence materials in the list you must enter a List Pana a TSAA a EI Price an
43. assembly or sub assembly Rules Controling Synchronized Databases Entering a iine into one City s database vill automatically add the same line to the other City databases Editing a line edits that line in all databases The following rules control the costs in the other databases 3 the line you type uses Trades Equipment or Crews the matching linc in cach database will use the hourly rates defined by the TradeCity referenced for that database 2 1f the inc you type uses a Material Price Lst item then the matching ine in cach database wil use the Materiel Price defined by the Material Price List for each Database 5 Otherwise the following City Indexes are used to enter the costs in cach database 4 You can turn off Synchronization when editing a line so vou can manually Control the cost in each database maintained 20 higher than City A You could use indexes of 100 and 120 and get the same results Thus you con use RS Mans City indere i you wish They typically range from 60 to 140 City Indexes tab Fa Mat Sub cube eom col MES fiteny NY Database ER 57 57 Page 22 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual ArenaSoft Database 2 To set the City Index for Rule 3 adjust it on the above form If you make the City Index 1 for City A and 1 2 for City then City B will always be maintained at 20 higher than City unless rules or 2 apply or
44. base to YOUR City s co C Working with Multiple Databa 1 Three Rules Controlling Synchronized Databas 6 RS Means Database 7 Material Price List amp Bill of Materials A Estimating with the Material Price Li B Adding Materials to the Material Price Lis C Bill of Material 8 Historical Cost Databa A Using the Historical Cost Database B Entering Projects into the Historical C 9 Updating Estimates Using References 10 Assemblic A Example Assembly Drywall Partition Linking to 3rd Party Software accounting A Export to an Accounting System B 20 t Database Export to Microsoft Project or SureTrak Schedules Export to Other 3 Party Software 12 Working Multi user 13 Appendix Back ups and Maintenance Forms f 2 8 Emailing Estimates ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 3 Getting Started 1 Installing Your Software UPGRADING If you are Upgrading and already have ArenaSoft Estimating on your PC then skip this section and perform the steps in the Installing an Upgrade sheet that accompanied the upgrade MULTIUSER INSTALLATIONS See our separate manual for Multi user or Network Installations A Hardware Software Requirements Pentium Class PC with 200 Megs free hard disk space Any Windows OS Windows 98 NT4 0 ME 2000 XP Vista B Installing your soft
45. box This tells you the labor unit price was calculated from Labor Details If TET dL mui zc you try and change the labor unit price by typing on the Enter Estimate screen a mI I t m dialog box alerts you that labor details exist mL T m aT and you can choose to wipe out the labor details and use your typing or open the details screen so you can adjust the unit cost there Using Labor Details in the estimate enables ArenaSoft Estimating to calculate total Man hours amp Equipment hours These are T displayed on every line of the estimate if your press F5 on the Enter Estimate screen A peer you will widen the lines and see a summary of labor details You typically do not enter Labor Details on estimate lines that you do not self perform Thus these man hour totals summarize the Bas rT T gem e aa a work you self perform Man Hours and Equipment Days are typically display in a Blue font Note that the Tan Total boxes at the top of the form do NOT include numbers that have been overridden ArenaSoft Es
46. continuous Form Walls Place Walls and Form amp Pour Elevator Pit La ck un Lies Cap imo Eat Ld S Lt un Note that these lines are being added to Gap sosen peregre your estimate which you can see on the left DELL EDU GS n glue t s handy to click on your estimate to bring i ee pue it forward while leaving the Click copy TF TT screen open so you can switch back and SSS ee Re forth without loosing your place Click on the Estimate to bring it forward Note that man n 7 we added 5 lines complete with unit prices ET without typing All that is left is to enter D mde md some quantities Click the Quantities box for form footings continuous and type a number like 1200 SF Now use the down arrow key on your keyboard to navigate down the quantity column and enter quantities as follows Place footings 44 cy Form Walls 4800 sf Place Walls 88 cy and Elevator Pit 1 each Note that the ArenaSoft database can store more info than you currently see and that info is also click copied into your estimate Thus some of the lines say L below the Quantity box Labor Details exist an Assembly exists and PL which means a Material Price Lis
47. cts and items you have entered into this database for this Csi section The items can be large conceptual units such as Structural Steel on a Square Foot basis or detailed such as Form Footings on a SF of form basis It is up to you as to the type of items you put in each Csi Section of your Historical Database 3 Find Lines based on Cost Code If you enter cost codes into you ArenaSoft Database you can use those codes to fine tune your search for a particular item in your Historical Cost Database Thus using the ArenaSoft Database you B ctick copy Historical costs Copy Click copy a line Col Cost Code ten Unit like Porm TT Sud BRANT it Widobontrectors 1995 POC Calege Nerman Since Center Worth ootings into Suea MA 70 am your estimate YnJobContractor gt gt 1986 Ande County Courthouse Finirghan The line comes in Ta Fus STRUCTURAL STEEL a a 1418 T with your YnJobContractor gt gt 1989 FerdrSchoolDiti Addere amp Rerovatere 2ecrecle EASmih T Sed TAON 2000 0 standard unit YrJobContractor gt gt 1988 Walon Gereral Hospi Addlrs Renovatonsa DS prices and also 05120 E Siructuss steel RN 8105 1035 mosh bariokts U s n GC with your cost gt Horsa Central Schl New Flementary Schol codes With your cursor on
48. d a price for each City in your list of Synchronized Databases For any City you can either enter the Price or a Multiplication Factor Tip When entering a long list of items you can fill a multiplier down the whole column by typing the first multiplier selecting it doing a Copy ctrl C and then pasting the value down the column by alternating ctrl V and the down arrow 5 Updating your Databases When you are done editing the Material Price List and close the form ArenaSoft automatically updates your ArenaSoft Databases and if an estimate is open on the MainForm that estimate is updated as well 6 Updating the Material Price List from an Estimate If you are working on an estimate you can add the Material item on that line of the estimate to your Material Price List Just right click the Description box on that line of the estimate and select ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 27 Material Price List Copy to Material Price List If the item exists in the Material Price list it s cost will be updated to match the estimate If the line does not exist in the Material Price List it will be added C Bill of Materials 1 You can view or print a Bill of Materials Report that summarizes the total quantity of each Price List Material item used in estimate Thus if you want to see the total quantity of 1 2 gypsum board type X total quantity of 1 drywall screws and total quantity of
49. d are presentation quality With ArenaSoft Estimating you do not need Crystal Reports or a Programmer to design your reports You never waste time adjusting column widths to get things to fit on a page The buttons on the MainForm print the entire estimate There are also Print buttons on many screens that print just the info on that screen For example if you are in the Concrete section of an estimate there is a print button that just prints that one section of the estimate concrete 7 Wizards The MainForm has 4 ard buttons They are powerful tools as described below 1 Adjust Wizard Use this Wizard to change an entire estimate or parts of an estimate by a percentage You can change all the unit prices in an entire estimate or database with one click From the MainForm click the Adjust button Enter a percentage and click Next If you want to adjust the entire estimate click Finish or select from several options to adjust Page 14 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Getting Started just certain sections zones or columns of the estimate Example 1 you need to increase the Material column of the Concrete Section of the Science Wing Zone by 5 Example 2 your boss wants to give the owner a copy of your estimate but not show him your General Conditions Overhead or profit Just duplicate the estimate and in the owner s copy delete the General Conditions Section and the Overhead a
50. d attached to it is an estimate that has been Zipped Click the link to save the zipped archive file to your desktop Quit the email program 2 Create a new folder on your desktop right click the desktop and select New folder Name this folder 3 Find the zipped archive file on your desktop Double click this file to see the contents Drag the file ins the new folder Exported Estimates Close the WinZip window 4 Put the Exported Estimates folder in your C drive You can trash any existing Exported E in this location 5 You are now ready to import the estimate or estimates into ArenaSoft Estimating Launch ArenaSoft go to the pull down menu Import Export and selecting Import Estimate This loads the estimates into ArenaSoft xported Estimate le the Zip window to ates folder that may already be Revised 1 1 2007 Copyright ArenaSoft 1998 to 2007 Page 48 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual
51. ed 3 Synchronized Databases Because your ArenaSoft database may use features such as Labor Details Assemblies RS Means lines and Material Price List References it can get to be a lot of work to maintain all these features across multiple databases ArenaSoft maintains multiple databases for you as if it was a single database If you add a line to the one database the line is added to the other databases according to a set of rules 1 Three Rules Controlling Synchronized Databases 1 The 3 rules for how Synchronized Databases are kept synchronized are as follows The above screen Global ArenaSoft Database Tab has a Rules button which displays the following form This form explains the rules and lets you adjust the indexes 1 if the unit price you entered in a line of a database uses Labor Details which reference a TradeCity rate table then the Labor costs are adjusted in the other databases using their respective TradeCity rates 2 if the unit price you entered in a line of a database uses a Material Price List item then the Material Price list item is copied into the other databases using the Material Price List cost for that City 3 for all other unit prices a multiplier City Index is used to maintain the other databases at a preset percentage difference If an Assembly or Sub assembly is added or adjusted in one database the assembly is copied into the other databases and these same 3 rules apply to all the lines of the
52. en on the MainForm go to the pull down menu Accounting Scheduling amp select Export to Accounting The Tune up Table opens If the table is blank click the New Table button The Export Summary screen is shown to the right of the Tune up Table Stop 1 Tune up Table mm mt 4 The Tune Up Table shows E el on a you each ara eene Number inthe Ee Estimate onits 1 54 ownline You must assign a Cost Code to each number Typically you want to assign the same Cost Code to many lines and then Pee Prts cases bei E summarize mm those lines into m pon one line for that Cost Code Find amp Fill Column buttons make this easy kn jesse imer mEn a Note that several lines at the top of the Tune up table may not have Csi Nos The Estimate Column field displays an A This means the number came from the Final A djustments section of the Estimate The Estimate Summary screen is displayed on the right and shows you what will be exported to Accounting All Tune up lines with the same Cost Code will be summarized into one line Cost codes may already exist in your estimate as they may have been click copied into your estimate from the ArenaSoft Database If they already exist the Export Summary screen would already be showing those Cost Codes summarized as one line per code
53. etups are wonderful on Bid Day since more than one PC to be used during the Bid Day crunch A great advantage Most ArenaSoft Estimating screens are kept current at all times However be aware that the Estimate Summary and Totals forms are correct when you open them but if you leave them open while another PC makes changes to the estimate the open screen is only updated every 60 seconds To be sure the open screen is current just click the Multi User Update button 4 Laptop users can move estimates off the server and onto their laptop so they can work on the estimate while away from the office When they return they can copy the estimate back onto the server To move an estimate onto your PC launch the server based estimating system as you normally would Go to the Expor Import pull down menu and down to Export Estimates Select the estimate or estimates you want to export and click the Export Estimates button Now click the Tools menu Data File and switch to your local Data File of ArenaSoft Estimating Finally go to the Export Import pull down menu Select Import Estimates The estimate is imported to your local PC To move the estimate back onto the server you do the process in reverse It s very e ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 41 Forms 13 Appendix A Back ups and Maintenance Selecting Printer ArenaSoft normally prints to your Default Printer However Version 2
54. ference settings Changing the setting on this screen is only valid while the screen remains open and does not change the setting in the Project Info screen 5 All RS Means lines include Labor Details Trade Crew amp Production Rates Thus using them in your estimate will alway give you total Man hour figures ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Page 25 Material Price List 7 Material Price List amp Bill of Materials A Estimating with the Material Price List 1 The Material Price List gives you quick access to lists of Material Prices If you work with several manufacturers you access their price lists while doing an estimate A masonry contractor can have access to many sizes of brick and within one size many different colors and types If you are a Plumbing HVAC or Electrical Contractor you can access all your different pipe materials pipe sizes fittings and valves etc 2 To Enter a Material Price List item into your estimate press F5 to see the expanded view and use the Material Price List Pop up menu to select your material When you select an item the Price is entered as the material column s unit price and also Multiplication Factor is entered Text of the description box is also changed to include the Material Price List item surrounded by and If you change the pop up to another item the text inside the will be changed to match You c
55. he Adjust Wizard or line by line 3 The MainForm opens and you are ready to go to work Page 4 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Getting Started The MainForm has a Global area which mem EJ let s you make system wide changes like opening an estimate or adjusting a ortae sia oo The lower section of MainForm is for the Current Estimate On Line Help The HELP pull down menu has several tools to assist you A User Manual B Toggle Cursor Tool Tips On Off Cursor Tool Tips are short messages that show when your hold your mouse over a button or area of a form Use this option to tum them off if they get in your way C Six Steps for Estimating This is an animated Tutorial which let s you navigate to the topic you wish to learn ingle Click Program This is a single click program The only things you double click are boxes with purple borders C My Company General Info 1 Click the My Company General Info button if you need to adjust your Company Name address and your performance bond rates D View an Existing Estimate 1 Open an Existing Estimate We have included a couple Sample Estimates to help you in learning ArenaSoft Estimating These are geared for a General Contractor but the concepts are the same for any type of Estimate From the MainForm click Open Estimate ArenaSoft Estimating Versio
56. in the database it will be added to the database in the section you select This works even with complex lines containing assemblies B Converting the Albany Database to YOUR City s costs Most contractors work with just a single database which they have customized to their style of estimating and the costs for their city ArenaSoft Estimating comes with one database for Albany NY and ne boro aan re ner oem Sra a ann the 1 time you launch ArenaSoft Estimating a Wizard runs and lets otro mtra ense Sugat TUR you select your city and adjusts the ArenaSoft database to that City Tororo cem a inerat or This adjustment was basically applying a multiplier to all lines of the monas gee i ie Database and all Trade rates in the TradeCity You can re run this wizard any time by clicking the Global button on the MainForm and clicking the ArenaSoft Database tab Click the Adjust a Database button to run the wizard Another way to start a new database which will completely replace the Database we provided is to use one of your estimates as the beginning of your database Even if the estimate has quantities in it the quantities will be deleted by the Wizard Click the Global button on the MainForm click the ArenaSoft Databases Tab and click the Start new Set of Dbs button to launch a wizard that let s you select your estimate and make it your Database A better way to adjust your database however is
57. it prices are calculated Let s enter a line for 4 split face block Enter a Quantity of 1000 SF Now double click the labor unit price box UT SE e TET ET miim ae s EP WERE Es Dus ETT T ws jm d The Choose Drill Down Type screen opens Click the Labor button because we just want to add Labor Details We ll discuss Assemblies later in this manual Page 18 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual Crews Trades amp Equipment LT TEST The Labor Detail Screen opens The popup menus at the top of the yellow area let you select from your Trades Equipment and Crews The left pop up for Trades let s you select your custom Trades and the right popup is the Means Trades There are similar popups for Equipment and Crews Click the left popup for Crews to display our custom crews and select a Masonry Crew This fills in the Crew Day and Equip S Day Now type how much production the crew will achieve in day Type 200 SF day under Crew Production Press Tab and the form calculates your unit labor and equipment costs at the top of the form Close this screen to see your unit labor costs in the line of your estimate Enter 4 for a material cost and your line is done Note that an L appears under the Quantity
58. k boxes and Synchronized Databases to capture all of your data and settings 12 Accounting Scheduling Menu See Linking to 3rd Party Software accounting scheduling should you j above E Emailing Estimates There are 3 methods of emailing an estimate depending on what you are trying to accomplish A the receiver only needs to READ amp PRINT the estimate makes a PDF file B the receiver needs to EDIT the estimate but does not own ArenaSoft Est ig uses Excel and C the receiver owns a copy of ArenaSoft Estimating needs import the estimate so he has full edi capability Method A This is by far the most popular method of emailing estimates to owner s Architects Etc The Receiver needs to VIEW or PRINT the estimate Adobe Acrobat Method 1 The sender needs to purchase Adobe Acrobat Writer from www Adobe com cost is about 250 After installing this software you can change your printer to the Acrobat Writer Distiller by using the File Select Printer pull down menu Now print any of your estimate reports as usual Each time you print you will be asked to select a location on your hard disk to store the report file which will be a PDF file Once you have saved these reports you can attach these PDF files to an email and send them Most computers already have the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader on their PC Even Macintosh users will be able to receive read and print your estimate
59. mbly For example line in the ArenaSoft Estimating Database could be a drywall partition The line could be an assembly that contains many Material Price List items such as metal studs different types of gypsum board drywall screws hilti shots and all the other components of a drywall partition When you click copy that partition into your estimate one click on the partition assembly all the components come along Why do you care about the nitty gritty components of a partition Well if you change the price of the 1 drywall screws in your Material Price List you can then update an estimate and all the partition types in that estimate will change to reflect the change in the price of the 1 drywall screws For more information on Assemblies see the topic 5 To update an estimate to reflect the latest prices in your Material Price List you open the estimate and click the Project Info button to open the Project Info screen Click the Update using Material Price List button 6 You can also change a Material Price List item s cost on one line of an estimate and then update that item throughout the estimate without changing the price in the Material Price List Let s say you enter several lines into an estimate that all use the same Material Price List item say 3000 psi concrete These lines maintain a link between themselves If you get will change pric depending on which ArenaSoft Page 26 ArenaSoftT
60. ment hourly rates in a TradeCity click the TradeCity button This updates every line of the estimate that uses this trade rate even lines buried deep in an assembly Page 30 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Linking to 3 Party Software 4 Material Price List Button If you made changes to the Material Price List click the Material Price List button This updates every line of the estimate that uses this Material Price List item even lines buried deep in an assembly 10 Assemblies An Assembly is a mini estimate that calculates the unit prices on a line of the estimate Assemblies can provide great depth and detail behind the simple unit prices you see on any line of the estimate They commonly are set up in the ArenaSoft Database so they can be click copied into an estimate like any other line Once copied into an estimate you can edit the assembly without effecting the database Both Labor Details and Assemblies are entered or viewed the same way Let s create a new Assembly On a blank line of an estimate type Door Frame amp Hardware type the quantity 6 Each amp then double click the unit price box On the next screen click the Assembly button 22 nasa Paang E pu Ca T 5065 D E ccn gue eel ee nem Erose unit ere ining ac E omm a M M Tue This o
61. mponents that make up the Assembly Lines within an Assembly or within it s sub assemblies can include Labor Details and Material Price List items so that man hours and Bill of Material reports can be accurately reflected You can save a lot of time by click copying an assembly into your estimate Assemblies are nestable within each other 4 Crews Trades amp Equipment Many contractors use hourly labor rates and man hours to arrive at their labor costs ArenaSoft s intuitive Labor Details form helps you convert your man hour costs and productivity records into a unit price like S cubic yard Unit prices make it easy to apply your labor costs to different quantities of work The Labor Details form let you select the Crew Trade or Equipment you need and displaying their daily cost The daily cost is adjusted to the TradeCity that has been selected for this estimate Each TradeCity holds the hourly rates of all the Trades and Equipment for one City Thus an estimate which uses Crews Trades amp Equipment can be updated based on a change in labor rates or based on a change from one city to another A Setting up YOUR Labor amp Equipment Rates m 1 ArenaSoft Estimating ships with Labor Equipment Rate tables for Nac WE man map eres t eerta orav Te Albany NY This is called a TradeCity You can adjust this Trade Trade amp Crew Set Up Optional City You can have multiple TradeCit 2 Setting up YOUR TradeCity From the MainForm
62. n 2R80 User s Manual Page 5 Getting Started The Select Estimate form opens Select an You will see a list of Clients Estimate below Click on the Text Click on the Barric County client This displays all the estimates we have done for this Client Click on the Estimate you want to open The Main Form now shows that we are working on the Base Bid Office Building for Barric County The lower right corner of the MainForm shows the list of all estimates for this client Click on Alternate 1 to switch estimates and then click back on Base Bid Click on the View Summary button The Estimate Summary opens showing a complete estimate organized by CSI Sections Columns are totaled at the top Black numbers are dollars blue numbers rs a are Man Hours and Equipment Days PAS The Tan columns summarize our detailed ie xum nis estimate for a Section The Green Columns ES Feci Bites Tm let us enter Sub Quotes which may Override auge our estimate Our detailed estimate for zw 3er 3r Concrete has been overridden by a quote TE Ene Pa Conc Tues des LIS aer from Pete s Concrete and thus the line is H E a Grey ae DUTY sume mum Let s look at our detailed concrete estimate Click in the Tan colored area of the 03000 Cast in Place Concrete
63. nd Profit line and use the Adjust Wizard to increase all the lines of the estimate to match the amount you removed The wizard will even calculate the percentage for you Now the estimate shows each line of the estimate as your Sell price Example 3 Your project includes 5 Building A s and 1 Building B Make a Zone for 1 Building A zone for 1 Building B and a zone for 4 Building A s Do your estimate for 1 Building A Use the CopyZone button to copy that zone into the 4 Building A zone Now use the Adjust Wizard to multiply the Quantity Column by 4 2 CopyZone Wizard Use this wizard to copy the lines in one zone and paste them into one or more other zones Typically you Click copy lines from the database into one Zone and then use the CopyZone Wizard to copy those lines into the other zones Thus if you are estimating a School with a zone for each wing you can enter all of the line items into one zone using the Click copy screen and the database Then use the CopyZone Wizard to copy those lines into the zones for the other wings Now all you need to do is take off the quantities You already have all the lines to hold the quantities This makes doing an estimate with zones almost no additional work 3 Merge Wizard Use this Wizard to combine 2 separate estimates into one It does an intelligent merge so it does not give you duplicate spec sections or duplicate zones It creates sections and zones when required Thus if one estimate is
64. nts to with Excel Note You must have Microsoft Excel on your PC for this Wizard to work 3 Key Concepts ArenaSoft Estimating was designed to be simple to use As you continue through this manual you will decide which features you want to use Some features you will grow into over time Here are some key concepts a Check List approach to estimating Whether you use all or none of the Advanced Features ArenaSoft Estimating remains simple to use because the ArenaSoft Database acts as a check list Click Click Click you add the spec sections you need Click Click Click you add the lines you need within each section It is fast and accurate because you do not forget anything when viewing a check list If you have built Advanced Features into the Database they simply come along for the ride with the same click b Organizing an Estimate into Sections amp Zones Organizing an estimate in Csi Sections helps you to not miss any major category of work Thus the check list concept Zones have 2 major uses 1 pricing Alternates and 2 identifying the cost of different areas of a project For pricing Alternates you can make one zone for Base Bid and then add one zone for each Alternate You can have an unlimited number of Sections or Zones Zones are especially helpful to Construction Managers or on a negotiated project because you can guide your client and the Architect to make decisions based on the costs of different
65. o fill that cost code to all lines currently displayed in the Tune Up Table That was easy Click Clear Find to repeat x mum 7 this process again for another cost code 1 say Since we just added a cost code to 5 lines in the Tune up Table we can see the summary by clicking the Update Form Total 42380 Step 2 EXPORT Engine button on the Export Summary Form Note how it shows a single line for 155643044 4 222 501 06100 with both the Cost and ansa Rough carpentry ELE 1088 Quantities summarized The Quantities will only be meaningful if all the lines in the Tune up Table had the same Unit like Sq Feet You can clear some of the Quantities in the Tune up Table if that makes it meaningful or just ArenaSoft Estimating Version 280 User s Manual Page 37 Linking to 3 Party Software ignore the Quantity box In most cases the Accounting System only needs dollars When you have assigned a Cost Code to all line manual entry or click the Step 2 Export Engine the Tune up Table you can print the reports and hand them to Accounting for jutton on the Export Summary screen Click on your Accounting System in Step 2 Export Engine the list If your Accounting System is fet you hive assed he Tursun and hive came the Ires vou are redo ette Tre Tab
66. o look and work just like an estimate so there is nothing new to learn Open the database like opening an estimate From the MainForm click Open Estimate select Databases as the client and click on the database to open it Now the MainForm says the current estimate is the Albany and the green text alerts you that you are working on a Database not an estimate You can add sections or lines like working with any estimate Simple In fact you add Labor Details Assemblies Material Price List items just like adding them to an estimate Click the Make Sections button Note that there are 2 column in the database for Csi Numbers The old column stores the traditional 5 digit 16 division Csi codes The new column holds the 6 or more digit 50 division MasterFormat 2004 Csi codes You must enter both codes When you do an estimate you chose which system you want to use for that estimate All the click copy screens will adjust to your selection Page 20 ArenaSoftTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual ArenaSoft Database When doing estimate you should be aware that lines which are click copied from the Database into the estimate remain linked to the database and thus an estimate can be updated if the database changes Let s open the estimate we started for the Company eR Open the Concrete Section of the estimate
67. o view and edit your crews Switch between crews using the Crew popup at the top of the screen A crew let s you combine the Trades and Equipment you defined in your TradeCity screen The actual cost of crew changes depending on the rates in your TradeCity If you have only one ArenaSoft Database and only one TradeCity then your crew costs will be constant However if you have added a second TradeCity you can switch between them using the TradeCity popup EU oe s Es When you are done editing and close this form the ArenaSoft Database and any estimate that is currently open on the MainForm will be automatically updated to the new daily crew rates and crew definitions This update does not effect old estimates However if you want to update an old estimate to reflect the new rates you can use a button on the Project Info screen to do so B Using Labor Details in your Estimate Now that we ve defined Trades Equipment amp Crews let s see how we use them in an Estimate You can add Trades Equipment and Crews to any line of your estimate However it is more efficient to add them to the lines in your ArenaSoft Database That way when you Click copy lines from the Database into your estimate the line is copied with it s Trades Equipment amp Crews already defined This saves you time any line of an estimate or a database you can double click the unit price box to view or edit how the un
68. ol lets you switch between them RS Means Trades are those used in the Means book and listed on the back cover Initially the Means hourly rates will match the book but you can edit them here When adding lines to an estimate using the Means click copy screen you can toggle between using the book rates or using these custom rates for Means Trades amp crews When viewing My Trades you can add your own custom trades and even a foreman s name to the list Workers Comp Preference You can choose whether you want your labor unit prices to include Workers Comp and Payroll Tax or not If you do not include Workers Comp and Payroll tax in each line of the estimate then you must add a line at the bottom of the estimate called Labor Burden to add this cost The RS Means Book does not include Workers Comp and Payroll Tax in the Labor column Thus to see numbers that match the Means Book you must select the lower radio button This selection is a Company wide choice and effects all users in a Multi user setup When adding lines to an estimate using the Means Click copy screen you can temporarily toggle between these settings without disturbing other users 3 Setting up YOUR Crews Close the TradeCity screen and click on the Crews button Naa a Protesta ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 17 Crews Trades amp Equipment The Enter Crews screen opens Use this screen t
69. ong x 137 high 130 SF Enter 130 in the I Assembly box Instead of typing in the lines click the ArenaSoft Database button Click on the 3 lines we want copied into our mini estimate Close the Click copy Screen Page 34 ArenaSoftTM Estimating Vei sion 2R80 User s Manual Linking to 3 Party Software Ca anay The 3 lines have been added Note that because we are working in the ArenaSoft database as assembly is always in the Edit sides of this partition that is 10 long and 137 high mode There is button to switch to the View mode We need to enter the Quantity for each line Type 130 260 amp 260 Note that 260 is the quantity of gyp board for 1 assembly since it occurs on both That s it We re done Note the assembly costs 5 60 Sf The A on each line means those lines are Assemblies and you can double click the Unit Price area to drill down for the details like how many Hilti shots are included Close this screen Chekccopy Screen doe RSMesne Copy Paste Dee 09200 092000 Plaster amp Drywall E _ NE Hom d d Paman TypeA 3 E E3 KJ Lu jo You have added a line in the ArenaSoft Database that can be click copied into your estimates Itis complete with Material
70. or the odd details 4 Now change to Section 04000 by clicking on the Enter Estimate form to be sure it s forward Change the Section pop up to 04000 Masonry Click on the ArenaSoft Database screen which is still showing above the top of the estimate form With the database screen showing click in the upper left window to change the section to 04000 Masonry Click on the Brick Veneer line and on the 8 concrete block backup line Click on the estimate form to bring it forward and enter 10 000 SF of brick and 10 000 SF of block Close the Enter Estimate screen The gp ce fo Concrete amp Masonry Sections are totaled on the Estimate Summary screen Dollars are black Man Hours and Equipment Days are blue Page 10 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Getting Started 3 Take off Quantities 1 In the paragraph above we just typed in our quantities A second method of filling in a quantity is to use an optional accessory called a Digitizer Board Digitizer use is covered a separate manual ArenaSoft is a licensed distributor of GTCO CalComp digitizers so we can provide you with a complete system if you wish 2 A 3 method of filling in a quantity is preferred by many contractors because Digitizer Boards are expensive and they don t document many types of quantities This method uses the Enter Takeoff screen to
71. ou work in different cities you can have a Separate database for each city ArenaSoft Estimating makes having multiple databases easy to maintain See Synchronized databases later in this manual f RS Means Database This database of costs is nationally recognized and accepted by many government agencies Every line includes Labor Details ArenaSoft provides you the ability to change cities using the Means City Index or by changing the Trade rates found on the back cover of a Means book g Material Price List Using this price list in your estimate makes it easy to change the material on a line from one grade or type to another Thus you can change the cost of Concrete from 3000 psi to 4000 psi It provides the basis for the Bill of Materials report which totals the quantity of each material throughout the estimate It let s you update all lines in an estimate that use a material to the latest price h Historical Project Costs This database let s you insert unit prices into your estimate that are consistent with real projects you have completed This can be a rich source of historical information for making both conceptual as well as detailed judgments i Updating Estimates You can update an estimate s cost from one city to another or from one year to another by changing it s referenced databases TradeCity or Means City Index 2 Assemblies Assemblies let you derive a unit price as the total of a mini estimate which includes all the co
72. pens a blank Assembly ready p EO for you to enter your mini estimate pue Er EET BESET ma An assembly needs to have an arbitrary size That way you ll know what quantities to use in pricing each item in the assembly Let s base the assembly on 1 door Enter a 1 in the 1 Assembly box Now we can enter the lines and quantities that comprise this assembly Note that this assembly is in Edit mode To see the Total Quantities and Total costs for 6 doors click the View button The assembly you priced gets divided by the arbitrary size of one assembly This is what creates the unit Labor Equipment Material amp Sub numbers shown at the top of the form which will be used for this assembly If you based this assembly on 2 doors you would need to double the numbers in the Quantity column ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 31 Linking to 34 Party Software When you close the Cickcopy Screens Copy Pase Dowe Assembly form the unit LASDonbose sbrinoy RoMems ma F prices shown reflect the 08200 Wood Doors T m data in the Assembly Zane Zonet gt Quy labor Ei Mm Nar factory stam amp Win T TEO jo m Note that the line has an Ep mE
73. py buttons Job History and RS Means which let you add lines to your estimate from these other 2 data sources These will be discussed later in the manual 2 The Enter Estimate screen always has a blank line at the bottom of the list so you can enter an unlimited number of lines You can INSERT a new line between lines Click anywhere on line 20 Click the Insert button To MOVE a line just change the line number and press tab You can RENUMBER the lines by 10 s Click the button Click the Delete button to delete the line that has the cursor The CopyPasteDelete button lets you copy one or more lines from this section into another section or zone in this estimate or even into other estimates The Print button prints just this section instead of the whole estimate These buttons are common to many ArenaSoft Estimating screens 3 You can navigate from the Section and Zone that you are working on to any other Section or Zone using the pop up menus below the Click copy buttons This makes it easy to use a click copy screen to fill in the lines for one section then change the estimate and the database to the next section without closing any screens and continue clicking to enter lines into the next section Some estimators Click copy all the standard lines they need for an entire estimate all sections and then go back and take off the quantities While they take off their quantities they type in any special lines they need f
74. r under the Quantity 100 Pour Frere amp Hardware Each 75000 TO BER d e HI e box The A means an 7 EH Assembly exists on this j d d line If you try to edit a unit price on the estimate line a screen opens to alert you an Assembly exists and allows you to wipe out the assembly with your typing or edit the Assembly Every line in the Assembly acts like a real line of the estimate unit price box can be double clicked so you can enter Labor Details Trades Crews Equipment amp Production Rates or even another Assembly You can also press F5 to expand the lines and use Material Price List items Let s edit the assembly to include Labor Details Double click the unit price box to open the assembly TN Es Click Edit Assembly so we are in Edit mode On the Labor line double click the 150 unit price to open the Labor Details form Select a Carpenter from the left Trade Popup That set s the crew S Day to 285 Type the production rate of 2 doors per day Click Enter or the X to close the Labor Details form ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Linking to 34 Party Software mmm WE ET E E Note that the Labor line of the Assembly now has an L for a En Ea mpi n ien Labor Details and it displays 4
75. rice or 1 TI quanti TO ea ooo I im TO ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 45 Reports C Reports ArenaSoft Estimating has many reports Describing them all is beyond the scope of this manual You will discover all the Teports as you work with ArenaSoft Estimating A few of the major reports are listed below 1 Cover Page This prints a Cover Page for your estimate which includes a large area for Estimate assumptions or qualifications This information comes from the Project Info button 2 Summary Report There are 3 main options for this report 3 list the CSI Sections and their totals as well as the Final Adjustments lines of the Estimate The estimate s Grand Total is displayed If you select to see the Sub Quotes you will see all the quotes you received for a spec section and you can even select seeing the details comments you wrote on each quote 3 Details Report There are 3 main types of reports available and each has many options 1 Section Details Report The standard report prints out the details of each CSI Section Some of the options will add Takeoff info crew info and assembly info There s an Option to print the Means line code Note The Report prints one page per section or continuously to save paper If you staple the upper left corner of an estimate it is very easy to find the section you want by fanning the bottom of the pages where the Section
76. ronization so you can manually adjust one database without the 3 synchronization rules applying Both of the options on this form are also available from buttons on the Enter Estimate form 8 Update Menu Global Adjustments This is like clicking the Global button on the MainForm but this menu lets you open this form even when other forms are open 9 Update Menu City Indexes Lets you adjust the Rules when working with Synchronized Databases See Working with Multiple Synchronized Databases above 10 Export Import Menu Export Estimates Lets you export estimates for various purposes You do this when upgrading to a newer version of ArenaSoft Estimating You also can do this if you need to move estimates from one PC to another such as moving an estimate from the server to your local PC so you can work out of the office a Select Estimates Form Drag down the list press Control amp click to select odd lines or click the Select All button b Exported estimates are stored on your drive in folder named Exported Estimates If you need to transport the estimates to another PC you move this folder and it s contents to the C drive of the other computer 11 Export Import Menu Import Estimates Assuming this PC has a folder in it s C drive called Exported Estimates you can select the menu Import Estimates Import Options Form Choose how much info you want to import Select Estimates General Info one or all the chec
77. s The following summarizes the main pull down menus in ArenaSoft 1 File Menu Select Printer Let s you print to any printer or create a PDF file if you own Adobe Acrobat Writer 2 Tools Menu Analyze it with Microsoft Excel This lets you put any form into an Excel Spreadsheet However a much better tool is the Excel Wizard button found on the MainForm 3 Tools Menu Create Desktop Shortcuts This creates a shortcut icon on your desktop for ArenaSoft Estimating delete your shortcut by mistake 4 Tools Menu List Authorized PCs This screen stores your PC code which permanently activates your software It also stores any RS Means licenses you purchased In a multi user environment your PC amp Means codes must be installed on the erver as well as on your local PC 5 Tools Menu Special For use by Tech Support 6 Tools Menu Options options screen give you the ability to control whether your screens and reports display the bottom line SF to the dollar or to the penny Each user can set their own preference without affecting others 7 Update Menu Synchronization Options If you have 2 or more ArenaSoft Databases and you are working in one of those Databases you can control whether a form pops open after you make a change to one of the database lines Usually its good to the change that s automatically made in the other databases but there may be times when you do not need to see it This screen also lets you turn off Auto Synch
78. t item was used Estimators who wish to use these features will learn about them later in this manual ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 9 Getting Started For now you should try pressing F5 to widen each line so you can see some of the info that was copied into the estimate This Ec NL EET zz Concrete m rcc mi e cm T additional info generates total man hours Wem vt and other info Press F5 again to toggle ED EM LE back to the normal view Hui esee RUE rar EE maan aman ens lt 3 Simple vs Complex Data ArenaSoft a x makes it simple to work with either simple Se mccum ee ta ES or complex data You might be amazed but some of the largest contactors in the county work with simple data like the I line we typed Unit prices are typed in or they can be stored in the database as simple numbers Other contractors want to work with more complex data such as unit prices that are based on Crews Labor rates Productivity Assemblies and Material Price List items These topics are covered in detail later in this manual In either case you simply click on lines of the database and they are copied into the estimate 1 The Enter Estimate screen has 2 more Click co
79. t us know there is a takeoff Once a Takeoff has been entered you can not change the Quantity directly any more If you try to change the quantity you will be reminded to open the Enter Takeoff screen to edit the take off or delete it You can use the constant boxes at the top of the Enter Takeoff screen to multiply your quantities by 1 05 to add 5 waste or divide by 27 to get cubic yards of concrete or divide by 9 to get square yards of Carpet Clicking the appropriate pop up label fills in these constants for you The Take off form is very simple to understand and use deliberately so you will never make a mistake Regardless of how you label the columns 4 columns multiply and the right column divides letting you do any math you require Here s a Takeoff of Brick Veneer The Label used was simply SF Vertical Note how you can subtract your window openings The Take Oyi nye aya Sn emp off screen also has two so sso Qmm some buttons along 0000 the bottom for Inserting a blank line renumber the lines by 10 and the Copy Paste Delete button Fett Dake E ets you copy and paste this take off to another line of the estimate Thus you can copy your cmu partition take off into a line for painting in 09900 and not do the
80. them with other lines as discussed for Exporting to accounting Another approach is to duplicate your entire estimate then use phony cost codes throughout your Tune up Table see exporting to accounting and then switch the Export Summary screen to summarize by Cost Code Yet another approach is to duplicate your entire estimate then delete lines or sections from the estimate You can use the Adjust Wizard to get the costs back where you originally had them Then do the Export to Scheduling 2 Once you are happy with the Export Summary screen Click Step 2 Export Engine on the Export Summary screen ArenaSoft Estimating Version 280 User s Manual Page 39 Linking to 3 Party Software The Export Engine screen open Note that both Microsoft Step 2 Export Engine Project and Primavera Scheduling are listed as Export ON t UE AA Formats Select your Scheduling Program Ganang raga a TG ar a terar ty vai 5 asserta a dos one nd e nis If your Program is not in the st a new format can be TET LL added by clicking the New Format button If you need dammam assistance with a new Format contact ArenaSoft Support maa Wes d Click the Tips button to see if there are any specific instructions for your Scheduling Program Sanct MEE Click Step 3 Create Export File This creates a file that be imported into your scheduling program
81. timate that match the values in the Means book also See the Workers Comp discussion above b Use TradeCity for Labor Equipment Rates This option allows you to select a TradeCity for each Trade s hourly rates and Equipment hourly rates This is like changing the Trade rates on the back cover of a Means Book to your own trade rates Thus every line the Means book can reflect YOUR trade rates If you set up several Trade Cites the TradeCity assigned to an estimate as a Reference will be the Trade City used for this estimate To set up your TradeCity rates you do it as described in Setting up Trades Equipment and Crew Rate Tables except be sure to select the RS Means radio button on the Trade Rate table to display the Means Trades found on the back cover Initially the rates are the same as the Means book but you can change them Page 24 ArenaSofiTM Estimating Version 2880 User s Manual RS Means Database c RS Means City Cost Index This option turns on Means City Cost Indexes allowing you to select your State and City By selecting a city ArenaSoft Estimating adjusts the entire Means database by a multiplier Trade Rates no longer apply when using this method 4 One of the 3 options above are set as a Reference when you fill in the New Estimate form Thus you can be assured that all Means lines copied into your estimate will be for the correct City Opening the Means Click copy screen displays the re
82. timating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 19 ArenaSoft Database 5 ArenaSoft Database The ArenaSoft Database of costs is completely customizable It is the heart of ArenaSoft Estimating because it stores all of the basic and advanced features ready to be copied into your estimate with a click Many Contractors only need a single ArenaSoft Database But if you work in several cities with different costs you can have a separate database for each city ArenaSoft Estimating makes it easy to maintain multiple databases by synchronizing the databases A Using a Single ArenaSoft Database 1 The database can hold an unlimited amount of data but we often see it used with just the basic lines rather than massive quantities of lines For example if you customize the Concrete section of the database to only hold the lines you use all the time you may have only 30 lines in the section and for any single estimate you click on only 15 of the 30 lines Because you do not have to search through massive quantities of lines doing an estimate is fast and the database acts as a check list 5o you do not forget critical lines The lines are worded the way you want them worded and the unit prices are correct for your city 2 When you Click copy lines into your estimate they come in to your estimate complete with any advanced items you use This saves you time when estimating 3 To make it easy to work on your database we designed the database t
83. to open it like it was an estimate and customize it section by section line by line You can do this over time when you get a moment free Your investment of time in your database will pay you back many fold If you are a specialty contractor you may want to delete all the sections you do not use and add special sections that meet your needs To delete a lot of sections open the Database like an estimate Click the Make Sections button Click on a section in the green list and click the Delete button You can hold the Control button on your keyboard and select many sections at one time Then click the Delete button once ArenaSoft Estimating Version 2R80 User s Manual Page 21 ArenaSoft Database C Working with Multiple Databases 1 If you work in multiple cities you will want an ArenaSoft Database for each city to properly reflect significant cost differences When you start a new estimate the New Estimate form lets you select which Database and which Trade City you want to use for this estimate 2 To Create an Additional Database By clicking the Add a Database button on the above screen a wizard runs which duplicates your original database and lets you select a new city for this new database Thus the new database automatically has been adjusted by a multiplier and a new Trade City has been created with adjusted hourly rates for Trades amp Equipment Also a new Material Price List column has been created and adjust
84. ware 1 Using the ArenaSoft CD a Insert CD disk into your CD drive Wait a moment for the installer program to launch automatically and follow the on screen instructions If the installer program does not automatically start then do step b b Double click My Computer amp double click your CD drive D ARENASOFT If the installer program does not automatically start then double click the file Setup the icon looks like a little computer 2 After installing the software you will see a shortcut icon on your desktop which you can double click to launch ArenaSoft Estimating 2 Getting Started A Launch ArenaSoft Estimating 1 Double click the desktop shortcut Click the 30 day Demo button to use a fully functioning copy of the software to do real estimates and save them The Demo also contains a sample of RS Means data At any time during or after the 30 days you can click the Purchase button This provides a Form which can be Faxed to ArenaSoft to obtain a matching PC Code The PC Code will permanently activate your software and all saved estimates will be retained Fax the form to ArenaSoft at 518 207 9601 If you need more time and your demo expires call ArenaSoft toll free 888 370 8806 for a code to extend the demo period 2 A Welcome Wizard opens an lets you enter your Company Name and Adjust the ArenaSoft Database to your city by using a City Multiplier Later you will learn how to customize the database with t
85. you select one or u m more Whole Sections of your current Sections umm Fe Wn Tana sini estimate and a Delete them or copy them Ed into the current estimate or copying them into a totally different estimate to Delete The screen let s you select one or more entire spec sections and Delete them or Copy them to another Estimate You can select whether you want to include the quantities and takeoff details Coping includes all the details that are part of any line in the section such as Labor Details Assemblies or Material Price List items Curent Estimate Selec Lines conse Fick Destination Generel Oona n Ppa ie Bese Ba Ones Balang Samy Ecce _ fe PEE Cent Piace Corcrere Mason Cold Fore Mall Premna Include Taable Sans Eri 59 onum Architectural Wonowork adi teen Copy with New Status PCM PO SubconmactorAnabsie aaa Enter Estimate Form Copy Paste Delete button This button Pamaran o EG opens a screen which lets you select one or E ul more lines to Delete them or copy them Tan ies E to another location You even coy E m ma i y
86. ystem This setting can be changed any time by going to the Ign 9 MainForm and clicking the Project Info button Tiger tense oe suse ONEN LJ Once your lines are displayed you will note there are some yellow column headings on the form The yellow columns are the columns that get copied into your estimate Click the yellow headings to control which columns get copied If you make all 4 columns yellow the Sub column reduces to just the Sub s Overhead amp Profit so you do not duplicate the cost when all 4 columns are copied No paper book can give you this kind of flexibility Justa single click on the line you want and it is inserted into your estimate directly below the line where you left your cursor Workers Comp and Payroll Tax This form has a check box for whether you want Workers Comp and Payroll tax included in the labor column or the Sub column A Means paper book displays Workers Comp amp Payroll tax in the Sub column not the Labor column See the discussion under TradeCities for a further explanation of this setting On this screen you can change the setting temporarily without effecting other users or this estimate references This option must be off to see numbers that match the Means paper book Cost Options There are 3 options in the upper right corner of the Means Click copy screen which affect the rates displayed a Means book no adjustments With this option selected you can insert lines into your es

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