Workpack: How to Work With Tables

What is a Table?

A Table consists of a Table name, Keys (one key column) and Features (one or several feature columns). A Table keeps information about features of keys in one place. It is common practice to add tables (or “schedules”) to drawings.

Table name is typically at the top of the table and describes information inside the table (Room schedule, Window schedule, etc.)

Key column typically consists of list of numbers or codes (AB, 101, EW-1, etc.). The same numbers or codes must present in the Takeoff you work with.

Feature columns typically consists of any information about Keys (physical properties, grade of material, etc.).

Table Types

List of Table types:

• Wall Schedule
• Door Schedule
• Window Schedule
• Room Schedule
• Custom Label Schedule
• Text Label Schedule
• Other

Suppose you want to create a Wall Schedule. It means all Keys and Features from the Table will match to Wall Groups on the Takeoff. See below example of how feature transferred from Schedule to Wall Group.

Above: Mapping of Table (Wall Schedule) and Takeoff (Wall Group).

 As result, all features from the Table will match by Keys to Wall Groups.

The algorithm works similarly for Walls, Doors, Windows, Rooms and Custom Labels.

Note: you need to add Wall/Door/Window/Room/Custom Label Template on the Takeoff when create Wall/Door/Window/Room/Custom Schedule.

Special Table Types

Custom Label Schedule

In case you create Custom Label Schedule, the matching works similarly (Table Keys match to Custom Label Templates). However, there is no physical object (like Wall) to match with Custom Labels, so all Features correspond to Custom Label Templates and nothing else.

Example of Use

In AI-Setup Mode add Takeoff Zone and annotate one or several Custom Label Templates.

Create Table, select type “Custom Label Schedule”, in field “Custom Label Name” select the name you created in the previous step.

Press “Process” button, select Custom Labels and Custom Label Schedule. Press “Continue” and wait for results.

As results, Custom Labels received features from Custom Label Schedule (as illustrated in the above section on Table Types).

Text Label Schedule

In case you create Text Label Schedule, you don’t need to specify Text Label Template. Instead, you need to specify column in the Table, which contains keys. Text Labels will be detected using values from the key column in the Table.

Example of use

Create Table, select type “Text Label Schedule”, in field “Extraction Column” select the column number where labels located (1, 2, 3, etc.).

Add Takeoff Zone, click on “Process” button

How to Work With Tables

The common algorithm of working with Tables (Steps 1 and 2 can go in any order):

1. Add a Label Template (don’t do it for Text Label Schedule).
2. Add a Table.
3. Process Label Template and Table.
   
   

To add a Label Template means to annotate it. To create Template annotation, turn on AI Setup Mode, click “Add ..” button, select Label Template of the desired type (Wall, Door, Window, Room or Custom) and add annotation on the top of existing label on the Takeoff.

Above: Annotated Label Template (it has violet rectangle around it).

To add a Table means to annotate it. To create Table annotation, turn on AI Setup Mode, click “Add ..” button, select “Table” and add rectangle on the top of existing table in the document.

After annotation, Table Name and Table Type detected automatically (if possible). If these fields not detected, you need to choose them manually.

Above: Annotated Table (it has blue rectangle around it).

After you add a Table and Label Template, click “Process” button. Select the Takeoff and Label type you want to process, and select the just created Table. Click “Continue”. After results are ready, you can observe detected Label Groups with features attached from the Table.

How to Edit the Table

In case you want to edit the Table, select it and click “Table Settings” in the Right Panel. You can rename your Table, change Table type, change column to match, and change header row. If you change Table content, new data will be included in the matching process.