Square footage calculation - Maybe a new way?

[Richard Carlsen]

I had a big house with lots of outside corners and cuts (all right angles however) that would have been fun and a little time consuming to calculate the square footage.

Then I had a brilliant idea. Use the new Street Atlas Deluxe to calculate the square footage.

I selected a map of a large area, went to draw selection, selected the polygon button and proceeded to draw the house on the map: 1 mile for each foot of the house. One of the features of this type of drawing is that the program calculates and gives you the area within the polygon. A few minutes later I was done and there it was. My subject floor plan drawn on the map and a read out of the square miles (square feet for the report) right in front of me.

Anyone else ever try this?

 

[Neil (Texas)]

Sketch software will tell you the same thing and you don't have to attach an addendum explaining to the UW that the number of square miles should be read as "square feet."

 

[Frederick R. Ruffell]

Richard,

Most Appraisers i know are using software (i.e. Apex or Winsketch) to generate their sketch. This software intergrates with your appraisal software (assuming you are using software to generate your reports). I am young and have never had to fill out a report with a typewriter. I wonder what was used before that, hammer and chisel?

 

[Caterina Platt]

Sounds pretty ingenious if you haven't had access to a sketch program. I didn't get to use one until July of last year. My old boss absolutely refused to switch from drawing by hand and wouldn't install one. Said he'd have to be liable for any mistakes the program made in calculation. Like doing it by hand and calculating all the rectangles and squares didn't leave us up for more human error?! :roll:

When I left his shop, he brought back his old co hort who was more persuasive and finally got him to install Apex. I can say I remember what it was like shrink maps and floor plans on the copier then do the whole cut and paste nonsense. I remember 35 mm and constantly running to the photo processor. Can't imagine carbon paper and typewriters though. I'd be the whiteout queen of the biz.

 

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

FRR

What was used before? Graph paper and a scale ruler, of course. My favorite scale to draw by was 1"=20'

You're not really old until you remember those first 3M copy machines with the pink rolls for negatives and the vacuum cleaner on the lid to lift the original up so the pink paper could roll by......And I'm "only" 48-look at the tales I can tell.

Ben

 

[Blue1]

I use a CADD program for all my drawings. It's much easier and faster than draw programs. It's a very old program that's like Auto Cadd. The only draw-back is I have to scan in the drawings but, not a big deal.

 

[Kathy in FL]

I haven't done that, since I use WinSketch, but I have used my house sketch program to figure out the size of a lot...just what you did, but backwards. (I get alot of complex legals...and the sketcher uses degrees and everything...and I'm lazy...)

Kathy in FL

 

[jtrotta]

Richard sounds interesting, but in calculating all those right angles due you get back to the start point :?: or is it always slightly off :?:

Was searching the other day & noted there is an infa red indoor room calculator, and will have to go back & see if it can be put right into the puter :?: They probably already exist, but haven't had the time to do much research lately 8O

 

[Bryan (OK)]

jtrotta,

As you said, if your measurements are wrong, you will not close the polygon with a CAD or sketcher program. Can be frustrating.

On the infrared . . . I use a Laser Dimension Master if doing inside measurements. Quick and easy. The laser is just a pointer / location indicator, I think it uses sound or something (can't remember the terminology). Just be careful with long narrow halls, as the readings can get skewed as the measurement cone reflects from the side.

I've seen the actual lasers but was quickly scared away by the $500 price tag. Has anybody used one? I read they will do outside measurements also. . . but way too expensive.

Bryan

 

[Rich(VT)]

Kathy in FL-

You might want to try a deed plotter program. I found one at

http://www.informatik.com/mapdraw.html

I have used it only a few times, but it seems to work ok.

Rich in VT