Area Properties Popup Window Field Reference

This screen field reference describes the following:

General Tab
Coordinates Tab
Over-Excavation Tabs

General Tab


Field	Description
General - This section allows you to set general properties for the area.
Type	Click to select the type of the area or enter a name for a new type. Type is used to: Group and subtotal areas (see Display Group Totals) Define the site perimeter(s) Allow stripping and replacing topsoil in the site perimeter. You do not need to create a second area for topsoil replacement. Allow the balancing of the site perimeter(s), even if it was created in the existing layer. Note: If there is only one site perimeter, it will be automatically selected the first time you open the Summary tab. By default, Viewpoint Estimating daylights the site perimeter(s). When creating a new area, the Type defaults to the same type selected for the last area created in the current job. This facilitates rapid creation of multiple areas of the same type. When you select the Type, a default name is displayed in the Name field. The stored properties for the Type are selected by default for any new area. You can override each property by choosing the appropriate value. You can also easily set new defaults. After any property other than Type is changed, you will be unable to update the properties simply by setting the Type; instead, you will have to click Restore Default Settings.
Restore Default Settings	Click this button to retrieve the default settings for the current type. This will overwrite all properties, except for Name and Finished Elevation. Restore Default Settings is disabled if the Type is blank, or if the current properties match the default properties.
Name	Enter a descriptive name for the area. This name is used for displaying totals within the Summary tab.
Color	To change the color of the area, click Change, select the color you want to use, then click OK.
Transparent	Select the checkbox to make the area transparent. Note that the area will be outlined in the color you selected.
Exclude area from balance	Select the checkbox to exclude the area from being balanced in the final totals. For more information, see Exclude Areas from a Job or Balancing.
Exclude area from totals	Select the checkbox to exclude an area from the calculations of a job. This allows you to exclude an area such as an existing building or grass areas that will not be touched during the job. For more information, see Exclude Areas from a Job or Balancing.
Daylight	Select the checkbox to daylight the site perimeter. Daylighting forces existing and proposed contours to meet. This field is disabled for any area type other than Site Perimeter.
Include enclosed areas	Select the checkbox to total the following items in the Summary tab: Cut and fill Topsoil stripped and replaced subgrade materials (asphalt, base, and so on.) For example, if a building pad is surrounded by a parking lot, selecting the Include enclosed areas checkbox for the parking lot will result in totals for both the parking lot and the enclosed building pad. When this checkbox is not selected, totals displayed for the parking lot will refer to the parking lot area only, and not areas included within it. This operation applies to areas located partially or completely inside the current area. Note: You can toggle this property on and off in the Area Properties popup window, or by clicking Included or Excluded in the Enclosed Areas column of the Summary tab.
Use surrounding area’s grade properties	Select the checkbox to: Use the grade properties and subgrade materials from the surrounding/overlapping area(s) for all calculations. Include the enclosed portion of this area in surrounding area(s), even if the Include enclosed areas checkbox is deselected. This option disables grade properties and subgrade materials. It is useful for areas like phase perimeters, or in any situation where you want to find totals for a given area without affecting those of other areas. By default, this checkbox is selected for all phase perimeters. All other areas have this checkbox unchecked by default.
Grade Properties - This section allows you to set the grade for the area.
This area’s elevation(s) are relative to	Surrounding Area’s Subgrade - Select this option to lower the area’s elevation(s) from the subgrade of the surrounding area. For example, if your plans call for a building pad with a basement smaller in area than the entire building pad, you can lower the building pad 24" and separately lower the basement 36". This will result in the basement being lowered by a total of 60" from the proposed takeoff elevation(s). Topsoil depth cannot be specified for the interior area. Note: If there is no surrounding area, or if the surrounding area does not strip topsoil, replace topsoil, lower grade, or have any subgrade materials, this option will produce the same results as using Takeoff Elevations. Takeoff Elevations - Select this option to start with the elevation(s) specified in the Takeoff tab. Specified Finished Elevation - Select this option to specify the area’s elevation in the associated field. If this option is not selected, the associated field will be disabled, and any information you enter will be ignored. This option has the same effect as copying the area to the Takeoff tab and setting the elevation there. The only difference is that the line cannot be selected from the Takeoff tab. This is listed as "finished elevation" in order to prevent confusion. You should not enter the finished elevation in the Takeoff tab and the subgrade elevation in the area properties dialog. If you do not have a change in grade for the area, the finished elevation and the subgrade elevation are the same. There is no need to enter the elevation in both a Takeoff line and an Area. Ignore interior elevations - Select this checkbox to apply the specified finished elevation to the entire area even if there are spot elevations, elevation lines, or areas with elevations inside the area. The elevation will not, however, apply to any areas inside the area.
Strip Topsoil	If you are digitizing an area in the existing layer, you can strip topsoil by entering the depth of topsoil stripped in the Strip Topsoil field. Topsoil strip removes a uniform depth of material from the area(s) for which it is specified. When you strip topsoil, you are lowering the existing grade by the depth of topsoil you strip. This lowers the existing site from the finished grade as specified in the Takeoff and the Area tabs. The quantity of topsoil stripped is displayed in the Summary tab as a separate line item. It is NOT included in the summary line items Cut or Export. The depth of topsoil on the site should be included as the top layer of any specified borings. You can also strip topsoil in site perimeter areas, even if the area is created in the proposed layer.
Replace Topsoil	If you are digitizing an area in the proposed layer, enter the depth of the topsoil to be replaced. Replacing topsoil adds a uniform depth of topsoil to the selected area(s). When you replace topsoil, you are lowering the proposed grade by the amount of topsoil you replace. The top of the topsoil is the finished grade, as specified in the Takeoff and the Area tabs. The quantity of topsoil replaced is displayed in the Summary tab as a separate line item. It is NOT included in the summary line items Fill or Import. You can also replace topsoil in site perimeter areas, even if the area is created in the proposed layer.
Raise/Lower Existing/Proposed Grade	If you want to raise the elevation of the area, click the up arrow to the right of the field. Then enter the change in elevation or click to raise or lower the current value. If you want to lower the elevation of the area, click the down arrow to the right of the field. Then enter the change in elevation or click to raise or lower the current value.
Total Change in Grade	Displays the total change in elevation. This is the sum of Strip Topsoil, Replace Topsoil, and Lower/Raise Proposed Grade.
Subgrade Materials
Description	Click to select the material or materials you are going to use for subgrade in the area. If the material you need does not appear in the list, you can enter it directly in this field.
Depth (units)	Enter the depth of the material you need in the specified units. For each material and depth you enter, you will see the calculated volumes in the Summary tab. Note: If the total depth of subgrade materials does not match the amount by which the grade was raised or lowered, Viewpoint Estimating will display a warning. Viewpoint Estimating will use the value from the Lower/Raise Existing/Proposed Grade field to calculate cut and fill. >This can be useful when calculating over excavation quantities, for example.
Save as default	Click the button to save all properties (except for Name and Finished Elevation) as the default properties for the selected Type. Once this has been done, all newly-created areas of this type will default to the properties just saved. Information saved is available to any job you modify on the same computer. The Save as default button is disabled if the Type is blank, or if the current properties match the default properties. The properties of a new type are automatically saved when the you click OK.

Coordinates Tab

The Coordinates tab displays the Northing and Easting coordinates for each point on the perimeter. Use this tab to manually adjust the coordinates and create reference points on the area perimeter. You can also offset the area to allow creating a new area that is offset from the original area.

Over-Excavation Tabs

Use the Over-excavation tabs (Over-excavation 1 and Over-excavation 2) to specify additional areas to excavate beyond the main area in the proposed layer. You can specify 2 different groups of over-excavation settings for the same area. For example, suppose you need to over-excavate all four sides of a building to make space for construction equipment, but you need to run a pipe to the building on only one of those sides. In this scenario, you can specify the width, depth, and subgrade materials for all four sides in the Over-excavation 1 tab and the pipe dimensions in the Over-excavation 2 tab.

Over-excavation quantities are calculated and displayed in the Summary tab as a separate line item.


Field	Description
Offset- Use this section to specify the sides of the area to over-excavate and to specify the width of over-excavation.
All/Selected	Click All to over-excavate all sides of the area, or click Selected to over-excavate only selected sides. If you click Selected, you must also click Select Sides to specify the sides.
Select Sides	To over-excavate only selected sides of the area, click Select Sides, select the Northing and Easting coordinates for the sides, and click OK. As you select coordinates, Viewpoint Estimating outlines the coordinates on the drawing. Tip: To select a continuous group of coordinates, do one of the following: Tip: Select the first coordinate in the group, hold the left mouse button, and drag the mouse to the last coordinates in the group. Tip: Hold Shift while selecting the first and last coordinates in the group. Tip: To select a non-continuous group of coordinates, hold Ctrl and select each coordinate.
Width	Enter the width of over-excavation. The width indicates how far out from the area's perimeter to excavate.
Width Unit (unlabeled)	Click to select the unit of measure for the width. . LF - Linear feet, available for jobs using an imperial scale. IN - Inches, available for jobs using an imperial scale. m - Meters, available for jobs using a metric scale. mm - Millimeters, available for jobs using a metric scale.
From Area - Use this section to specify the depth of over-excavation and the slope from the area perimeter.
Depth	Enter the depth of over-excavation. The depth indicates how far down from the elevation of the proposed area to excavate. A depth of 0 is level with the proposed area. Note: Viewpoint Estimating accepts both positive and negative depth values. A negative depth value indicates that the elevation of the over-excavation is above the elevation of the proposed area.
Depth Unit (unlabeled)	Click to select the unit of measure for the depth. . LF - Linear feet, available for jobs using an imperial scale. IN - Inches, available for job using an imperial scale. m - Meters, available for jobs using a metric scale. mm - Millimeters, available for jobs using a metric scale.
Vertical/Sloped	Click Vertical to excavate straight down from the elevation at the area's perimeter, or click Sloped to apply a slope from the elevation at the area's perimeter. If you click Sloped, you must also enter the rise (height) and run (length) of the slope.
Rise	If you are applying a slope from the elevation at the area's perimeter, enter the height (rise) of the slope.
Run	If you are applying a slope from the elevation at the area's perimeter, enter the length (run) of the slope.
Subgrade Materials - Use this section to specify subgrade materials if different from the material being excavated. Each row is a different material. When you enter information in a row, Viewpoint Estimating inserts an additional row.
Description	Click to select the material you are going to use for subgrade. If the material you need does not appear in the list, you can enter it directly in this field.
Depth (units)	Enter the depth of the material you need in the specified units.
Pipe - Use this section to define the define the dimensions of a pipe, if needed.
Outside Diameter	Enter the outside diameter of the pipe in inches.
Distance from trench bottom	Enter the distance between the pipe and the trench bottom in inches.
Type	Click to select the type of pipe to use. Valid values are based on Pipe Attributes screen.
To Proposed Subgrade - Use this section to specify the slope from the outer perimeter of over-excavation.
Vertical/Sloped	Click Vertical to excavate straight down from the outer perimeter, or click Sloped to apply a slope from the outer perimeter. If you click Sloped, you must also enter the rise (height) and run (length) of the slope.
Rise	If you are applying a slope from the outer perimeter, enter the height (rise) of the slope.
Run	If you are applying a slope from the outer perimeter, enter the length of the slope.