LiveCount opinions

[follybeacher]

Considering the transition to LiveCount vs printing out full-size plans and wheeling & highlighting.

I like full-size/hard-copy ability to sketch any notes, boxes, circuitry, etc that is not shown and easily forgotten on the majority of EE drawings. I also feel more thorough and accurate with a full-size. On the other hand it's not the direction the industry is heading. Full-size printing costs can get costly too...

While I like the idea of LiveCount from my limited experience I find the program unrefined and there is greater room for error which can equate to a costly mistake or miss. Quite frankly I'm not sure if it will save me time either.

Thanks and let me know what your company or opinions on this matter are. THanks!

 

[brantmacga]

LiveCount opinions

I use the Conest equivalent which is called surecount; it saves me a great deal of time on fixture counts and measuring. Idk about LiveCount, but I can tell you surecount isn’t always 100% accurate if there are other lines crossing a fixture or device that can throw off the optical recognition function. But it typically gets me 95% of the way there.

I don’t print anything until the job is getting ready to start. I use bluebeam to add notes or markups if needed.


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[EstimatingGeek]

LiveCount opinions

As far as I can see, the industry is using LiveCount more and more.
We use it last 3 years, for estimating for our Clients, and find it very handy useful asset, especially the AutoCount on multiple drawings.
The main advantage of it is a traceability, the audit trail you leave, so that the other people can check or see what exactly the estimator did. One cannot do it on paper.

Highly recommended.
Note: I think it works ONLY with the Accubid.

 

[mstrlucky74]

As far as I can see, the industry is using LiveCount more and more.
We use it last 3 years, for estimating for our Clients, and find it very handy useful asset, especially the AutoCount on multiple drawings.
The main advantage of it is a traceability, the audit trail you leave, so that the other people can check or see what exactly the estimator did. One cannot do it on paper.

Highly recommended.
Note: I think it works ONLY with the Accubid.

What do you mean by the traceability and audit teail? How does that work?

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[follybeacher]

What do you mean by the traceability and audit teail? How does that work?

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An audit trail would be a means to drill down and track what a takeoff is comprised of.
The takeoff software carries lines and points drawn and transposes it into the software's takeoff length and counts assemblies. It's a means to eliminate printing full-size drawings.

I'm still interested in the opinions of others on livecount or other similar software

 

[Gary11734]

If you're talking about Live Count in Accubid, fantastic program...

With *.pdf's now normal, no reason to print and roll the old way.

No way you could keep up with a competitor that is using these new tools as opposed to the old way...

 

[mstrlucky74]

I've used it and the auto count is bad/inaccurate. After it's done you have to go back and deselect all the devices it incorrectly picked. Take-off quicker without the auto count.

 

[follybeacher]

No way you could keep up with a competitor that is using these new tools as opposed to the old way...

What about overall accuracy? I pride myself on accurate bids and it appears the probability to miss something is greater with software vs. hard-copies... maybe I need to get over that

 

[gadfly56]

I use the Conest equivalent which is called surecount; it saves me a great deal of time on fixture counts and measuring. Idk about LiveCount, but I can tell you surecount isn’t always 100% accurate if there are other lines crossing a fixture or device that can throw off the optical recognition function. But it typically gets me 95% of the way there.

I don’t print anything until the job is getting ready to start. I use bluebeam to add notes or markups if needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We've been using BlueBeam for about a year or so. They will have to pry my mouse from my cold, dead hand before I'll let them take it off my computer.

It can also do counts, either per page or per set, but I don't think it has the real bells and whistles dedicated function estimating programs have.

 

[mstrlucky74]

Maybe this will help.

https://mep.trimble.com/wp-content/uploads/CochranLiveCount_CaseStudy.pdf

 

[Jcabrejos]

Live Count vs McCormick autocount

Live Count vs McCormick autocount

altho Trimble Live count is very accurate I have found McCormick auto count very comparable and much more affordable.

 

[MRLD33]

1 month user

1 month user

I've been using it for about a month and really like what the program can do. They have a desktop version and a cloud version. The cloud version does have some bugs that are in the works of correcting, while the desktop version runs smooth.