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One of the most powerful features of the system is the ability is to be asked an automatic list of questions so the answers can be applied to each group of Items, Super Assemblies, or Work Packages. These questions can ask information necessary to compute Bid Item Quantities automatically.
The secret of this feature is the ability to assign a Question Code or Formula Code to each Item in your Price Book and Bid. This is then used to compute the Bid Item Quantity for that Item. Each Formula is computed from arithmetic done on one or more Questions, which operate like questions.
For instance, to find the area of a rectangular slab, the Formula would be Length * Width (where "*" means "times"). Length and Width are names of Questions, and could have Descriptions (or Questions) associated with them, such as "What is the Length of the Slab?"
After building the Questions and Formulas described above, you would go on to assign the Code to your Item’s Question Column in your Price Book Item List. Right after you select that item from your checklist and place it into your Bid Item list, you can press the F1 key when you are in the Bid Item Quantity column and select "Choose from Checklist" or Formulas to fill in the quantities for that or a group of tagged items.
You can also build other Formulas which rely on the same question. For example, your linear footage of exterior wall could be Length * 2 + Width * 2. That Formula could be assigned to Items for block, insulation, siding, etc. Now, put all that into an Super Assembly or Work Package. You can now take it all off at once, and even answer all the Questions at once. Just use SHIFT F6 as you did before, and ask to fill out Questions on all tagged Items. All the Questions for all the Formulas used will be asked at one time. When you exit the Questions List, all the Formulas you used in any tagged Item will be shown, along with the computed results. Just press the Pull Back key, F8 to pull the Formula Results into the Items' Bid Item Quantities.
See Also: Question tutorial Building Formulas
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