Comments:.Disclaimer. I declined any training in this product, so negative experiences may be the result of ignorance I've been using PlanSwift for nearly a year & am very happy with it.
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I use it exclusively for takeoffs, of which I have done over 600 this year. I would highly recommend it for takeoff purposes, but I have no experience with it's other functions & cannot offer any comments on them. Customer service was prompt & answered my questions to my satisfaction. They couldn't fix my desktop freezing problem (see below) & were not aware of it being a problem, but I found an acceptable workaround myself. I can't comment on value for money as I am not responsible for any budget in my company.
Pros: PlanSwift gives a high level of user control for the published result of the takeoff. I can modify takeoff colours, add notes, create my own legend (with notes), insert lines, arrows, etc. The takeoff functions are well designed. Adding an area to the same layer is easy, subtracting a section is just as easy & displays very nicely as a blank space which doesn't interfere with other layers or the original drawing. Modifying a takeoff shape or colour is very easy, as well as drawing curved shapes, copying shapes to same or new layer. Various layers don't interfere with each other, don't 'fall behind', etc.
Layers can easily be turned off & on. Scaling is excellent with preset dropdown & custom input available, allowing you to work in metric or imperial & scale in either without limiting your output unit selection (ie. Scale in metric & get takeoff output in imperial units if desired). It appears to me that a lot of attention went into the design of the takeoff features.
There are a lot of little things that make it much easier to use. For example, drawing a shape can take several minutes sometimes, & if you are interrupted & need to use another program you just have to move to another screen or minimize the program & when you come back you can carry on. Lots of programs force you to resolve the function you were engaged in before minimizing, but PlanSwift doesn't. This little thing makes a big difference when referring to another drawing on a pdf that has to be zoomed, or moved, etc while doing the takeoff. The published pdf is very easy to read, & looks clean & professional - a very high quality finished product is possible with this program. Cons: The loading time is the biggest drawback. If I load too many drawings into the program at a time, opening the program, publishing a pdf, & organizing files within the program can take a long time.
This also causes my desktop to freeze so that I cannot move files around or into folders until I restart windows, wait for my screensaver to come on, or sometimes it just fixes on it's own. This is silly, but it seems that the program loads every drawing in it's database when I open the program, so to keep loading times reasonable, I need to remove files from it's database when I finish with them. It's an annoying & unnecessary hassle. It may be that the program is designed to load several drawings for a single project & then file the whole project when complete; so this might indicate I am using the program in a way it wasn't intended.
However, I don't want to file away each drawing when I'm finished & start a new project. The takeoff is the project for me, so creating a project for each drawing will end up costing me even more time, if that is how it is designed. Twice with complicated, multi-layered projects, I've had the program freeze when attempting to publish a pdf. Generally at the end of the day when I've already stayed a bit late to finish, & the takeoff is needed asap. Restarting, loading the program & trying again takes 10-15 min. In both case it has not worked after 3 tries & I've had to relay the info verbally or use a screenshot instead of a published pdf. Honestly, out of 600+ takeoffs, that's not terrible - I'm assuming it has something to do with the file format and/or amount of info I tried to publish.
I've had lots of complicated takeoffs with many layers & pages work just fine. Recommendations to other buyers: Use the free trial. If you only need it for takeoffs & you're under 35, you probably don't need the training. Comments: I used this program for the entire duration of the trial I was permitted to use it for. While in use this program was highly efficient in is duty to serve as an upgrade to our current takeoff software. (See pros/cons) Pros: - Can get square footage for concrete of massive plans in 20 - 7 minutes, as opposed to using something like Vu360, and (constantly crashing) taking multiple days to do a single takeoff for one PDF plan.
This program is organized, It comes with an integrated item list that (after you put your prices in for materials) can give you the equivalent of an excel estimate, as you finish the takeoff, and while you are in the middle of doing it. There is a fill tool for getting square footage or selecting lines for linear feet, you can do supermassive takeoffs for concrete (as long as there isn't a cancerous amount of pointing lines dashing the entire plan) in seconds. They just broke free from the shackles of oracle so now they have a bunch of awesome plugins back, Plugins such as 'convert takeoff into Quickbooks'. The program was very quick, no memory leaks here, no lag. Can be converted into excel Cons: - High cost, this program is about $ or more PER install (gets cheaper the more you get possibly on a per-software basis), after all of your salesman deals and whatnot, (without any fancy online training) - Complicated at first, Don't try to show the program off to anyone unless you have spent a good 3 - 4 days experimenting with all of the tools, and asking your salesman for a live demonstration. It can be frustrating to know the tool you've been wondering where it is, is under your nose.
The program can only do auto ('one click area') (for getting square/lineal footage) selection for so much space, so on big PDF plans, you will have to use the cut tool to dice the plans into a moderately sized grid, of which it will then handle like a champ. Pros: I work for a small construction company as the project estimator. I have to do takeoffs on basically every aspect of the home so I can put together budgets and bid out the project properly.
This is a seriously powerful tool for doing a full building takeoff. Almost all aspects of it are customizable, so you can make this thing do just about anything you want. I've got a template set up that that allows me to use one measurement to calculate quantities for multiple parts. And, if something changes, I can easily manipulate it to figure the new data. So, I measure for block work on foundation and I tell it how many courses I want and it will change the calculations based on the number I select. For the most part, the customer service has been extremely helpful. I am able to save and print views of the takeoffs.
This has been extremely helpful when putting together ceiling joist and rafter layouts for my field team. This has helped eliminate a lot of wasted (expensive) lumber by the framers cutting up wood they shouldn't (like cutting up a 2x10x26 intended for a rafter and using it for headers). Cons: Knowledge base: Sometimes the knowledge base can be a little tricky. It will often take you to outdated versions or may not show anything at all.
Much of the information is not laid out in a very intuitive way. Customer service: There have been a few times where I've run into glitches with the software. The costumer service was not helpful every time (though they have been 99% of the time). Sometimes they have been problematic. I use the labeled count feature regularly, but it doesn't always total up the counts properly. When I contacted customer service, the rep I spoke with just said, 'I'm not sure. It's probably the computer.'
He said that about a couple issues. He never did a real review or provided a resolution. I've found ways to work around it, though. Recommendations to other buyers: I would strongly recommend buying the maintenance package. Over the past 15 months that I've been using this software, they've come out with several updates that you only get with the package. This program can easily go much more in-depth than I am capable of figuring out. If you know how programming code like Pascal or C, then you're really in luck.
At minimum, you will want to have a solid working knowledge of Excel. The language to create easy-to-moderate parts and equations is very similar.
Comments: We are a medium size concrete and masonry subcontractor. We have used another estimating software for about 17 years, but no on screen take off abilities and very little flexibility in creating your own assemblies or unit prices. It is more of a general GC type of software. It was time for a change. I am very happy with Planswift. No software is perfect, but definitely Planswift makes easy taking off and estimating a job.
If you plan on using it just for take off purposes, you can start as soon as you buy it. But if you plan on using it as an estimating tool, my suggestion is to give yourself at least 1 month so your most trusted estimator builds the assemblies (full time job). With only 2 or 3 hours of training a smart techy estimator can do it. But it is a long process. And the more you learn about assemblies, the more you have to go back and improve the ones you already built.
Based on what I have seen so far, I think Planswift was created as a take off software and then adapted to an estimating one. This is somehow inconvenient, but not a deal breaker. Like every software, there are things it can not do, or at least not in the way a user would like to see them. But overall, it works just fine. We have now a full database with our custom made assemblies and 5 people using Planswift. Pros: Take off portion is super user friendly.
You learn how to use it in a couple of hours. Price is very reasonable. Huge savings in prints to bid jobs. Database can be shared among all users. You can create as many assemblies and unit price templates as you want. You have access to formulas to calculate material quantities based on the take off.
Customer support is excellent and unlimited for simple take off questions. Training is excellent My sales person, Conner Livingston, still assists me when I need his help. Cons: To use the pricing portion you have to create your own assemblies. They are not pre-built.
Lacks security features to prevent deleting custom made reports. You have to back them up. Lacks security features to prevent others to modify your database and custom made reports. You have to back them up. Only two people at Planswift have knowledge about building reports and is not part of the regular customer support. Either you buy a Training package or pay by the hour so they can help you build the reports you need. Pros: Easy to learn.
Dead on accurate. Super easy to navigate. You can learn how to customize PlanSwift to give you the Export into Excel anyway you would like. No limitations. No other software has this feature.
PRICE: Seems high but remember. This is a ONE TIME PURCHASE (no annual fees).
Saves a TON of money compared to others who charge an up front fee PLUS their annual fee. Cons: I can't find anything wrong with this software. Everything others lack, PlanSwift has it included. I haven't found another digital takeoff software that even comes close. I would recommend this one and let readers know you can buy with confidence. Overall: I've been using this software for over 6 years now (back at version 8.0). I have customized the export to excel and created a fully automatic system where I use PlanSwift for the super fast take off features, then export it into my customized excel worksheet which makes everything instantly calculated the way I want it with instant and automatic reports (material order / P.O., field labor budget for the workers in the field, accounting report, financial evaluation of the bid.
ALL others will not allow me to do the same. PlanSwift stands alone in the BEST option. Comments: Please lower price? Or introduce discounts at certain times of the year for existing customers who have had the software for a certain amount of time. Pros: I love that we're able to take off drawings digitally, a lot different than I when used to have to take off projects when I was younger by hand.
I love the support we're able to access when we have questions, everyone seems to be very knowledgeable about the software and knows how to answer our questions directly and effectively. I also like how we're allowed to disable the license each time we're finished using the software each day at the office - allows me to pick up different projects that I work on for personal projects at home with not having to buy two separate licenses (which can be costly) Cons: The price can be overwhelming at times - we like to keep up with the maintenance/updates and support which is an additional couple hundred dollars every year.
Not to mention wanting to get a couple more computers with Planswift on each with their own license is impossible for us at this time, which is actually holding us back. Pros: We used to mark up paper floor plans with pencils and highlighters. We were looking for a way to go digital in this area. We looked at a couple different software options, and Planswift was the winner.
We find the UI to be very intuitive. While we mainly just use the software to mark up items on floorplan, there are lots of other features, such as calculating areas and volumes and creating detailed estimates. There are a number of industry-specific plugins available to help you estimate (Siding, Concrete, Framing and Drywall, etc.) You can import any floor plan, even something sketched on a piece of paper! We generally import pdfs, but I believe you can import CAD files or jpgs as well.
Cons: There is a bit of a learning curve to learn the software and get set up. However, once you have it tuned for your business, it easily saves hours of time every week. Overall: The customer service team was really helpful when we were trialling out the software and helped us adapt it to our specific needs. No more paper plans! And if a floor plan changes, it is easy to add or subtract items.
Comments: Planswift is like an open-source, do-it-yourself platform. It is awesome in it's capability to write what you need and even design the input screens to look very clean and professional. But negatives come with that.it's not good at all for multiple users, you have to define all your own processes and there is little to no bid-level abilities with the software. Most of the great reviews for Planswift are based on the Takeoff aspect.
They are correct. But the estimation side is only great for a single, hands-on user. Pros: -Takeoff probably couldn't be better. All takeoff software should be judged against Planswift.Estimation is confusing at first, but very powerful. Everything is customizable.Price is very low for what you can do.
Cons: -No database. This is a basic requirement. You can connect to MS database, but one shouldn't need to do that.Reporting is not good at all. It is very glitchy.
So it appears easy to customize, but then things just quit working.Support and upgrades have seemingly stopped. Ownership has a changed a few times and now the software seems to be in limbo. Comments: We are a large GC and self-perform much of our own work (concrete, framing, roofing, drywall, siding, etc.) and even do takeoffs on the work we are subbing out to keep our subs in check. We feel the sample parts & assemblies that come with the software as well as the plugins PlanSwift offers are useless. We found a company (www.precisiontakeoffs.com) that makes what PlanSwift refers to as 'Third Party' plugins and they have been amazing. We have purchased 6 plugins from this company and they are very easy to use, very detailed, and very versatile.
These plugins weren't cheap but are worth the investment. We would still recommend PlanSwift without these plugins as it is very easy to use and extremely accurate. I don't understand all the negative comments I see about PlanSwift. You don't need to be a computer programmer to use PlanSwift. It doesn't crash all the time. We rarely have any issues with it and when we do it almost always is a user issue, not a PlanSwift issue. Pros: We love the fact that you can do everything (takeoff, pricing, overhead, profit, & bid proposal) within PlanSwift!
Cons: It does have a bit of lag on bigger takeoffs as it is only a 32 bit system. Customer service is terrible! Comments: Used this software for two years for Mechanical/Air Distribution Equipment Takeoff. It is quick and easy to perform counts and linear/area takeoffs. There were some minor glitches, but once I learned how to avoid them I had no problems with accuracy/ease of use. The software has a lot of potential for speeding up takeoff with custom columns/properties, templates, that require some set-up by the user. When I first got the software there was a great plug-in store that provided added features, but unfortunately, that has been taken down for the foreseeable future.
My biggest complaint is that support does not seem to respond to many of my emails or takes a long time which is unacceptable given the cost of yearly maintenance/support. I did not use some of the tools like parts and reports, so I can't comment on those. Pros: Easy to get started with takeoff (counts, linear, area) and organize your takeoff items Fast takeoff, quick to load new pages/zoom in and out Custom columns/properties allow for in software calculations Cons: Have to import pages to the software, has proprietary plan swift job files that make sharing a bit harder.
Some glitches such as takeoff items getting jumbled when exporting/importing Have to create folders for breakouts/separating takeoff by page (without plugins at least) which can make things like room schedules a bit tedious. Recommendations to other buyers: Look into the tools available from the software (like the parts and reports) and make sure that it meets your needs, I can see some of these being much more useful to a contractor (I am a rep, so I need to price things out of mfgr software anyways) You definitely will want to set up things like templates and custom properties at the start. It is easy to get into the basics of counting/takeoff, but using these more in-depth features early on can save you valuable time. Comments: We started using this product to save money on plans and expedite the takeoff process. We still use our own excel-based estimating template, but the software allows us to quickly takeoff and add/subtract sections from the estimate with ease and without having to commit to print a full plan set without first being awarded the job. The accuracy is close to what we get for counts with a scale and excel line items. Pros: The takeoff interface is much easier to use than On-Screen that I have used.
Most commands and different functions can all be performed with the mouse and keyboard in a very streamlined and user-friendly manner. It also always you to use and arc function to measure arc distances. The area and linear takeoff/deduct items are very useful as long as you know what exactly you are looking for. Cons: It is very easy to make a mistake in your takeoff of the elevations if you don't keep track of the floor plans and returns into the building as well. It requires you to be as thorough as if you were taking it off by hand, but the measuring and recording parts become much easier. You must still learn all wall types and details to no make a mistake. A 3D software would take into account returns into the building and wall backups/details that are sometimes hard to keep track of in 2D.
Recommendations to other buyers: This is a great stepping stone to get your feet we with takeoff software. We plan to get a 3D program one day, but this will at the very least familiarize our estimators with using software and save us the time and money involved with printing full sized plans. Comments: After using Planswift for the last few years, I would have to say the program is definitely worthwhile and provides bang for the buck. As an affordable program, the features included, after a bit of getting used to, rival the more expensive suites out there in terms of usability and over all value. Coming from a civil background, the features were relatively easy to dive in and get figured out. With a wealth of resources available, anyone who can't figure it out in a hurry is simply not trying enough.
Pros: Planswift is relatively easy to navigate, with the user interface friendly and not too cumbersome. As some programs tend to feel bogged down with features that are specific to a few endusers, Planswift allows the addition of add-ons to free up the real-estate and allow for an easier transition. Further, the customer support is great and has helped me on numerous occasions to get through whatever issue arose at the time. Technically tight, easy to use and a wealth of support. Cons: There has not been many instances where the program has left me desiring, however, there has been a couple of shifts internally since I have been using the program and things have been rather confusing as to who, what, where and when the ownership was being turned over. There was a bit of confusion when my licence had expired and the company had been purchased by Oracle, along with the Gradebeam service. However, even during this uncertainty, the helpful customer service was able to set things right.
Comments: I've been a Planswift user for last 8 years. The program has a lot of bells and whistles with so many custom options. Its a rather incredible concept but some of the tools like hip/valley tool, comparative overlay and auto count don't work properly.
My number one issue with plan swift is the code. I complained about how slow the program would get after just a few hours of measurements, especially when using a lot of joint tool and overlays. I would mostly get silence from customer support when making that comment, it seemed odd but I didn't put much thought into it and just kept upgrading hardware on my PC to compensate. Well, now I have a computer that could animate for Pixar yet Planswift still shows me its hourglass mocking the value of my time. I also noticed it would crash more often than I find reasonable and will also crash excel when open even if not using Planswift at the time. When this would happen, excel was unable to recover my progress in that worksheet.
VERY frustrating. So, I started to look into composing better spreadsheet design do compensate. I went to an excel guru with estimating background and after just several hours we were both unsure of how we were to make chicken salad out of the fodder. I decided to go shopping, there are tons of in screen programs out there but if you want takeoff with legends to be able to efficiently convey that fancy estimate you spent hours and days putting together to a team on the forld, there are very few that do it well. Most do not have a joist tool or hip/valley intelligence and many other features Planswift has. But most all the others are faster than P.S. And will allow you to work on multiple jobs at same time (P.S.
For the light user on a budget, this could be your ticket and I will gladly sell you one of the four P.S. Licenses I am currently sitting on. But if you want to do whole project estimating that is visually auditable with reliable output that won't slow you down and actually speed this boring, low-to-no paying process down then I suggest you search elsewhere. I found my dream software by mixing tei that have most of what Planswift does combined.
But mega faster, without crashing or ever hour classing and better reports I do t have to spend hours cleaning up after exporting. Pros: Features, easy to learn, lots of customization options Cons: Glitchy, crashy, ruined my day far too many times with lost/disconnected data & subsequent reduced productivity Recommendations to other buyers: Depending on your budget, try eTakeoff for lots of bells and whistles, fast estimating and available remade databases. But the output is graphically limited in terms of field use/reference. PreBuilt ML X has less bells and whistles but for accurate, auditable takeoff with some incredibly innovative intelligent features you will be blown away, especially if you are a carpenter or in the lumber business.
It is customizable to other trades as well, I defintely recommend trying it out. With some ingenuity, I have figured out a way to do fast bids that almost estimate the materials automatically.close enough to add the percentage to and still have tome to hang out with my loss and cycle on the weekend.good luck! Comments: Overall, we love this product for our companies needs. Pros: Easy to use and great support for training and technical issues.
The support team works well to accomplish better performance and has a great system for followup and trouble shooting. The program itself is very intuitive to use for the takeoff section, and lots of autocad shortcuts work wtih planswift.
Cons: Building of assemblies is not straight forward. It is cumbersome to put them together. The reporting function as well is not as all encompassing as we would like to see it. Too generic in its applications with no real way to modify the output without great difficulty.
Comments: We have being using PlanSwift now for close to a year and it has been a blessing. We are a commercial irrigation business and strictly use PlanSwift for takeoffs and estimating. It does just about everything we need. It's easy to learn, accurate, customizable for us and their customer service is first class. Pros: The biggest plus with PlanSwift is that it's easy to use. The takeoffs are accurate, the tools are there to use and all the data is right there at your finger tips.
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You can create your own library of items, which saves times once you begin to do multiple takeoffs over time. Speaking of time, using PlanSwift is definitely a time saver compared to the way we used to takeoff jobs. Again, the counts and linear footage tools are spot on so I am never worried about inaccurate data. Cons: At this time, PlanSwift is not compatible with our existing excel spreadsheet.
So we do the takeoff in PlanSwift and import the data onto our spreadsheets. On another note, PlanSwift slows down with the bigger takeoffs deep into the takeoff cycle for that particular job. And if I really had to be nit-picky I would love to see more 'count' symbols. Recommendations to other buyers: Overall, I love PlanSwift. It does just about everything we need it to, it's accurate and at the end of the day you save time using this software. I would highly recommend it as a takeoff tool in the construction world. Comments: This product has been a game-changer for our Finish estimating.
It has helped us estimate painting and wallpapering to an incredible capacity, in comparison to traditional methods. Pros: Great layout Navigating through plan files is fluid Never have lost progress, even with occasional crashes Easy-to-use tools Create custom equations When takeoffs are finished, the estimating page is very easy to read and adjust Cons: I little pricey for a software, but worth it Lack of compatibility with QuickBooks Large files may take a while to upload, may cause software to become unresponsive. Pros: PlanSwift offers a wide variety of tools and calculation methods to save the estimator time. The joist/rafter tool is the feature that pulled me to the buying decision. The speed with which I can prepare layouts with various on-center spacing and direction changes is incredible.
The hip/valley measuring tool also saves me the trouble of pulling a calculator. Now I can provide concise, color coded layouts to clients along with a bill of materials needed for the job. The measuring flexibility and speed of PlanSwift is also unbeaten in my experience of using scales, wheels, digitizers and other on-screen tools. All of my measurements can be color coded and saved. When I need a clean sheet to measure another item, I can simply click to 'turn off' or 'show' any or all measurements to either leave a clean measuring page or print cut-sheets.
When I question a measurement, every measurement is clearly recorded on the screen and can be verified at any time. Even when I click an incorrect point when performing a take-off, I do not have to start over.
All I do is hit a key to remove that point and my take-off and I can proceed as if I didn't make an error. Cons: The labeling feature does not yet allow the estimator to place labels at various angles (for example, along a hip board). In addition, building assemblies to take-off multiple types of materials is not possible without extensive knowledge of programming. Recommendations to other buyers: Write down features that are important for you. Then call one of the many PlanSwift demonstrators and have them walk you through 'how' to use PlanSwift to accomplish those tasks. Comments: I would highly recommend it as a tool to save costs on plan for things like budgets or for companies making their first leap into on-screen takeoffs rather than old school plans and scaling/highlighting.
Pros: Ease of use for point and click, dimension scaling and calibration, elevation markups, text bubbles and snapshots for RFIs, no annual license fee if you so choose to not receive updates, cheapest entry price of any software Cons: Estimating software leaves a lot to be desired. The inputs and functions you can use don't always cover your entire needs and leaves us using Excel with our house made matrix to estimate. Sometimes plans with large file sizes crash the software, but could be due to our own RAM constraints (8 GB). Comments: The software boast a lot of function that sound good at the time of purchase. Several of them make similar promises but when it comes to using the product to the fullest it seems to fall flat of the promise.
Once you get past doing a take off I don't see how anything can complete the estimation process without a lot of extra steps so I would recommend this and any other products for their ability to do the take off but it stops there. Pros: Good video tutorials to help you get the most out of the product. Quick and easy to get a take off done. Some basic templates can be made to make the most of your time. Cons: Written in Pascal so it is old programming and not real easy to modify Customer support can get a little lost if you have a real question.
Comments: I've been using Planswift for over 15 years and I love it. While there are other products out there, I feel Planswift gives me the most for my money. If you are looking at other products, I would suggest, that you factor in maintenance cost into your overall price. Pros: Small learning curve, feature packed, ease of use, the overall cost is lower than most when maintenance cost is figured into the overall price. Cons: New features could come out faster, not cloud-based, needs to be able to sync with tablets. Import DPI could be higher.
Comments: This product features an easy to use takeoff program, combined with a not so easy to use estimating program. Out of all the different software programs that I have seen this is the easiest but it still takes some getting used to. There is not a manual or go to guide so you have to rely on youtube if you have a problem. The main company has been bought out by another so now they stopped the plugin feature for now which tailors the programs to your specific needs. It's a great program but I personally would like a few features added to the program to make it easier to use. TIP: Th hardest part for me was the estimating.
Look careful to see which method of takeoff you select( LINEAR-straight lines, or AREA- length times width) and then look to how the material or PART is priced. It will say (priced by square feet), or it might say (priced by each), or (priced by linear foot). If it says 'priced by square feet' then you must put the 'price each' as the price per square foot. If it says 'priced each' then it means to put the 'price each' as a price for the whole part or the whole board). Pros: Takeoff easy to use great for anyone integrated wit excel comes stock with your standard parts or materials that you will use Cons: If you have different heights on walls you have to make a new line item for each wall that has a different height. Recommendations to other buyers: Good product, fare price, get the maintaince package. Comments: I recently logged in to complete a new project's takeoff and realized that all of my previous projects had been permanently lost.
I basically lost thousands of hours of takeoff and had to redo multiple projects just to be able to bid new projects. I have also been looking to add an earthwork plugin and recently found out that they are no longer selling these plugins and couldn't tell me when or if they would ever be selling these again.
Pros: Ease of use. Cons: Lost projects. No longer selling pluggins. Recommendations to other buyers: It might be worth investing a little more money for another product to confirm that your work isn't lost.
Pros: - Straightforward and easy to use. QTOs are faster than on PDF writer, which allows measuring - Able to scale drawings based on manual reference lines - Ability to overlay drawings and compare revisions - Video tutorials under the help heading - Being able to turn off unneeded digitized elements to reduce clutter/overlap on the screen - Ability to load multiple drawings into one project and quickly jump back and forth - Magnifying tool Cons: - Method of saving to network or hard drive; cannot move the files once saved or risk corruption. Not being able to change the name or color of an element once digitized without changing all of the elements of that type (For example, partition drawn as Type A but should be Type B.
Renaming the element changes all the Type A elements on the page). Would like to see 1:75 and 1:400 as metric scale options - Not being able to provide a QTO summary of each page of a multi-page project; currently have to make unique names for each floor - Would like to see a way to customize what is shown in the legend (would like to be able to turn the quantities on and off). Using one scale for a whole page; sometimes multiple scales are present on one page.
Recommendations to other buyers: Watch a few demos and then give a takeoff a try. As an estimator for a General Contractor, the software meets my needs for a competitive price. Comments: Ease of operation is the biggest perk of this software! Easy to get started and lots of resources to find help. Such as YouTube! Pros: This program saves time, paper and money!
It is incredibly easy to use and easy to train on. The program is very intuitive and easy to navigate through the takeoff commands. Cons: Technical support is not always easy to get a hold of. Getting answers to basic questions takes longer than one would normally anticipate.
I also wish that the program could 'talk to' my estimating software, it is kind of a bummer to do double entries. Pros: I found it easy to learn and it became the go-to program for viewing, measuring, and recording any info relating to architectural drawings. On many occasions, if I thought of some action I would like to see the program perform, a little research revealed that it was already built into the program. I have been surprised many times by the wealth of things this program can do. Cons: One thing the program doesn't do well anymore is load drawings.
When I first purchased about two years ago, the drawings loaded very well, and viewed as clearly as the source pdf file. But after a month or so, and a couple of hundred drawings later, the program began to have trouble loading drawings.
Sometimes the program would just stall during upload, or if it did upload, a lot of lines would be missing from the drawing. It was possible to still do take-offs, but I would often have to keep the source pdf drawing open on another monitor. The latest batch of drawings I loaded were a real mess. Internet forums discuss this problem, but last time I looked no one had a solution. I contacted the company when this problem first appeared, but they were no help. I now regard a take-off program as indispensable, so I'm now shopping around for something to replace the Planswift program. Recommendations to other buyers: I think digital take-off is the only way to work with architectural drawings.
Planswift is an affordable, agile and feature laden program. It was a good way for me to get started, but maybe there's a limit to the quantity of drawings it can store, or maybe it doesn't handle multi-layered pdf drawings very well. I would recommend the free trial, especially if you're new to digital take-off, but I wouldn't recommend this program to a heavy user. Pros: It is one the best quantity takeoff software that I have ever used. It really match with PDF format drawings and give you the ability to categorize and organize the bill of quantities inside the software and transfer them to Excel. You can also apply the unit rates and build up an estimate.
Very appropriate for building works including residential and ICI. Cons: The software has been designed mostly for 2D drawings. When it comes with 3D such as cut & fill takeoff, it doesn't work. I don't recommend the software for heavy-civil jobs. Overall: The accurate quantity takeoff from the PDF format drawings. Comments: PlanSwift is an excellent take-off tool but a little intimidating when you try to use it beyond that.
We recently made the decision to do both our take-off and estimating in PlanSwift. With a minimal investment of time, I was able to input our item database and begin to write assemblies for various common take-off tasks. One of the big payoffs for this was that we entered commonly used formulas and simplified the estimating process. No longer do I have to do a take-off and then do a separate calculation with that quantity. PlanSwift automatically creates separate 'parts' and calculates totals for individual materials when I use the proper assembly. Pros: The information is taken off and not re-entered in a separate spreadsheet or program.
Cons: Assemblies are relatively basic. Timberline assemblies will choose items from a database for you simply by answering a few questions. PlanSwift assemblies have to be built for a specific material type or the parts need to be selected manually. Recommendations to other buyers: Register and listen to the free online training that PlanSwift offers. Comments: If the program could find a better way to be collaborative, we would benefit greatly. Pros: The takeoff abilities of the software are phenomenal. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to its ability to count/calculate objects, areas, assemblies, etc.
Cons: A continued struggle is finding a way for teams to collaborate on takeoffs when team members are in multiple geographic locations. We have tried using their email function, but this can be a slow and tedious process. In addition, we utilize Box for cloud storage, but have found it cumbersome to keep things working in a seamless, and fast fashion. Pros: In my experience with PlanSwift software I find that uploading plans, from both paper copies and internet links, is simple and easy. This makes it quick to get started on take off for calculations. I am a roofer and I need to have totals for squares of material on roofing projects. I have found this program invaluable in conducting my estimating for upcoming projects, saving me time and money from necessary job site visits.
Software Advice was right on the money when they recommended PlanSwift! Cons: The only drawback for me with PlanSwift has been the amount of time it has taken to learn all the controls but I am old school and used to walking a roof and measuring with a tape measure, not so strong on the computer.
But if I can do it so can anyone else. Recommendations to other buyers: I would suggest that anyone interested in this type of software should compare, through demos or trial periods, more than one product, as I did, to find the one best suited to their needs.
Comments: The software is a great tool indeed to document, review and calculate every single detail o the plans. Planswift version 9.5 gets very slow as the project pages grow and the number of takeoffs increase. I would really love to see this problem solved in the near future. Also when I receive the new addenda on the plans, I would love to see the software has a way to archive the old plans in the same document. Overall it is a great help and fabulous tool to us as estimators and I personally do not know how to do my job faster without PS:) Keep it up and Many Thanks.
Vendor Response by PlanSwift on March 19, 2015 Maral, Thank you for your review and comments! I checked with our Technical Support manager regarding the problems you're having: 'As you're pulling in a new addendum, you can organize them in a different folder so that they will stand out from the old set of plans. This is one way of archiving the old to separate them out from the new. For a majority of users, speed hasn't been a problem. It really comes down to how many items you have on your page. For those people that have large, extremely takeoff-heavy jobs, we will continue to work on performance improvements.
When developing for the future, performance is one of our top concerns. ' I sure hope this makes your organization much easier. If you need any help or clarification, please call 888-752-6794 ext 2 Thanks again! Comments: Plan Swift is pretty user friendly but to fully understand and use it to its full capacity takes quite a bit of one on one with someone who can show you all of the little toys that will make your life simpler. If you are planning on purchasing this product you need to plan on getting some extra training so that you can know where to look for all of the amazing tools this program has.
You can move around in it pretty well on your own but the chances of making it profitable and useful without a pro showing you these secrets is slim to none. Unfortunately that is where you have to bite the bullet and get some pretty extensive one on one and they don't give that away. Pros: Great product with limitless capabilities.
Cons: Count on spending a lot of extra money on training if you want to get the most out of this product. Recommendations to other buyers: I would definitely still purchase this program knowing what i know about it but unless you are a computer wiz who can read and write your own programs be prepared to pay someone at Plan Swift to get you to that point. Comments: PlanSwift has been an integral part of my business for nearly two years. The capabilities of PlanSwift are an excellent value. I have found the trainers to be good teachers, good listeners and to have the attitude of wanting to meet my business needs. There are a few operating system compatibility issues that come up periodically with the software, but, the accuracy of my takeoffs and speed of preparing takeoffs (as compared to my use of digitizers in prior years) overrides those minor inconveniences. Pros: Ability to save/print all measurements for use as cut sheets and backup reference.
The categorizing and color coding all data. Tools for joist and rafter layouts. Cons: Creating page overlays of pages saved to different scales are nearly impossible. Labeling tools are not quite nimble enough. The user must use note fields or 'sticky' arrows. Recommendations to other buyers: Test the product, and give feedback as to your needs so those features can be planned for addition into PlanSwift. Pros: My company just recently purchased PlanSwift, and so far, what I like best about this product is the capability to take on complex equations to figure out what exactly you are measuring, example square footage.
I also like that the support team is very knowledgeable and had no problem assisting me in figuring out the complicated square footage equation. I look forward to working with the support team more to really meet what my company is requiring to do fast and easy takeoffs! Cons: Again, I am new to the software, so I haven't formed much of an opinion yet. However, if I had to pick something I liked least about this product, it would have to be that when switching computers, it does not transfer the jobs you have done already to the new computer. I had to email all the jobs and upload them to the new computer; I was hoping all my work would automatically be there already. Recommendations to other buyers: Ensure you ask as many questions as you can when deciding to purchase the software.
I found myself calling a lot the first week with questions. I also highly recommend getting the 14-day trial; that was wonderful!
What are PlanSwift Tutorials? Welcome to the PlanSwift Tutorials post from Best Construction Estimating Software (BCES).
This post is the go-to resource for all of our PlanSwift YouTube Videos and their associated BCES posts. Or on the image above to check out the Best Construction Estimating Software YouTube Channel now! Welcome Video: Please take a minute (actually 50 seconds) to view our PlanSwift Video Tutorials Welcome Trailer. It will quickly summarize the BCES YouTube Channel offerings. We offer easy-to-follow videos that will get you started with PlanSwift’s takeoff software. PlanSwift Review: Our Planswift Review post and accompanying YouTube Video highlight key features as well as show how PlanSwift will save Construction Professionals both TIME & Money with it’s SIMPLE, Easy-To-Follow Takeoff software. To be taken to the BCES Planswift Review Post.
PlanSwift Download: This video shows you how to download, activate, and start using the FREE 14 Day PlanSwift Trial. To view our Video Summary and Download Checklist. PlanSwift Promo Code: This video breaks-down the steps to redeem your $100 discount when purchasing a PlanSwift License (or two) combined with the 1-year Updates & Support program. To view the Steps To Redeem Your Promo Code ( best100). PlanSwift Crack: This video points out the benefits of trying PlanSwift’s FREE Trial Download (and later purchasing from PlanSwift) vs. Attempting to use a PlanSwift Crack.
To view Things To Consider when comparing a PlanSwift Crack to the FREE trial download. PlanSwift Cost: This Video will look at how Simple and Basic the Pricing Menu is.
We will highlight that PlanSwift has ONE PRICE and TWO OPTIONS and quickly describe each option and price. To see how SIMPLE IS BEST and to take advantage of the PlanSwift Cost BONUS! Thank you for visiting and the PlanSwift Tutorials resource page. We appreciate your time.
Visit the Best Construction Estimating Software YouTube Channel now: November 17, 2016 By. SIMPLE IS BEST. PlanSwift keeps things SIMPLE from start to finish. Right from the time that you search PlanSwift cost or “ how much does PlanSwift cost?”, the top of the list will reveal a link to PlanSwift’s pricing page. PLANSWIFT COST – SIMPLE PRICING PAGE The first thing that you will notice once you get to the pricing page is how SIMPLE the menu is. There is ONE price along with two options.
One option is to add the Updates & Support program. The second option on the menu is for 1-on-1 Training.
Pretty awesome, right? It reminds us of that cool gourmet burger shop that offers Burgers, Fries, Sodas and Shakes.
Simple and to the point, and a GREAT EXPERIENCE EVERY TIME. We all love experiences like this because we don’t have to waste any unnecessary energy on making a purchase decision. And we know that the product and service will be top notch because a company that keeps it simple can focus all of their energy of the customer experience. Make it SIMPLE and GREAT. PlanSwift is very transparent. They offer one price for the software license:. $995 for 1 The two options are also very clear:.
$200 for 1 year of Upgrades & Support. $295 for 3 hours of 1-on-1 training PLANSWIFT COST – VIDEO RECAP: Enjoy our quick video review of PlanSwift’s pricing. PLANSWIFT COST – BONUS! Even better – getting a discount on your PlanSwift purchase is also very simple. Best Construction Estimating Software offers a PlanSwift Promo Code that you can apply to the purchase of your license + 1 year of Upgrades & Support: $995 + $200 = $1195 – $100 = $1095 (PlanSwift License + 1 year of Upgrades & Support) Here is the Promo Code for you to receive your discount now: PlanSwift Promo Code best100. Software cracks cover all industries and are readily available using any search engine. Searching PlanSwift Crack offered us pages of links to explore.
At the time this post was published, there were 76,400 results. Topping the list was an offer to download version 9.5.8.1: What Is Software Cracking? Wikipedia offers, “ is the modification of software to remove or disable features, especially copy protection features”. This includes removing or disabling protection against the manipulation of serial numbers and software keys. Why Crack Software? Reading an article entitled, the first paragraph offers an explanation of why folks crack software with “ it is not for monetary gain but as a challenge to know how “it works” and to gain more knowledge through unpacking, debugging and analyzing the program”. Now that we have a basic understanding of WHAT Cracking is and WHY folks Crack software, let’s look at a few factors to consider when contemplating a PlanSwift Crack.
PlanSwift Crack vs. Free Trial Download – Things To Consider:. Security: Are you using a Trusted Source? Is the PlanSwift Crack safe to download and operate? Let’s face it, if you are not downloading the software directly from PlanSwift then you are taking a risk.
Support + Maintenance: A PlanSwift Crack is not supported. Additionally, the cracked software we did find were all older versions. Downloading and purchasing directly from PlanSwift gets you the most up-to-date version as well as continuing support updates, maintenance, and customer support it’s all there!. Reciprocation: PlanSwift is a software that makes life easy for construction professionals. Its many features promote efficiency, accuracy, and PROFITABILITY. If you are using PlanSwift to increase profits for your quality products and services, then it makes sense to reciprocate so that PlanSwift can also profit from their quality products and services.
It’s that SIMPLE. Our PlanSwift Crack Video The Recap: A Final Thought: It is tempting to use Cracked Software, especially if the software is for recreational use and not for profit. Using software For Profit, on the other hand, raises the bar for accountability. Construction professionals should think about RECIPROCATING when considering software that is used professionally as a way to increase profits. In this particular case, make it a WIN-WIN for both you and the folks at PlanSwift. Instead of looking for a PlanSwift Crack to download, to learn how you can download PlanSwift’s FREE 14-Day Trial.
Want to get right to it? Click on the Banner Below or on the Banner in the sidebar to your right and go directly to PlanSwift’s download page.
February 19, 2016 By. What I appreciate about PlanSwift is that it is VERY reasonably priced. Not only is the pricing up-front, but it is affordable. No sticker shock! Better yet, is the opportunity to save money by receiving a PlanSwift Promo Code. Our way of saying “thank-you” for sticking around to explore.
Before we move on to how to redeem your promo code when purchasing a PlanSwift license, you may be wondering “how much is the PlanSwift Promo Code worth”? How Much Is The PlanSwift Promo Code Worth?
Good Question. It’s worth $100 when you purchase a PlanSwift license PLUS the 1-year Updates & Support option. The Updates & Support include all updates/upgrades to the software as well as all help you may need from the PlanSwift team. Being able to test-run a software before purchasing it is very important. In fact, it should be standard.
A free trial download can help potential customers grow trust with a company and their products. The PlanSwift Download offered from planswift.com is easy to follow and set up on any computer. The Free 14-Day Trial gives you enough time to explore all the features PlanSwift has to offer, allowing you to get comfortable with the features you will use most often. As the Screenshot below suggests, it is REALLY easy to spot the PlanSwift Download button after arriving at planswift.com. Like I mentioned earlier, the folks at PlanSwift are accommodating. They WANT you to find the Free 14-Day Trial, so they make the download button VERY easy to find. Video Instruction of a typical PlanSwift Download Here is a quick breakdown of what to expect when attempting to download the Free 14-day trial from planswift.com: Video Summary: Your Download Checklist The PlanSwift download process can be summarized with these easy-to-follow steps:.
Click on one of the “Download Free 14 Day Trial” banners here at Best Construction Estimating Software. Provide basic information- name, contact info, company name then click the “DOWNLOAD NOW” button. This will start download of installation file. Generate Trial Account Information- you will be given your Customer Number and Pin Number. Install the Trial Version of PlanSwift 10.0 after it is finished downloading to your computer.
Activate your Free Trial of PlanSwift by entering your Customer Number and Pin Number Follow the steps above and enjoy your 14-Day Trial. To get started now! If you plan to at the end of your trial, please take a moment to grab this.
As a way of saying thanks for checking out Best Construction Estimating Software, we are offering a to redeem when you purchase PlanSwift. February 4, 2016 By. Keeping it SIMPLE and efficient is important to all construction professionals. TIME IS MONEY. This PlanSwift Review confirms that PlanSwift will save you will save time and money. Some may argue that the “Old School” method of printing out plans and working with pencil and calculator is still for them.
But considering the amount of time it takes to coordinate printing the correct plans, the cost printing, and then eventually having to transfer all your information to the computer to communicate, you can’t afford NOT to go paperless and try PlanSwift’s. If you want to experience what the best construction estimating software can do for you, then you’re going to want watch our short video below, then continue reading this PlanSwift Review. PlanSwift Review: What Is PlanSwift? PlanSwift is a Construction Takeoff and Estimating software. It is a tool that automates standard procedures. Fast and easy to use, PlanSwift’s software will help you accurately complete construction takeoffs right on your computer screen. PlanSwift calculates takeoffs automatically, saving valuable time and effort. PlanSwift has a visual point-and-click interface that allows users to simply drag and drop individual products or assembled product groups directly onto a digitized blueprint.
PlanSwift’s Features and Benefits PlanSwift is a User-Friendly environment that features: Seeing is Believing: A Look at How PlanSwift Looks and Works On-Screen Here is a quick overview of what you can expect as soon as you download PlanSwift’s Free 14-Day trial: What we didn’t like about PlanSwift PlanSwift does not have cloud-based storage, meaning you have to save your work locally (on your computer) and then communicate using email or by using a third-party storage option (i.e. Share via dropbox). Since PlanSwift isn’t web-based, true mobile capabilities rely on PlanSwift being installed on a laptop. PlanSwift on a laptop would solve any portability issues. A laptop with software will travel. What we like about PlanSwift Getting started! You can simply go to PlanSwift’s web page and download the 14-Day Free Trial. If your computer is up-to-date and will support the software, you can be up-and-running in minutes. Another bonus is the ease in which you can create handy, presentable, professional PDF documents to securely share your calculations.
The “show legend” option allows you to display data right on the print view that you choose. We can’t say enough about PlanSwift’s User-Friendly interface. It allows you to pick-up on the essentials quickly, so that you can start making the software work for you, right away. With a Free Trial, you just can’t go wrong. See for yourself whether is the best construction estimating software, here’s how to get your Free Trial: How to download a 14-Day Free Trial It’s not rocket science, but if you are a visual learner like me, seeing helps the process go a lot faster. That is why I’ve created this handy to make sure you know exactly what to expect. If you would like to keep things moving, simply click on the banner below to head right over to the website!
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