Estimating Costs

[Tyveka]

Okay, I want to get a preliminary cost for my project.
So, I take the pieces of furniture, walls, equipment, whatever - put them in a schedule. Next I add a cost field (being cost per unit) and the Count field. Then, I want to add a calculated value that will take the Count multiplied by the Cost field to give me a total estimated price for the items being scheduled.
And the message that I get - "The field "Count" cannot be used in formulas." Ummm, what? Then what good is the ability to get a count of the elements if I cannot use it in a formula? Is there a way to do what I'm seeking?

thank you!

[sfaust]

If you select "calculate totals" for the cost field, it will calculate the total cost of all the units. So for example you have 10 chairs at $100 each. You put $100 as the cost, then change the cost field to calculate totals, and it will read $1,000.

For this reason I usually make two columns, one is just the cost field which I set to NOT calculate totals, this is where I enter the cost per unit. I then make a calculated value with the formula "cost" (set it equal to the cost field) and then set that column to calculate totals. Then you have two side by side columns, one giving unit cost, and one giving total cost.

[Taans]

If you select "calculate totals" for the cost field, it will calculate the total cost of all the units. So for example you have 10 chairs at $100 each. You put $100 as the cost, then change the cost field to calculate totals, and it will read $1,000.

For this reason I usually make two columns, one is just the cost field which I set to NOT calculate totals, this is where I enter the cost per unit. I then make a calculated value with the formula "cost" (set it equal to the cost field) and then set that column to calculate totals. Then you have two side by side columns, one giving unit cost, and one giving total cost.
Great, thank you.

[Tyveka]

Steve,

That looks to be working as needed. Thank you.
Still would like to be able to use Count parameter in a formula though. Ah well.

thank you again for the insight!

Edit: It looks like the Material: Cost field is reading from two separate material libraries - the default library in the project and the material library in a linked project. So I end up with some fields that do not populate the cost information because the material in the linked project does not have it. Why would this occur? Or rather, why would the linked project not associate to the material library in the host file?

Thanks!