Ken, I couldn't agree more....
if you don't have an idea of what the end product is supposed
to look like, what ballpark you're supposed to be in,

then when the computer spits out a drawing/estimate/whatever
that is incorrect, you won't have a clue that a mistake has
been made....

I've seen it happen with errors-of-magnitude problems done
on a calculator.. (decimal point in the wrong place... )

my physics prof used to make us do an estimate in our heads,
of each exam question, and write it down....
then we could go ahead and do the math and use the calculator --
it was good practice

and most of the best estimators I know are constantly updating
a set of "rules of thumb" that they use on every project...
that way they know when they get "bad" prices from subs --
and sometimes it's the fact that the sub's price isn't bad,
that alerts the estimator to a problem with plans and/or specs..

Deb

>From: Ken Follett <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "BP - \"The Cracked Monitor\""
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: HABS/HAER drawings
>Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 15:10:05 EDT
>
>In a message dated 9/20/99 8:57:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > In my opinion, if you can't draw with your hands, you're not likely to
>do
> >  much better with CAD.
>
>Jim,
>
>A sensible approach. I hold similar for estimating programs. If you cannot
>stand there and figure out an estimate in your head then you're not likely
>to
>do much better with a computer.
>
>][<en
>

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