What is a model?

Note: You require a license to use Sage Estimating Models.

A model is a set of instructions for taking off everything needed for a specific structural element. You might think of the model as a complex or "super" assembly which includes items and assemblies along with any default values you have set up for them. Or you might think of the model as a template where you answer questions and fill in the blanks to provide the information necessary for your estimate.

Models may serve in three different roles: Group, Database, and Estimate models.

Specifically, models include some combination of the following:

Items and assemblies - are the physical components that make up your model. They also include whatever variables, defaults, and formulas you set up in them to calculate quantities.
Questions - obtain input for model takeoff. You can use the responses to feed fields throughout the model. In addition, you can set up question formulas to perform calculations on the input from one or more questions or to determine the proper value for a field.
Default values (optional) - are fixed values or assumptions set up for variables and other fields in the model. At takeoff, defaults reduce the amount of input by prefilling fields throughout the model. You can hide fields with defaults and ignore them during takeoff.