Formula language — TakeoffCraft help

Assembly components get their quantity from a formula. A formula is a small arithmetic expression over the item's measured values. See Assemblies and formulas for worked examples.

Variables

Item type	Variable	Meaning
Linear	`L`	Total length
Linear	`H`	The item's height
Linear	`A`	Wall area, L × H
Linear	`N`	Number of runs
Area	`A`	Total net area (outlines minus cut-outs)
Area	`P`	Total perimeter, including cut-out edges
Area	`H`	The item's depth or thickness
Area	`N`	Number of areas
Count	`N`	The count

Variables are in the item's units: see Units.
Upper and lower case are the same: l is L.
Only the variables of the item's own type work. P on a linear item gives "P" is not a measured value here. Use L, H, A, N.
An empty height or depth is 0.

Operators

Write	Meaning
`+`	Add
`-` or `−`	Subtract, or a negative value
`*` or `×`	Multiply
`/` or `÷`	Divide
`( )`	Group

Multiply and divide go before add and subtract: L * 2 + 4 is (L × 2) + 4. Use parentheses when in doubt.

Numbers can have decimals (1.333, .5) and exponents (1e3 = 1000). Spaces are ignored.

Functions

Function	Result	Example
`ceil(x)`	Round up to a whole number	`ceil(67.5)` = 68
`floor(x)`	Round down to a whole number	`floor(67.5)` = 67
`round(x)`	Round to the nearest whole number, halves away from zero	`round(2.5)` = 3
`round(x, d)`	Round to d decimals (0 to 10)	`round(3.14159, 2)` = 3.14
`min(a, b, …)`	The smallest value	`min(N, 10)`
`max(a, b, …)`	The largest value	`max(1, ceil(N / 12))`
`abs(x)`	The value without its sign	`abs(-3)` = 3

ceil and floor ignore tiny computer rounding noise, so a value that should be exactly 1 is never rounded up to 2.

Errors

A formula that cannot be read or worked out shows its error under the field, and the component is left out of the totals (the Quantities header says "Incomplete"). Messages:

Message	Fix
Type a formula, like L or ceil(L / 1.333) + 1.	The formula is empty.
"X" is not a measured value here. Use …	Use one of the listed variables.
"X" is not a function here. Use ceil, floor, round, min, max, abs.	Use one of those functions.
"#" is not allowed in a formula.	Remove that character (units, `%`, `$` and `=` are not allowed).
A ")" is missing. / There is a ")" without its "(".	Balance the parentheses.
A value is missing before ")".	Something like `max(1, )`: fill in the value.
The formula ends too soon.	Something like `L *`: finish it.
Unexpected "…". Is an operator missing?	Two values side by side, like `2L`: write `2 * L`.
ceil() takes 1 value.	Give the function the right number of values.
round(x, digits) needs whole digits from 0 to 10.	Use a whole number of decimals.
The formula divides by zero.	Usually H is 0: set the item's height or depth.
The formula does not give a number.	The result is too large to be a number.
That formula is too long (500 characters at most).	Shorten it.

Safe by design

A formula can only do arithmetic with the variables and functions above. It cannot run code or read anything else, so a formula in a project file someone sends you is harmless.