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calculating the actual area
- Thread starter Mardi
- Start date
Not really any easy way since you are likely talking about a lot of random shapes that are not easily defined mathmatically. You'd likely need to use some form of integral calculus to get there from here. But why, pray tell, do you need to know the exact area of CUT vinyl? Are you trying to come up with some cute method of pricing based solely on the actual vinyl applied to the surface? If so, you are heading down the wrong path my friend. YOu should be charging for whatever comes off the roll, or at least a rectangular approximation of the area used.
Example: Sign is 4' x 8' and you apply about 75% of that in vinyl, so charge for 32 SF X 75% or 24 SF, regardless of how much vinyl you weeded and threw out.
Example: Sign is 4' x 8' and you apply about 75% of that in vinyl, so charge for 32 SF X 75% or 24 SF, regardless of how much vinyl you weeded and threw out.
jiarby
New Member
Geometry! You would have learned all that in the 9-10th grade.
Most CAD/CAM packages can automatically calculate the area/volume of a drawing but the sign weenies have not implemented this feature.
We calculate costs based on linear feet of material cut off the roll, as Chris suggests.
Given:
1. A 24x18 coro sign uses 1.5 linear feet. (3sqft)
2. Oracal 651 Black costs $80/roll for 50yds.
3. There are 3 linear feet in one yard.
Therefore:
1. 80 dollars divided by 150 linear feet(50yards x 3 feet) means that this roll costs $.53 per linear foot.
2. I used 1.5 linear feet per single side (maximum!)
3. 1.5 linear feet x $.53 means that the coro vinyl costs $.795 per side.
Beacuse my time is much more valuable than the material costs I never dork around with trying to pack in the layout to cut using less material. How many minutes are you going to work messing with layout and application to save some portion of 79¢??
Who cares what the area of the material used is. You should only care about the material CONSUMED to make the sign... not the material DELIVERED.
Most CAD/CAM packages can automatically calculate the area/volume of a drawing but the sign weenies have not implemented this feature.
We calculate costs based on linear feet of material cut off the roll, as Chris suggests.
Given:
1. A 24x18 coro sign uses 1.5 linear feet. (3sqft)
2. Oracal 651 Black costs $80/roll for 50yds.
3. There are 3 linear feet in one yard.
Therefore:
1. 80 dollars divided by 150 linear feet(50yards x 3 feet) means that this roll costs $.53 per linear foot.
2. I used 1.5 linear feet per single side (maximum!)
3. 1.5 linear feet x $.53 means that the coro vinyl costs $.795 per side.
Beacuse my time is much more valuable than the material costs I never dork around with trying to pack in the layout to cut using less material. How many minutes are you going to work messing with layout and application to save some portion of 79¢??
Who cares what the area of the material used is. You should only care about the material CONSUMED to make the sign... not the material DELIVERED.
deegrafix
New Member
The Amazing Formula
Tools: Millimeter ruler, calculator and layout.
Premise: You know you want the logo on the layout to be 6" tall and need to know how long it will be.
1. Measure the height of the logo in millimeters. (Let's say that comes to 14 mm.)
2. On calculator: 6 divided by 14. The result is your multiplier- .428. Write this on layout.
3. Measure length of the logo in mm. Multiply by the multiplier. Let's say the logo length was 29mm. 29 x .428=12.41. The logo is 12.41 inches long.
If the layout is correctly proportioned this multiplier will work on any aspect in the layout and is correct to the fraction of an inch. Measure any element in mm and multiply by the multiplier and it gives the answer in inches.
You can use it on a straight on picture, such as a van if you have one actual measurement of any part of the van. You can use it on a business card.
This has taken the guesswork out of quotes for me for years. I don't know how the mm to inch conversion works, but it does. Once you've done it a few times it's a peice of cake! I always know what size vinyl to use and how much is needed for the job by listing the size of each element.
I'd love to hear of this benefitting someone because it is a wonderful tool! Most times when I explain it I can watch the person's eyes start to glaze over and no one believes how simple it really is.
Dee
Tools: Millimeter ruler, calculator and layout.
Premise: You know you want the logo on the layout to be 6" tall and need to know how long it will be.
1. Measure the height of the logo in millimeters. (Let's say that comes to 14 mm.)
2. On calculator: 6 divided by 14. The result is your multiplier- .428. Write this on layout.
3. Measure length of the logo in mm. Multiply by the multiplier. Let's say the logo length was 29mm. 29 x .428=12.41. The logo is 12.41 inches long.
If the layout is correctly proportioned this multiplier will work on any aspect in the layout and is correct to the fraction of an inch. Measure any element in mm and multiply by the multiplier and it gives the answer in inches.
You can use it on a straight on picture, such as a van if you have one actual measurement of any part of the van. You can use it on a business card.
This has taken the guesswork out of quotes for me for years. I don't know how the mm to inch conversion works, but it does. Once you've done it a few times it's a peice of cake! I always know what size vinyl to use and how much is needed for the job by listing the size of each element.
I'd love to hear of this benefitting someone because it is a wonderful tool! Most times when I explain it I can watch the person's eyes start to glaze over and no one believes how simple it really is.
Dee
Rick
Certified Enneadecagon Designer
All that sounds like too much work.....
Corel...
http://www.isocalc.com/cooltools/get-area.htm
Illustrator...
www.hotdoor.com CadTools has area in it's CadTracker...you can download the trial version for free.
Corel...
http://www.isocalc.com/cooltools/get-area.htm
Illustrator...
www.hotdoor.com CadTools has area in it's CadTracker...you can download the trial version for free.
Rick
Certified Enneadecagon Designer
I think it adds it up.....I know Cadtools will add up multiple shapes...be carefull when trying to figure out over all sign space. I surround the letters with a box and only select the box to determine "overall" space. This is the usual practice for submitting to the city for permitting.
I must say I think you may be overthinking this. Just use Lenght x Width = sqft,sqyds, or sqinches, which ever works for the size of your layout. If it is multiple images as you state than once they are cut you can simply measure the vinyl used to get your total amount. It is not worth wasting the time to try to save a little vinyl.
Once you have your sqft you can figure out how much to charge for the material. You have to remember there is a lot of waste in doing vinyl.
Good luck.
Once you have your sqft you can figure out how much to charge for the material. You have to remember there is a lot of waste in doing vinyl.
Good luck.
Rick
Certified Enneadecagon Designer
I must say I think you may be overthinking this. Just use Lenght x Width = sqft,sqyds, or sqinches, which ever works for the size of your layout. If it is multiple images as you state than once they are cut you can simply measure the vinyl used to get your total amount. It is not worth wasting the time to try to save a little vinyl.
Once you have your sqft you can figure out how much to charge for the material. You have to remember there is a lot of waste in doing vinyl.
Good luck.
I agree, if you are figuring out materials or overall square footage...but in another forum a sign guy had to figure out each letter. The client got the city to count the actual letter space for permitting...(had a very good lawyer I guess) I can't assume what the poster had in mind when asking the question. Either way, the information will work for what you need it for.
Rick
Certified Enneadecagon Designer
It's not a pain with the ISOCalc plug-in or CadTools...submitting drawing to the city is a pain. I imagine the client valued his identity to get it as big as possible but I wonder how he really pulled it off and the cost.
The forum is the CorelDraw Yahoo group. Quite a few very experienced and talented architectural/electric sign designers there.
The forum is the CorelDraw Yahoo group. Quite a few very experienced and talented architectural/electric sign designers there.
My Client lives in a town with realy tough signage code requirements. He is allowed only certain sq ft of signage based on his business's linear frontage of the street. He already has an 2x10' light box and wants to letter his windows as well and for that he has 8 sf left
In order to maximize amount of graphics, I want to calculate the area of the actual graphics only and hope it will fly with the city. After all, the rest is just a window.
I hope that took some confusion out of my question
In order to maximize amount of graphics, I want to calculate the area of the actual graphics only and hope it will fly with the city. After all, the rest is just a window.
I hope that took some confusion out of my question
Flisk, I am trying to maximize the size of what I can give to my client.
I know how to calculate area of overall space occupied by the graphic.
Has anyone used "Get Area" plug in. I have downloaded it and followed the instruction for loading it, but do not know how to access it from within Corel?
I know how to calculate area of overall space occupied by the graphic.
Has anyone used "Get Area" plug in. I have downloaded it and followed the instruction for loading it, but do not know how to access it from within Corel?
flisk
New Member
it seems like you are over-complicating this. If you are using an Ariel Bold font and go with a 1'x8' area, there is really not much more you can do to maximize the font, short of adding drop shadow.
Unless you are trying to pull a "rules lawyer" thing on em with the whole total area coverage thing?
Unless you are trying to pull a "rules lawyer" thing on em with the whole total area coverage thing?
OldPaint
New Member
BOY TALK ABOUT ANAL RETENTIVE))))))))
sorry to funny.....8 sq ft is 8 sq ft......either on the window or in vinyl......which will fit in a 2'X4 or 4x2, or 1'x8' or 8'x1' or 2 2'x2' or 2 1'x4'.....got nothin to do with vinyl on the sign...SIZE OF THE SIGN will only let you put that amouth of vinyl on it..................
sorry to funny.....8 sq ft is 8 sq ft......either on the window or in vinyl......which will fit in a 2'X4 or 4x2, or 1'x8' or 8'x1' or 2 2'x2' or 2 1'x4'.....got nothin to do with vinyl on the sign...SIZE OF THE SIGN will only let you put that amouth of vinyl on it..................
Bradster941
New Member
I take it that your trying to set up the City Code Enforcement for a black eye.
Ie. “Yea, it’s 3’ x 8’, but the actual vinyl only takes up 8 sq. ft..”
Not so sure your doing your customer a favor here.
Ie. “Yea, it’s 3’ x 8’, but the actual vinyl only takes up 8 sq. ft..”
Not so sure your doing your customer a favor here.
GX, It is .gms file, I'll figure out how to use it unless someone can give me some pointers.
OP, I think you are missing a point. There is an existing sign on the building which is 8'x2' in size for the total of 16 sf.
My client has "allowance" for an additional 4 sf of signage to apply on the window. City has been anal retentive about it to the point that they want to "approve" not only the size but the artwork too !!??? Any waym, I want to make sure that my artwork does not exceed 4 sf of coverage to the tee. That means only the area that is actually covered with vinyl, excluding empty space between the letters, a hole in a "o" etc. That way I can give my client all he wants and legally fulfill the city's requirement.
OP, I think you are missing a point. There is an existing sign on the building which is 8'x2' in size for the total of 16 sf.
My client has "allowance" for an additional 4 sf of signage to apply on the window. City has been anal retentive about it to the point that they want to "approve" not only the size but the artwork too !!??? Any waym, I want to make sure that my artwork does not exceed 4 sf of coverage to the tee. That means only the area that is actually covered with vinyl, excluding empty space between the letters, a hole in a "o" etc. That way I can give my client all he wants and legally fulfill the city's requirement.