Browsing and Searching the Database

Overview

The Ensign electrical database contains thousands of real products from real manufacturers, complete with trade prices and installation hours. When you take off a database item, the product code, cost, and labour time attach directly to the takeoff line and carry through when you export to the estimating module — eliminating the need to look up and re-enter that information later.

You access the database by clicking the Add Item button in the toolbar. This opens the database browser, where you can either browse through a structured category tree or search by description or product code.

Browsing the database

The database is organised into a clear hierarchy: categories, then manufacturers, then product ranges (and in some cases sub-ranges), and finally individual items. This structure makes it straightforward to find what you need even if you do not know the exact product code.

1. 1

   Click the Add Item button in the toolbar. The database browser opens.

2. 2

   The left-hand panel displays the eight main categories that cover the full spectrum of electrical materials. These categories are the same ones used in the estimating module:

   • Cables
   • Cable Management
   • Distribution
   • General
   • Lighting
   • Sockets and Switches
   • and additional categories covering the remaining product groups

   Each category groups together every manufacturer and product in that area, so you always know where to start looking.

3. 3

   Select a category — for example, Cable Management — to expand it and reveal the manufacturers available within it.

4. 4

   Select a manufacturer to see the product ranges they offer. Some manufacturers have a large catalogue, so their products are broken down further into sub-ranges beneath each range heading.

5. 5

   Drill down into a range (or sub-range) to see the individual items. Each item displays:

   • Description — the product name and specification
   • Product code — the manufacturer's catalogue reference
   • Unit of measure — whether the item is measured per unit or per metre
   • Trade price — the current list price held in the database
   • Installation hours — the allowed labour time (shown in decimal hours)

Searching the database

If you already know what you are looking for, the search function at the top of the database dialog is considerably faster than browsing through the category tree.

1. 1

   Click Add Item to open the database browser.

2. 2

   Click into the search field at the top of the dialog.

3. 3

   Type a description or product code. You can search by either — the system matches against both fields simultaneously. For example:

   • A product code such as K2747 will find the specific MK item and any assemblies that include it.
   • A description such as 2.5mm Twin and Earth will return all matching cable items across manufacturers.
4. 4

   Press Enter. The database filters to show matching results.

Understanding search results

Search results may include both individual items and assemblies. Assemblies are displayed in a distinct colour (a specific shade of red) so you can distinguish them from single items at a glance. This is important because selecting an assembly gives you a grouped set of components rather than a single product — see Browsing and Using Assemblies in PDF Takeoff for details.

Taking off a database item

Once you have found the item you need — whether by browsing or searching — select it in the list. The dialog shows the method field, which indicates whether the item is taken off as a unit (counted) or linear (measured along a route) item. The method is determined by the product type and cannot be changed.

Unit database items

Unit items are discrete, countable products — such as sockets, switches, light fittings, and distribution boards.

1. 1

   Select the item in the database browser. Confirm that the method field shows Unit.

2. 2

   Choose a colour for the takeoff markers. This is the colour that will appear on the drawing wherever you place a count, making it easy to see what you have already taken off.

3. 3

   Choose a pixel size for the markers. A larger pixel size makes the markers more visible on the drawing but can obscure detail if the drawing is dense. You can adjust this at any time — if the markers are too large or too small, right-click to finalise the current count, re-select the item, change the pixel size, and press Start again.

4. 4

   Press Start.

5. 5

   Left-click on the drawing at each location where the item appears. Each click places a coloured marker and increments the count.

6. 6

   Right-click to finalise. The count is logged in the service panel on the left-hand side of the screen.

Linear database items

Linear items are products measured along a route — such as cables, trunking, conduit, and tray.

1. 1

   Select the item in the database browser. Confirm that the method field shows Linear.

2. 2

   Choose a colour and pixel size for the route line that will be drawn on screen.

3. 3

   If the run is vertical (e.g. a riser), tick the Riser option. This tells the system to treat the measurement as a vertical distance rather than a horizontal one.

4. 4

   Press Start.

5. 5

   Left-click at the starting point of the route, then left-click at each change of direction (corner) to trace the path of the run across the drawing.

6. 6

   Right-click to finalise the run. The total linear length is calculated and logged in the service panel.

You can take off multiple runs of the same item in succession — after finalising one run with a right-click, simply left-click to begin the next run from a different starting point. Each run is logged as a separate takeoff line.

What carries through to estimating

Whichever method you use, the following data from the database is automatically attached to the takeoff line:

• Product code — for identification and material ordering
• Trade price — based on the current database values
• Installation hours — the allowed labour time per unit or per metre

When you export to the estimating module, these values populate the examine grid directly. You can still adjust discounts, prices, and hours in the estimating module if your actual costs differ from the database figures.

When to use database items vs. other approaches