Can Flexi tell you the square footage of a shape?

[SignProPlus-Chip]

I believe other programs like Corel can do this. I know you can go into FILE>OB ESTIMATION, but that seems to give you the sqft for the entire file you are working with. It there any way to just get the sqft of a selected shape?

 

[signcrafters london]

Edit menu > Job Statistics

(And no, I didn't know about this until I read your question).

 

[eahicks]

I believe other programs like Corel can do this. I know you can go into FILE>OB ESTIMATION, but that seems to give you the sqft for the entire file you are working with. It there any way to just get the sqft of a selected shape?

For 1 selected shape should be super simple.... HxW (in inches) /144 = __s.f.

 

[myront]

Not real familiar with flexi but if it doesn't have it already you can make a macro to tell the sq ft. That's what I use in corel.

 

[Baz]

For 1 selected shape should be super simple.... HxW (in inches) /144 = __s.f.

That's what i do also.

Height x Width / 144 = sq. ft.

 

[bob]

That's what i do also.

Height x Width / 144 = sq. ft.

For all the grossly innumerate, height x width yields the area of a rectangle and nothing else. The original question dealt with determining the area of an indeterminate shape. While there are formulae for determining the area of regular geometric constructs like circles, ovals, certain polygons, conic sections, etc. to compute the area of an irregular shape requires a bit of calculus. Perhaps certain packages can do this, perhaps not.

Just why anyone would need the precise area of a particular shape beyond its bounding rectangle escapes me but that was not the question asked.

 

[SignProPlus-Chip]

That works great for a square or rectangle, and it's pretty much math 101 for signmaking.

I'm talking being able to find the sqft of odd shapes, like a star for example.

For 1 selected shape should be super simple.... HxW (in inches) /144 = __s.f.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

As someone else already said, it's under Edit > Job Statistics. If you have a bunch of shapes, you'll have to scroll through to find the one you want. They've never had it work with just a selected object- at least it never has when I've used it.

I'm curious, though- why the exactitude?

 

[bob]

That works great for a square or rectangle, and it's pretty much math 101 for signmaking.

I'm talking being able to find the sqft of odd shapes, like a star for example.

Depends. A star for example, assuming it's a regular star, can be deconstructed into a bunch of similar triangles and a center polygon. Other reasonably regular shapes also can lend themselves to simple deconstruction. A rectangle with round corners can be reduced to 4 quarter circles and 5 rectangles. Etc.

Other not so regular shapes not so much. Most software isn't sufficiently intelligent to do regular shapes, let alone irregular shapes.

Why is this important to you?

 

[rossmosh]

That works great for a square or rectangle, and it's pretty much math 101 for signmaking.

I'm talking being able to find the sqft of odd shapes, like a star for example.

Illustrator can do it with scripts. There are several out there that will tell you the actual area. I actually hacked together a script which tells me the perimeter of an item and will multiply it by a cost factor so that I can generate CNC cutting estimates faster. Works pretty well all things considered.

As far as your problem, although it's not the answer you're looking for, if I had a star with a max width of 7" and a max height of 8.5", I'd calc the area as 59.5 sq in. I'd almost consider that an industry standard, but it's your call how you like to handle things.

 

[myront]

Depends. A star for example..

Here's a scenario using coreldraw macro to get sq ft.

1. 12" x 12" square with no rounded corners = 1 sq ft
2. 12" x 12" star with no rounded corners = .4 sq ft
3. 12" x 12" square with 1" radius rounded corners = .9 sq ft
4. 12" x 12" star with .5" radius rounded corners = .39 sq ft

I'd say pretty darn accurate.

 

[Baz]

I'm looking forward to hearing the reasoning for this.

Especial when you are printing or cutting a flat rectangle shape of material no matter the odd shape of an object.

 

[myront]

I'm looking forward to hearing the reasoning for this.

Especial when you are printing or cutting a flat rectangle shape of material no matter the odd shape of an object.

Yes, I agree. You charge for the entire sq ft no matter what the shape is.

 

[signguy 55]

A good time to use this would be when pulling a permit and the town / city allows a certain size sign installed and needs to know the square footage.

If you have a rectangle with an arch or some scalloped edges and wanted to be accurate as possible this would help. If nothing else you can print it out and take it to city hall, and look professional doing it.

Some cities base permit fees on square footage, so there's no sense in being charged for a 4' x 8' rectangle when you've cut it to shape, especially when multiple signs add up, like for a doctor's office or shopping center.
Also when doing channel letters trim it can be very accurate how much material you need.

 

[Baz]

My city sign permits are based on square footage of sign in relation to square footage of building frontage.

If i were to put up a star, the square footage would be based on the "square" space the star is taking up. (the square or rectangle exterior boundaries).

On top of that if i was allowed only 28 or 30 square feet of signage.
My artwork would show a 4'x8' sign but with the indication that it is 28 or 30 sq. ft.

Let's not get carried away with such mundane exactitudes .....

 

[Gino]

A good time to use this would be when pulling a permit and the town / city allows a certain size sign installed and needs to know the square footage.

If you have a rectangle with an arch or some scalloped edges and wanted to be accurate as possible this would help. If nothing else you can print it out and take it to city hall, and look professional doing it.

Some cities base permit fees on square footage, so there's no sense in being charged for a 4' x 8' rectangle when you've cut it to shape, especially when multiple signs add up, like for a doctor's office or shopping center.
Also when doing channel letters trim it can be very accurate how much material you need.

Never heard of your reasoning. They usually want the entire square footage of space including the missing areas, if you so choose to cut some of it away. The most outer point top, bottom, left and right is how you obtain square footage for any sign. This will also include whatever framework, regardless if it also has a free-form shape or not.

If you go for a permit to lay pipe, they don't ask how round is the pipe, they ask how deep is it going.

 

[myront]

 

[signguy 55]

Never heard of your reasoning. They usually want the entire square footage of space including the missing areas, if you so choose to cut some of it away. The most outer point top, bottom, left and right is how you obtain square footage for any sign. This will also include whatever framework, regardless if it also has a free-form shape or not.

If you go for a permit to lay pipe, they don't ask how round is the pipe, they ask how deep is it going.

Mike Jackson had an article in SignCraft a few years back with that exact scenario I mentioned. He built a sign for a restaurant and figured the square footage down to the inch. Later the customer wanted to add a beam to the bottom that read "RESTAURANT". Because he had figured so accurately he was able to add to the sign since he has some extra footage to play with.

There have been more recent articles in SignCraft that cover this very situation, can't hurt to ask when pulling the permit anyway.

Maybe someone can remember the article that Mike Jackson wrote, huge sign with an elk and crossed rifles. I guess Jackson Hole Wyoming is different (lenient) than other towns.

Anyway Flexi will figure it for you, which was the point of the question. How you use the info is up to you.

 

[GaSouthpaw]

Mike Jackson had an article in SignCraft a few years back with that exact scenario I mentioned. He built a sign for a restaurant and figured the square footage down to the inch. Later the customer wanted to add a beam to the bottom that read "RESTAURANT". Because he had figured so accurately he was able to add to the sign since he has some extra footage to play with.

There have been more recent articles in SignCraft that cover this very situation, can't hurt to ask when pulling the permit anyway.

Maybe someone can remember the article that Mike Jackson wrote, huge sign with an elk and crossed rifles. I guess Jackson Hole Wyoming is different (lenient) than other towns.

Anyway Flexi will figure it for you, which was the point of the question. How you use the info is up to you.

Not just the case you mentioned, but there are a number of municipalities in the metro Atlanta area that allow you to calculate your sign area in this manner. I've just never thought of applying it to a star (or other shape).
That said, when you have a customer that wants to use every single square inch of their allowable, signable area, I guess it would make sense to calculate down to the smallest detail.

 

[eahicks]

Absurd. If customer orders a contour cut decal that it's FURTHEST BORDER measurement is 4" x 10", but the decal really only occupies 75% of that space, the customer still gets charged for a 4" x 10" decal. I don't get the reasoning for needing square footage of the area of a shape, in the case of signmaking, pricing, etc.

Do you cut a sheet of vinyl letters, then deduct the value of the weeded out vinyl and charge for just those letters? I hope not.