Getting Started

Your journey to faster, more accurate estimates begins here. This guide will walk you through creating your account and launching your first project.

1. Creating Your Account

If you are the first user from your company, you can register directly on our website. If your company already uses Apex Estimate, an administrator must send you an invitation via email.

• Accepting an Invitation: Click the link in your invitation email. You will be taken to a secure page to set your name and password. Once complete, you are part of your company's team.
• First-time Registration: During registration, you will create both your user account and your company profile.

2. The Project Dashboard

The Dashboard is your home base. After logging in, you will see a list of all your projects. Each project will have a clear status that updates in real-time as our AI agents work:

• Processing: The AI is currently analyzing your documents. Our Librarian agent is classifying each page, the Scheduler is building the "Paint Bible," and the Surveyor and Quantifier are performing the takeoffs.
• Ready for Review: The AI has finished, and the Auditor agent has performed a final quality check. The project is now ready for your inspection.
• Error: An issue was encountered during processing. Please check the project details for more information.

From the dashboard, you can create a new project or delete old ones.

3. Uploading Your First Project

1. Click the "Create New Project" button on your dashboard.
2. Give your project a name (e.g., "Downtown Medical Center").
3. Select the multi-page PDF blueprint file from your computer.
4. Optional but Recommended: If you have a separate Specification Book PDF, upload it in the second file input. This allows our Speculator AI agent to extract detailed textual requirements for the highest accuracy.
5. Click "Upload and Process." You will be returned to the dashboard where you can see the real-time status of your new project.

The Blueprint Viewer

The Interactive Viewer is the core of Apex Estimate, where you review and perfect the AI's work. What you see is the direct output of our specialized AI agents.

1. Navigating the Viewer

• Pan: Click and drag with your mouse to move around the blueprint.
• Zoom: Use your mouse's scroll wheel to zoom in and out. The zoom will center on your cursor's position.
• Page Navigation: Use the "Previous" and "Next" buttons to move between pages of your blueprint set.

2. Understanding the AI-Generated Overlays

The colored shapes on your blueprints are created by different AI agents:

• Area Takeoffs (Purple): These polygons are generated by the Surveyor agent, which measures surfaces like walls and ceilings.
• Length Takeoffs (Orange): These lines are also from the Surveyor agent, measuring linear items like baseboards and trim.
• Unit Counts (Red): These counters are placed by the Quantifier agent, which identifies and counts discrete items like doors and windows.

3. Inspecting and Editing AI Takeoffs

1. Select an Item: Click on any colored shape. The shape will highlight, and the "Property Inspector" panel will appear.
2. Review Properties: The inspector shows all data for the selected item.
3. Edit Data: All fields in the inspector are editable. Correcting quantities or descriptions here is a key part of the review process. Click "Save" to commit your changes.
4. Delete an Item: Click the "Delete" button in the inspector to permanently remove an AI-generated takeoff.

4. Manual Drawing Tools

If the AI missed something, you can add it manually.

1. Select a Tool: Use the Toolbar to select "Measure Area," "Measure Length," or "Count Unit."
2. Drawing:
   • Area/Length: Click on the blueprint to start drawing points. Double-click to finish your shape.
   • Count: Simply click on the blueprint to place a counter pin.
3. Finalize: After you finish drawing, a new item is created and automatically selected. Use the Property Inspector to fill in its details and save it.

Company Catalogs

The power of Apex Estimate comes from applying your unique business costs to the quantities we take off. You manage these costs in your Company Catalogs, found in the "Settings" area of the application. This information is private to your company and is the foundation of the Calculation Engine.

1. Material Catalog

Here, you list the materials you use and what they cost. When the Calculation Engine runs, it will match the materials identified by the AI to the entries in this catalog to determine material costs.

• Adding a Material: Click "Add New Material" and fill out the form:
  • Name: Be specific (e.g., "Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 - Gallon").
  • Material Type: A category (e.g., "Interior Latex Paint"). This should match the types used in your takeoff descriptions.
  • Cost: The price you pay for one unit.
  • Unit of Measure: e.g., gallon, tube, roll.
  • Coverage Rate: How much area one unit covers (e.g., `350` sq ft per gallon). This is crucial for accurate material calculations.

2. Labor Catalog

This catalog has two parts that work together to calculate labor costs:

• Base Labor Rate: This is your company's average, fully-burdened cost for one painter for one hour. This is the multiplier for all calculated hours.
• Productivity Rates: This is a list of specific tasks and how long they take. The Calculation Engine matches takeoff descriptions to these tasks to determine the time required. You can price tasks in three ways (use only one per task):
  • Hours per Unit: For discrete items (e.g., Task: "Paint Hollow Metal Door Frame", Hours/Unit: `0.75`).
  • Sq Ft per Hour: For large surfaces (e.g., Task: "Roll Drywall", Sq Ft/Hour: `250`).
  • Lin Ft per Hour: For linear items (e.g., Task: "Paint Baseboard", Lin Ft/Hour: `100`).

Understanding Estimates

Once your takeoff is corrected and your catalogs are populated, you can view the final estimate. This view is powered by our Calculation Engine, which applies your catalog pricing to the takeoff quantities.

1. Viewing the Estimate

Navigate to the "Estimate" tab within a project. The view is broken into several sections:

• Summary: Displays the Grand Total, along with subtotals for materials and labor.
• Unpriced Items: This important section lists any takeoff items that could not be priced because a matching entry was not found in your catalogs. This is your cue to go to Settings, add the required material or labor rate, and then click "Recalculate."
• Itemized Lists: Separate, detailed tables show the cost breakdown for every material and labor line item.

2. Exporting to PDF

Click the "Download as PDF" button. The system will generate a professional, customer-facing PDF of your estimate that you can save, print, or send to your clients. The generation happens in the background, so you can continue working while it processes.

Team Management

For company administrators, the "Team Management" section in Settings allows you to manage user access.

1. User Roles

Our platform uses Role-Based Access Control to ensure data security and proper workflow delegation.

• Admin: Has full control. Can manage all projects, edit the company-wide catalogs, handle billing, and invite or remove users.
• Estimator: Has focused access. Can create and manage their own projects and view the company catalogs, but cannot edit the catalogs or manage team members.

2. Inviting New Users

1. Navigate to "Settings" > "Team Management."
2. Enter the email address of the person you want to invite.
3. Select a role for them (Admin or Estimator).
4. Click "Send Invitation." They will receive an email with a unique link to join your company on Apex Estimate.

Account & Billing

This section, accessible only to Admins, is where you manage your company's relationship with Apex Estimate.

• Subscription: View your current subscription plan and make changes.
• Invoices: Access and download past invoices for your records.
• Company Profile: Update your company's name and other details.