Blog

https://youtu.be/JgVoCIw3VR0 Adding a staircase to a deck in Sketch can be frustrating if you don't know which settings to change in the staircase properties. It took me a bit of time to discover all of the correct setting to get the staircase to properly match the...

https://youtu.be/bf7cpWEX07k Not many people who use Sketch know how to angle components in relation to a roof or a room. In this video, I show how to line up a gable roof ridge with a hip roof hip in a few easy steps. You can also use this shortcut that I demonstrate...

https://youtu.be/7IXalaHLEJ0 Just recently I learned that you can show your ceiling surfaces in Sketch while in the 3d view. For some reason, I had always thought this was not possible and had resorted to using the "C" in the calculator field for the line item. In...

https://youtu.be/GgC86M9YSEo When there is damage to the SF of a finished room below a staircase, it can be confusing on where and how to find the dimensions to calculate your line item quantities. In this video, I show how you can add line items directly to the room...

https://youtu.be/CdCP0Pxvy4Y When writing estimates in Xactimate, I like to avoid extra clicks at all costs. I learned that clicking to scroll up and down the Grouping Tree window in the Estimate Items tab was a big time waste, so I wanted a better option. I learned...

https://youtu.be/qmeo0rtRrCA The line item note doesn't only have to be used as an attachment to a line item - I find it very useful to use it on it's own to create line item breaks or headlines to explain what I'm doing on an estimate. For example, I want the...

https://youtu.be/BeakLOAmEBo I will be the first to admit that rounded or arced walls are not something that most of us run into everyday - they're something you may run into only once or twice a year. However, if you don't know where to look, it can be difficult to...

https://youtu.be/9qIDGn_ladk With large loss estimates or when a tree falls through the roof of a home, you may find the need to frame one or more walls of a structure. Framing is easy, if you know where to look in Sketch. For more info on XM8 Mastery and the training...

https://youtu.be/9qIDGn_ladk With large loss estimates or when a tree falls through the roof of a home, you may find the need to frame one or more walls of a structure. Framing is easy, if you know where to look in Sketch. For more info on XM8 Mastery and the training...

https://youtu.be/cAs9fRb4u80 The Deck Tool is really easy to use and can be a huge time-saver if you have to rebuild the entire structure of the deck. Not many know how to have Sketch automatically come up with your framing material list just by changing a few...

https://youtu.be/T64GffJBcjU I recently upgraded to the X1 Version of the Xactimate Desktop platform and was surprised by how easy on the eyes the new "skin" of the Control Center is! Everything seems to be located in a more intuitive place compared to the Xactimate...

https://youtu.be/q4d9x-iJtoM Thanks for the great feedback on the Roll Out Method of Carpet Waste video that I put on my channel last week! (See video here: https://youtu.be/gOSoPfhPZig) Knowing where to find your carpet roll width settings, stair setup properties and...

https://youtu.be/gOSoPfhPZig Xactimate has a built-in auto-calculate tool for carpet and vinyl flooring waste in Sketch. Using this tool makes adding waste more precise and shows you the actual carpet/vinyl roll out into the room. Try this tool and let me know in the...

https://youtu.be/PxSOIrHki3w The Import From Underlay tool is not a well-known tool in Sketch in Xactimate. This under-utilized tool allows you to import a jpeg image of blueprints or architectural drawings directly into Xactimate. Once imported and scaled to size,...

https://youtu.be/Ee63LRcU65E Xactimate contains pre-package macros that are only available in Sketch. These special macro line items change depending on the room that you place the macro in and are very useful in large loss estimate situations. I also cover how to...

https://youtu.be/jElHQPRkWLk Recently, there have been reports that some of the larger insurance companies have started to use the roof waste tool on all of their estimates. In this video, I show you not only how to turn on the roof waste calculator, but also the...

https://youtu.be/e4VmR4pG8hA My office has been finished for a month or so, but I finally got a chance to shoot a quick video showing off the completed room. Also, Emmy the office cat gets a formal introduction.