Vinyl Pricer

[DeviantGeek 0]

I agree to a point. There's a lot of setting up to do with both. Mine is just straight forward and to the point. And the best thing is you don't even have to be in the vinyl business to use it. A couple changes and you can use it as a carpet calcilator and so on.  And even if your new you don't need a $600 program to tell you how much you should charge. Play with the numbers until you get what you feel is a decent price. And mine will always be free. I do spend a lot of my time on it but its a challenge. I can't back down from a good challenge and being that I'm new to this business I wanted something simple. No setup.  Just put numbers in and go and thats exactly what o got. 

[Guest YHC]

I agree to a point. There's a lot of setting up to do with both. Mine is just straight forward and to the point. And the best thing is you don't even have to be in the vinyl business to use it. A couple changes and you can use it as a carpet calculator and so on.  And even if your new you don't need a $600 program to tell you how much you should charge. Play with the numbers until you get what you feel is a decent price. And mine will always be free. I do spend a lot of my time on it but its a challenge. I can't back down from a good challenge and being that I'm new to this business I wanted something simple. No setup.  Just put numbers in and go and that's exactly what o got. 

Wish I new the ends and outs of excel like that. Math is my weakness and allot of excel seems to require to know your math well. I work with a guy that that's all he does is excel and databases.

Thank you again for the time your investing in this.

[DeviantGeek 0]

Wish I new the ends and outs of excel like that. Math is my weakness and allot of excel seems to require to know your math well. I work with a guy that that's all he does is excel and databases.

Thank you again for the time your investing in this.

Honestly the last time i used excel was in middle school. 8th grade. i failed all my math classes at least once. Im terrible with math. when im stuck google becomes my best friend. The element in excel that makes it all work is the formulas. If you have the right formula anything is possible. and by formula i dont mean just numbers. you can have a formula display text if a certain criteria is met. youll see this when i release this update.

The only problem with the formulas is you cant have a cell with a formula in it and be able to enter your own text at the same time. thats the biggest hurdle im trying to jump right now. i want to make this simple, easy, and quick. so far im doing pretty well.

I decided to include an hourly rate calculator. since the equations are freely available im goin to turn them into an excel worksheet. some people alreayd know what they want to charge that works for them some people have no idea so thats y im including that.

the calculator itself is underway. im giving an option to charge by the sq ft from a number you set or to charge by the roll. and by roll i mean you put the product into the list by length and width and the cost of it and basically it will convert it all and give it a cost per sq ft. the calculator will take that number instead of the number you specify and incorporate the markup if you choose to use a markup. same concept for the application tape. itll then take that number and add it to your labor and thats what gives you your final cost.

its def not as streamline as estimate or grafxcalc but it does pretty much the same exact thing. Im going to try to streamline it as much as i can with the formulas and the look of it.

on a side note i was thinking about charging for this if it works and people like it. im still undecided on it. i need some input on that. i was also thinking about donations. but not calling it donations cuz then i feel like a poor homeless persion with a cup askin for change so ill say buy me a cup of coffee so i can stay up late and work on this haha.

i dunno tho for now its free. if you want to buy me a cup of coffee, thats on you. i dont expect anything at all.

thanks for all the praise. i do appreciate it and it keeps me motivated to get this done as quickly as i can.

[Guest YHC]

If I was able to do what your doing I would go this route as far as charging for it. I would finish these changes and post it as free like you have been in the forums.

Use paypal and link a donation button in your post and see how that works out. I do feel that its a great tool and that it is worth something and if members have been using your last few releases they might be kind enough to donate to see you keep adding more options.

See what bugs or other ideas that might come up and if you haven't seen the results that you would like for donations I would then invest a small amount and make a simple webpage to post your next release with a far purchase amount.

[DeviantGeek 0]

True. I already have the website haha. i was thinking about putting this on a webpage and having it interactive but make the directory password protected that youd have to pay a couple to get a password. different for every person of course. but yah ill release it for free on here because i said it would be free. i dont wanna be an indian giver haha.

[Guest YHC]

Smart move LOL I was kinda thinking the same way. You kinda put your foot in your mouth when you posted that I think most of us understand what your making and the time it takes to do it. I don't think they would mind the donation buttom and I do think you should put a page on your site.

You will have to compete with the new on line pricier that Signcraft.com is offering for their subscribers.

[DeviantGeek 0]

no worries. theirs is online. you can use mine anywhere. even on a mobile phone.  well the last one i had it on my android phone it seemed to work ok.

anyway i attached some screen shots. im almost done. maybe another day or 2 or 3 haha...

keep in mind that these are just screen shots. not the final thing. its probably going to change a million times before im fully finished haha. but you get the idea...

[boomerbabe 0]

Looking very professional. I can hardly wait for the "final" version. Thank you again for all your hard work and dedication to this project, I hope it has been enjoyable for you.

[odokie 8]

yes thank you! It looks like a great tool that I will be able to use 

[DeviantGeek 0]

just a small update. im almost done. i just have a few things to do:

1. add in the labor charges as well as the shop hourly rate calculator

2. finish up the charge per letter. i realized that you may use different types of vinyl or whatever that may be significant cost changes. to remedy this im including 5 different price "classes". you pick which class you want and the sizes and prices change accordingly. due to my lack of knowledge about the coding im going to define the classes unless i can find out how to make everything change with custom input.

edit- i figured it out. you can have custom name classes

3. finish up the invoice so you can add information from the calculator. your choice. i will display the totals of everything from the calculator on the invoice for easy reference.

4. add buttons all over the place that open up certain sheets. im doing this to keep everything nice and tidy and more professional.

5. i was going to try to make a running total of the sq ft used per job so you can keep track of how much material your using and have it display something when your getting low. unless i can figure that out i dont think itll be happening

so thats pretty much it

[boomerbabe 0]

Whew!!! 

[mars 45]

DeviantGeek

Looks like the pricer is getting fleshed out to be a really usefull piece of software - thanks for the effort - I look forward to seeing the next verion at work.

I looked at the screen shots and had a couple of questions.  I see there is a sheet for customer information - have you made a field to use for sales tax rates?  I can't see the bottom of the invoice - there may be a tax field in that sheet that is input for each customer - If people sell to more than one city there may be different tax rates for each city.  Being able to enter the tax rate for each customer once will make it easier than having to adjust it for each customer at the time of the quote.  When you do a quote and make an invoice does the invoice get saved for future reference or is it printed and gone from the pricer program?  Are quotes saved pending getting the job and then generating an invoice?

If the quotes and invoices are done - printed - and then gone from the software - you can still easily archive them by simply printing the quote first to a file and then printing the file - just adds one step, but you can have a permanent record of the quotes and invoices you generate -- keep up the great work!! 

-Mike

[midwaste 4]

no worries. theirs is online. you can use mine anywhere. even on a mobile phone.  well the last one i had it on my android phone it seemed to work ok.

anyway i attached some screen shots. im almost done. maybe another day or 2 or 3 haha...

keep in mind that these are just screen shots. not the final thing. its probably going to change a million times before im fully finished haha. but you get the idea...

If it works as good as it sounds and on my Android phone, I'll donate to the cause.

[PBear 5]

Mike

you're doing as outstanding job.... thank you for all your brain twisting working with Excel.... If ya need any advil let me know..

Kris

[mars 45]

I'm not doing the program - I'm just cheering along with the rest of you math challenged people.

-Mike

[DeviantGeek 0]

I'm not doing the program - I'm just cheering along with the rest of you math challenged people.

-Mike

haha hey im gettin better. its like rekindling an old flame. the wood of which has been through about 37 cat 5 hurricanes over the past 10 or so years.

DeviantGeek

Looks like the pricer is getting fleshed out to be a really usefull piece of software - thanks for the effort - I look forward to seeing the next verion at work.

I looked at the screen shots and had a couple of questions.  I see there is a sheet for customer information - have you made a field to use for sales tax rates?  I can't see the bottom of the invoice - there may be a tax field in that sheet that is input for each customer - If people sell to more than one city there may be different tax rates for each city.  Being able to enter the tax rate for each customer once will make it easier than having to adjust it for each customer at the time of the quote.  When you do a quote and make an invoice does the invoice get saved for future reference or is it printed and gone from the pricer program?  Are quotes saved pending getting the job and then generating an invoice?

If the quotes and invoices are done - printed - and then gone from the software - you can still easily archive them by simply printing the quote first to a file and then printing the file - just adds one step, but you can have a permanent record of the quotes and invoices you generate -- keep up the great work!! 

-Mike

there is a custom tax rate but i never thought of having a tax rate for each customer. ill make it happen. you also made me think of a one time customer too. i have a seperate shipping address setup i can do the same for the customer.

im already ahead of you on the printing thing. i downloaded a sample invoice and sales record workbook from somewhere and they had auto generating invoice numbers as well as a print button. when you hit print it cleared the invoice and moved info to the sales sheet. all using code. not the standard formulas. im not that good yet but im working on it. but until i can figure it out you will have a button to print the invoice estimate or packing slip. youll have a button to save it as a word file or whatever you want file so you can keep a record. the sales tracker would be nice but until i figure out what the code does and how to implement it into my thing, i cant do it.

ideas like this are good. you tell me what you want and ill see if i can make it happen. especially while im still working on it.

right now its almost done. i know i keep sayin that but i just keep thinking of different things as i go along.

the only thing i have to do now is finish up the invoice and add the hourly rate stuff.

a side not about the hourly rate. i know some people charge different rates for different things like artwork or driving install whatever so im making 3 hourly rate classes. 1 is your shop rate one is artwork one is misc. you dont have to use any of them if you dont want. but they will be there along with the hourly rate calculator for your shop only whether you have a storefront or you run it from your house. works both ways.

keep the suggestions coming. any questions ill be glad to answer. im on here everyday so ill see it.

[the nutter 0]

Hey DeviantGeek

firstly thanks for your email my friend  !!  

just a quick stupid question from over the pond .....

Are ALL your roll measurements done in yards ? or do you have the option to change it to feet  inches or mm   ??

Steve the Nutter  

[DeviantGeek 0]

its in yards and inches. for the sake of the calculations it does convert to sq inches, sq ft, sq yards. what i could probably do is put in a conversion calculator to reference back and forth. just sittin here thinking about converting everything over, it would be way way too much to have inches and mm and ft and m all working together. at least with my knowledge of excel.

and yes all the rolls are done it yards and inches. if i put a conversion thing in there to convert say 1 ft to 1 yard it would come out as 0.33 ish yards. you would just put that in. i do have an option to charge by the roll or charge by the sq ft. if you charge by the roll it calculates the raw cost per sq ft based on your input. then you can mark it up to 500% if you want to. or you can charge $5 a sq ft and call it a day.

if you get a roll of something. at least from what i saw, you get a yard or more (3ft) i know there are singles out there like regular sheets of paper too. for right now im just concentrating on the roll aspect. once i release it and there are no bugs i was planning on adding a sheet thing too where you can charge by the sheet. as well as charge for ink over a certain area.

if anyone has any insight on how you charge for ink (if you do at all) it would be appreciated.

if you want the conversion thing added i need to know what to convert to. i dont know equivalents between metric and standard. i can barely read a ruler haha.

[midwaste 4]

Post it already!    ;D

[bizzytop 1]

That's what i was thinking to!!!  ;D

[Guest YHC]

LOL everyone is getting excited 

[DeviantGeek 0]

Settle down 

I guess I should mention I do have a fulltime job by day and a dad by night haha. Most of the work  I do on this is after 9 

But you'll be happy to know the calculator portion is done.

I'm still working on the invoice and the hourly  rate calculator. I'll have the hourly rate done tonight. Hopefully the invoice too then I gotta do some testing to make sure everything works as it  should. Then ill release it in beta. Wait for everyone to tell me what's wrong make changes fix it and release a final.

saturday at the latest 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

cool can't wait to try it!

[boomerbabe 0]

Ditto

[DeviantGeek 0]

hourly rate calculator done. now for the fun part of making everything automagically appear and disappear in the invoice and alot of cosmetics and a teeny tiny readme balloons all over the place.