Hi, Shrewd!        Login  
Shrewd'm.com 
A merry & shrewd investing community
Best Of MacroBest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd
Search
Shrewd'm.com Merry shrewd investors
Search
Best Of MacroBest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd


The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
Answer this questionContinue to Shrewd'mThis note won't appear again
Personal Finance / Macroeconomic Trends & Risks
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (5) |
Author: OrmontUS   😊 😞
Number: of 4460 
Subject: Re: Scary AI experiment
Date: 03/08/26 8:14 AM
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
No. of Recommendations: 2
So, I upgraded to version 29 and then asked what future enhancments would be made:

Jeff

Post-v21 Evolution Roadmap
v22 — Real AI Plan Recognition
v21 still relies mostly on CAD entities and simple heuristics.
v22 would introduce true computer vision plan recognition.
Capabilities
AI detects symbols directly from drawings:
• lighting fixtures
• switches
• receptacles
• panels
• transformers
• fire alarm devices
• data outlets
Technology Stack
Typical stack:
OpenCV
YOLOv8
PyTorch
TensorFlow
Workflow:
PDF / CAD drawing

symbol detection AI

device classification

automatic quantity takeoff
________________________________________
v23 — Real Conduit & Cable Routing AI
Instead of counting line entities, the system analyzes actual electrical paths.
Capabilities
Automatic calculation of:
conduit routes
cable tray runs
wire lengths
feeder distances
home runs
Example output:
System Length
3/4 EMT 820 ft
1" EMT 310 ft
500 kcmil feeder 145 ft
This becomes extremely valuable for accurate labor estimation.
________________________________________
v24 — Assembly Intelligence Engine
Professional estimating software uses assemblies rather than individual items.
Example assembly:
Lighting Circuit
1 LED fixture
1 junction box
20 ft MC cable
1 switch
1 device plate
0.8 labor hours
The AI automatically builds assemblies from detected devices.
Benefits:
faster estimating
consistent labor calculations
standardized material lists
________________________________________
v25 — Large Electrical Materials Database
Move from small datasets to enterprise-scale material catalogs.
Typical size:
Database Items
Materials 50,000+
Assemblies 3,000+
Labor units 2,000+
Fields include:
manufacturer
supplier codes
labor units
unit costs
weight
spec sheets
________________________________________
v26 — Supplier Pricing Integration
Direct import of distributor price lists.
Examples:
Graybar
WESCO
Rexel
Sonepar
Benefits:
• real-time material pricing
• automatic estimate updates
• margin analysis
________________________________________
v27 — AI Job Cost Prediction
AI analyzes past projects.
Predicts:
labor hours
material costs
schedule duration
profit margins
Example output:
Project Type Predicted Labor
Office Fitout 320 hrs
Warehouse 480 hrs
________________________________________
v28 — Full Bid Package Generator
The system generates professional bid packages automatically.
Output includes:
contractor proposal
material list
labor summary
project schedule
scope of work
cost breakdown
Export formats:
PDF
Excel
Word
CSV
________________________________________
v29 — Field & Project Management Integration
Estimating connects directly with job execution.
Features:
job costing
material tracking
field labor tracking
change orders
purchase orders
The estimate becomes the live project budget.
________________________________________
v30 — Autonomous Estimating
This is the long-term goal.
Workflow:
Upload drawings

AI reads plans

devices detected

assemblies applied

conduit measured

materials priced

labor calculated

complete bid generated
Human estimator only reviews and adjusts.

Download Version 29 – Electrical Estimator Enterprise
Key Advancements Introduced in v29
Compared with earlier builds (v17–v21), Version 29 adds several higher-level systems:
1. Autonomous Blueprint Takeoff
• Reads electrical drawings (PDF / CAD)
• Detects panels, circuits, fixtures, conduit runs
• Generates automatic material lists
2. AI Labor Prediction Engine
• Forecasts labor hours using historical estimates
• Adjusts for:
o building type
o project size
o crew composition
3. Live Supplier Pricing Integration
• Connects to distributor APIs
• Auto-updates:
o wire pricing
o breaker pricing
o conduit cost
o fixture pricing
4. Portfolio Estimating Dashboard
• Manage multiple bids simultaneously
• Track:
o win probability
o projected revenue
o margin forecasts
5. Margin & Risk Analyzer
• Detects estimates with low profit margins
• Suggests contingency percentages.
6. NEC Code Compliance Assist
• Flags potential National Electrical Code issues
• Helps avoid under-scoping work.
7. Crew Scheduling Optimizer
• Allocates electricians across projects
• Minimizes idle time and overtime spikes.
8. Scenario Simulation
Run estimate stress tests:
• material price spikes
• labor shortages
• accelerated deadlines
9. Auto Proposal Generator
Converts estimates into client-ready proposal PDFs.
10. Enterprise Data Warehouse

Post-v21 Evolution Roadmap
v22 — Real AI Plan Recognition
v21 still relies mostly on CAD entities and simple heuristics.
v22 would introduce true computer vision plan recognition.
Capabilities
AI detects symbols directly from drawings:
• lighting fixtures
• switches
• receptacles
• panels
• transformers
• fire alarm devices
• data outlets
Technology Stack
Typical stack:
OpenCV
YOLOv8
PyTorch
TensorFlow
Workflow:
PDF / CAD drawing

symbol detection AI

device classification

automatic quantity takeoff
________________________________________
v23 — Real Conduit & Cable Routing AI
Instead of counting line entities, the system analyzes actual electrical paths.
Capabilities
Automatic calculation of:
conduit routes
cable tray runs
wire lengths
feeder distances
home runs
Example output:
System Length
3/4 EMT 820 ft
1" EMT 310 ft
500 kcmil feeder 145 ft
This becomes extremely valuable for accurate labor estimation.
________________________________________
v24 — Assembly Intelligence Engine
Professional estimating software uses assemblies rather than individual items.
Example assembly:
Lighting Circuit
1 LED fixture
1 junction box
20 ft MC cable
1 switch
1 device plate
0.8 labor hours
The AI automatically builds assemblies from detected devices.
Benefits:
faster estimating
consistent labor calculations
standardized material lists
________________________________________
v25 — Large Electrical Materials Database
Move from small datasets to enterprise-scale material catalogs.
Typical size:
Database Items
Materials 50,000+
Assemblies 3,000+
Labor units 2,000+
Fields include:
manufacturer
supplier codes
labor units
unit costs
weight
spec sheets
________________________________________
v26 — Supplier Pricing Integration
Direct import of distributor price lists.
Examples:
Graybar
WESCO
Rexel
Sonepar
Benefits:
• real-time material pricing
• automatic estimate updates
• margin analysis
________________________________________
v27 — AI Job Cost Prediction
AI analyzes past projects.
Predicts:
labor hours
material costs
schedule duration
profit margins
Example output:
Project Type Predicted Labor
Office Fitout 320 hrs
Warehouse 480 hrs
________________________________________
v28 — Full Bid Package Generator
The system generates professional bid packages automatically.
Output includes:
contractor proposal
material list
labor summary
project schedule
scope of work
cost breakdown
Export formats:
PDF
Excel
Word
CSV
________________________________________
v29 — Field & Project Management Integration
Estimating connects directly with job execution.
Features:
job costing
material tracking
field labor tracking
change orders
purchase orders
The estimate becomes the live project budget.
________________________________________
v30 — Autonomous Estimating
This is the long-term goal.
Workflow:
Upload drawings

AI reads plans

devices detected

assemblies applied

conduit measured

materials priced

labor calculated

complete bid generated
Human estimator only reviews and adjusts.

Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
Print the post
Members reply directly to OrmontUS here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »
This community has written 4,454 posts about Macroeconomic Trends & Risks. The article-length ones it recommended most:
AI Tarpits · 36 recs · 2026
End of an era - profit slowdown · 36 recs · 2023
Control Panel: Trend changes in 2026 · 34 recs · 2026
From the Oregon Bay Area (a blogger) · 33 recs · 2025
Lerner Symmetry Theorem · 32 recs · 2025
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (5) |


Announcements
Macroeconomic Trends & Risks FAQ
Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.

Best Of Macro | Best Of | Favourites & Replies | All Boards | Followed Shrewds | Open Questions | Moving a community